Meet Jennifer Bassett-Hales

With 23 years in the transportation industry, Jennifer Bassett-Hales is known for connecting vision with execution. As Jacobs’ vice president and highways & bridges market director for the Americas, she guides business strategy and growth across a vast region, from California to Toronto.

Jennifer’s career spans more than 30 major transportation projects across eight western U.S. states, including highways, transit lines, seaports and airports. Her expertise in environmental planning and permitting, combined with her experience in design-build delivery, guides clients to modernize infrastructure while saving time and money. She has engaged in more than 25 design-build highway projects that have improved safety and travel times across the Puget Sound region in the Pacific Northwest — resulting in more than $500 million in client savings. 

She’s also a passionate advocate for building a culture of belonging, mentoring women across Jacobs and leading outreach programs that introduce hundreds of high school students to careers in transportation.

Leading with vision, delivering with impact

Jennifer’s impact is especially visible in the Pacific Northwest, where she’s transformed Jacobs’ regional transportation business. Before assuming her current role, she served as transportation market growth director for the region, leading business growth and strategy for a team of 480 and driving more than 15% annual growth for three consecutive years. She also played a key role in integrating global design delivery and improving profitability through strategic initiatives. 

From negotiating complex contracts with Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit to launching new service offerings in environmental planning and public engagement, Jennifer’s leadership continues to shape how Jacobs delivers infrastructure solutions.

Advancing the industry and the next generation

Outside Jacobs, Jennifer is chair of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Washington and actively involved in WTS and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. She’s a frequent speaker and community leader, known for building coalitions and advocating for industry-wide improvements. Her outreach includes leading field trips for more than 130 students in the Highline School District and launching WTS’s Transportation You program at Franklin High School, which introduces more than 200 students a year to careers in transportation.

Whether she’s shaping regional growth strategies or mentoring future engineers, Jennifer is redefining how transportation infrastructure is delivered — paving the way, literally and figuratively, for safer highways, smarter mobility and stronger communities across the Americas.