A well-established, multidisciplinary civil engineering and design firm with offices across the Carolinas is looking for a senior water/wastewater engineering leader to build and run its North Carolina drinking water and wastewater practice. This is a high-impact, direct-hire opportunity for a technically accomplished professional who also enjoys winning work, developing client partnerships, and growing a regional team.
What you'll do
- Take ownership of the North Carolina water and wastewater service line — setting direction, maintaining quality standards, and driving sustainable growth and profitability.
- Cultivate and expand relationships across the full spectrum of utility clients, including municipalities, counties, state agencies, institutions, and private developers, as well as teaming partners.
- Step into appropriate senior roles on projects — whether executive oversight, project management, or technical advisory — depending on project scale and complexity.
- Direct delivery of engineering services across the full project lifecycle (planning through construction administration) for drinking water networks, gravity and pressurized sewer systems, lift stations, conveyance improvements, utility relocations, and rehabilitation programs.
- Provide technical leadership on utility master planning, hydraulic and capacity analyses, condition assessments, asset management strategies, inflow/infiltration studies, capital improvement programming, and public funding or grant pursuits.
- Collaborate across internal disciplines — civil engineering, landscape architecture, survey, and construction administration — to produce cohesive, integrated project outcomes.
- Mentor and develop project managers, engineers, and designers; contribute to recruiting, onboarding, career development, and performance management.
- Monitor team staffing levels, project financials, schedules, risk exposure, and client satisfaction; take corrective action as needed.
- Represent the firm at professional associations, industry conferences, and community events throughout North Carolina.
What you'll bring
- Bachelor's degree in Civil, Environmental, Biosystems, Water Resources Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
- Active Professional Engineer (PE) license in North Carolina, or a commitment to obtaining NC licensure within a mutually agreed timeframe.
- At least 10 years of progressively senior experience in drinking water and wastewater engineering, ideally with a consulting, municipal, or infrastructure-focused organization.
- Proven track record managing project scopes, budgets, schedules, and client relationships while delivering high-quality technical work.
- Solid working knowledge of North Carolina regulatory requirements governing drinking water, wastewater, utility permitting, and public infrastructure funding programs.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor technical staff and coordinate across multidisciplinary project teams.
- Strong communication skills — written, verbal, and client-facing — with the organizational ability to juggle technical, managerial, and business development responsibilities simultaneously.
- Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline is a plus.
- Established connections with North Carolina public utilities, municipalities, state agencies, developers, or funding bodies are advantageous.
- Familiarity with utility planning and modeling platforms such as WaterCAD, SewerCAD, InfoWater, InfoWorks ICM, Civil 3D, or equivalent GIS and hydraulic modeling tools is preferred.
- Prior experience standing up or scaling a regional practice or technical service line is a plus.
What's on offer
- 10 company-paid public holidays plus a paid time-off program.
- Company-funded dental, short-term disability, long-term disability, and term life insurance.
- Comprehensive medical options, including vision, HSA/FSA, and a selection of voluntary supplemental coverages.
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions.
- Monthly mobile phone reimbursement.
- Wellness program and an emphasis on work/life balance.
- Structured mentorship program and ongoing professional development opportunities.
- Collaborative, studio-style culture within a multidisciplinary firm, with occasional travel to project sites and client or agency meetings.
This search is handled by Dan Tobin at talisman.