Specialist Highlight: Peter Sertzoglou, Construction Manager and Structural Engineer
At a Glance
Name: Peter (Panagiotis) Sertzoglou
Role: Senior Construction Manager and Structural Engineer
Location: Commack, NY (Long Island)
Specialties: Program management, structural engineering, construction management, infrastructure rehabilitation, disaster recovery
Accreditations: Professional Engineer (NY, FL, NC), CMAA Certified Construction Manager, OSHA 30 Certified
Experience: 20+ years
Education: M.S. and B.S. in Civil Engineering, Manhattan College
Hourly Rate: $125
Availability: Part-Time
Introduction
When AEC firms need senior-level technical leadership for a defined project window, the value of a 20-year veteran is not abstract. It is the ability to step into a complex scope, navigate agency processes, and deliver without an extended onboarding cycle. Peter Sertzoglou is one of the AEC professionals on GigBench who fits that profile.
Background
Peter is a licensed Professional Engineer and a CMAA Certified Construction Manager based in Commack, New York. He holds active PE licenses in New York, Florida, and North Carolina, and has more than two decades of experience across transportation, infrastructure, facility rehabilitation, and disaster recovery programs. His background spans the full project lifecycle: structural inspection, design, contract document preparation, construction management, and senior program leadership.
Notable Projects:
Peter's project history includes some of the most significant capital programs in the New York metropolitan area.
World Trade Center Transportation Hub (Port Authority of NY and NJ). As Senior Project Manager, Peter oversaw structural and architectural building envelope trade contracts on a $4 billion program, with $300 million under his direct management.
NYS Office of Resilient Homes and Communities (formerly GOSR). As Senior Program Manager, Peter led a $500 million portfolio of post-Superstorm Sandy work, including the Living Breakwaters initiative on Staten Island, the Channel Park Homes public housing pilot in Nassau County, and the Smith Pond weir improvements on Long Island.
MTA Metro-North New Haven Line. As Team Leader, Peter directed the inspection effort across eight commuter rail stations and led structural design for canopies, stairs, ramps, and platform rehabilitations on a $50 million program.
NYCDEP Watershed Bridges and Culverts. Peter served as Project Engineer and Structural Engineer on emergency response and reconstruction work across the Catskill and Delaware watersheds, including post-Hurricane Irene bridge replacements and the inspection and design of 12 reservoir bridges at the Ashokan and Schoharie Reservoirs.
Software and Technical Skills
Microsoft SharePoint, Primavera Contract Manager, Bentley ProjectWise, Microsoft Office Suite, and Xactimate Professional.
Industry Involvement
Peter is an active member of ASCE, AISC, and CMAA. He participates as a mentor in both the Manhattan College and CMAA mentorship programs.
Availability for Firms
For firms operating in the Long Island and broader Tri-State market, Peter offers a combination of senior technical authority and project flexibility that is difficult to source through traditional staffing channels. He is currently available for half-day, full-day, and multi-day assignments spread over time, with a focus on private-sector structural work where his independent capacity does not conflict with his current full-time engagements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a firm find a licensed PE for short-term inspection or temporary project work on Long Island?
This gap is exactly why Brian Sullivan (founder) started GigBench: his firm once flew an engineer from New York to the Midwest to inspect a site when someone equally qualified was almost certainly nearby. Traditional channels are too slow, with 20% of A&E firms taking more than 90 days to fill a role (Source: Deltek), but on GigBench firms filter for an active NY PE, confirm credentials like CCM and OSHA 30, and book assignments with no full-time opening. Search active NY PEs and register at app.gigbench.com.
Will a freelance engineer take on confidential or conflict-sensitive work?
Senior professionals on GigBench are intended to treat conflicts and confidentiality the way they would inside a firm; this is a professional class, not gig labor, with a record 5.6 million independent professionals now earning over $100,000 annually (Source: MBO Partners). Put the terms on the table in the first scoping call and an experienced engineer will tell you what they can and cannot touch.
When does it make sense to bring in a freelance engineer instead of hiring full-time?
When the work is real but the runway is not. With U.S. engineering retirements now outpacing new graduates by roughly 18,000 a year (Source: ACEC), permanent senior hires are slow to land, so a freelance engineer covers the window, inspections, peer review, interim leadership, without committing to a full-time seat.
