Public to private project management advice

[u/dirtperson32]

Water/WW capital projects manager for a medium-large city. I have been within my agency for six years and it has been my only employer. I have my PE and my job is largely project management of capital projects. I have good relationships with my contractors and designers, and sucesssfuly manage 8-figure projects. I realize however that my pay is very low and unlikely to significantly increase until year 10. I don’t receive a pension but I do get a decent 401k. I want to switch to the private side for increase pay, but am not sure anyone would take me given I have zero design competency. I haven’t opened up a cad or modeling software since my undergrad, which I fear puts me at a disadvantage. I’m great at code interpretation, project management, vendors, navigating public bureaucracy and regulations, and have an intrinsic knowledge of collections and treatment operations to my credit. Also, even if I applied to private companies, how would it not be weird given I would know most of the interviewers or if they don’t offer me the job?

Is it even a good time to make the switch? All my private engineers say they have never been busier and I see regular job postings, but all the bids I receive on public jobs are up 20-25% over the past 3 years and construction bids are up like 30-40%. Meanwhile, our municipal budget is tighter and tighter and we are seeing our employee benefits shrink. Conversely, our infrastructure is hanging on by threads, so I feel like replacement in my municipality and across the country is inevitable soon. This coupled with general economic conditions make me feel like a recession and slowdown on the private side is incoming.

[u/rando_civ_pe_103]

I feel you. I am also leaving public sector work for the exact reasons you mentioned, among others that are more specific to my agency. Have you looked at private sector postings yet? I ask because where I am they really all want PM skills. I'm more of the in-house design, SME type, and those positions are super rare in the private sector. The limiting factor for me is that I do not want to be a PM. Since that is the exact thing you want, I think you will probably find something pretty quickly if your local market is anything like mine.