Certified Water/Wastewater - Project Leader

Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country's largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

About the role

In this Project Leader role, you will lead the planning, execution, and completion of projects, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and timely delivery within budget constraints. You will navigate project-specific challenges with resilience and adaptability, proactively addressing obstacles as they arise. The role requires effective communication of project goals, progress, and challenges to team members and stakeholders, fostering a collaborative team environment, and developing creative solutions to drive successful outcomes. You will also ensure project teams reflect and respect diversity, promoting an inclusive and supportive working environment.

Responsibilities

• Inspire and guide a team towards project goals, providing clear vision and motivation.
• Empower team members by fostering an environment of collaboration, accountability, and support.
• Mentor and develop individual team members to enhance their contributions and professional growth.
• Communicate project goals, expectations, and progress to internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Build effective relationships across departments to ensure alignment with operational objectives.
• Demonstrate leadership by example, setting high standards for work ethic, professionalism, and accountability.
• Influence without direct authority, gaining buy-in and cooperation from cross-functional teams or stakeholders.
• Engage with clients, providing regular updates, and ensuring their needs and expectations are addressed throughout the project.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and navigate sensitive situations diplomatically.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work culture that promotes employee engagement, development, and retention.
• Provide strategic leadership, coaching, and mentoring to regional personnel.
• Implement company employee recognition programs and address employee concerns promptly and effectively.
• Supervise a staff of more than 10 full-time employees.

Safety

• Lead and nurture a safety culture driven by individual behavior and accountability across the assigned project.
• Ensure proficiency in the applicability, care, and use of all site-specific, facility-required PPE.
• Maintain plant compliance with OSHA, State, and Veolia Safety and Environmental Programs.
• Champion a culture of safety excellence by implementing and enforcing comprehensive safety protocols, procedures, and best practices.
• Conduct regular safety training programs and promote individual accountability for safe work practices.
• Monitor and report on project safety performance metrics, including incident rates and near-misses.
• Promote a culture of safety accountability and individual responsibility.

Compliance

• Lead efforts to ensure compliant execution of the specific contract for the assigned project site, including adherence to established environmental, safety, operating, and emergency response procedures.

Reliability

• Demonstrate skills and responsibilities related to ensuring dependable project execution, maintaining high quality standards, and delivering consistent results.
• Apply ingenuity and initiative to coordinate problem resolution, manage conflicting priorities, and meet deadlines within a team environment.
• Serve rotational 24-hour emergency on-call as required by the site.

Customer Focus

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, understanding customer needs, requirements, and feedback to incorporate into project deliverables.
• Administer client contracts to ensure compliance, customer satisfaction, and prompt identification and notification of scope changes.
• Perform baseline client relations duties, including progress reports and special reports preparation and presentation.
• Participate in client meetings, special award programs, and professionally handle client service issue resolution.
• Assist with regulatory agency reports and public relations duties as necessary.
• Performance measured by Net Promoter Score and participation.

Cost Management

• Hold responsibility for budget preparation and implementation of cost control measures.
• Forecast budget, staffing, and equipment needs.
• Demonstrate proficiency in spreadsheet and database software, optimizing technology and systems used to communicate, manage budgets, streamline processes, and increase efficiency.
• Maintain full P&L and budgeting ownership for the assigned project.
• Monitor project's financial performance, compliance with cost center budget, personnel utilization, pricing, customer invoicing, and collections.
• Prepare monthly reports in a timely manner.
• Develop and present annual budgets for project review.
• Ensure project meets or exceeds financial plans and forecast monthly budget variances.
• Ensure timely collection of receivables.

Business Development and Client Relations

• Maintain outstanding relationships with current clients.
• Facilitate opportunities for scope expansions, contract extensions, and renewals.
• Participate in council meetings for the project and neighboring cities/towns to build relationships with prospective clients.
• Solicit client feedback and respond to customer needs promptly.
• Seek customer and sales input to gain an intimate understanding of customer needs, problems, and systems.
• Improve satisfaction levels by identifying needs and implementing corrective actions.
• Evaluate and develop new business opportunities.

Contract Management

• Interpret contracts to define deliverables and fulfill schedules.
• Conduct routine client meetings, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.
• Ensure customer requirements and deadlines are met.
• Automate processes where possible and capture historical data for future quotes.
• Participate in project start-up teams.

Procurement

• Manage contract MBE/WBE/VBE procurement requirements.
• Ensure compliance with legal requirements and company policies.
• Identify and justify capital expenditures partnering directly with the client.

Operational Oversight

• Manage facilities generally greater than 10 million gallons per day (mgd), including several worksites or a single large water/wastewater plant.
• Responsible for revenue less than $10M.
• Supervise a staff of more than 10 full-time employees.

Work Environment

• Spends 60% of time in the operations environment and 40% of time in the office environment at a project site.
• Attends client meetings (e.g., city council, utility board or internal management).
• Works outside in inclement weather conditions and drives a company vehicle to perform duties.
• Occasional travel for training or meetings.

Requirements

• A degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, Project Management, or a related field is strongly preferred but not required.
• 6 years of leadership experience, 4 of which leading project teams, with a strong emphasis on effective team collaboration and project delivery.

Skills

• Leadership and Personal Qualities: Outgoing, self-directed, goal-oriented, and creative in identifying opportunities. Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail. High degree of initiative, judgment, and resourcefulness. Ability to find creative solutions to complex problems and manage changing priorities. Demonstrated leadership ability with understanding of HR principles.
• Financial Management: P&L ownership, budgeting, and cost control for project sites. Proven track record of delivering excellent customer satisfaction.
• Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong partnerships with customers. Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, listening, and presentation). Ability to handle sensitive communications internally and with all levels of project stakeholders.
• Compliance and Safety: Commitment to compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies. Ability to understand and manage safety, environmental, and health requirements.
• Technical Skills: Facilities and capital equipment management. Problem-solving and solution development. Team building and motivation across all personnel levels. Technical writing and total quality management. Strong PC skills, including proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, and database software. Ability to optimize technology and systems to streamline processes and increase efficiency.

Certifications

• Must be able to obtain the certifications as required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off policies, health, dental, vision, life insurance, savings accounts, and tuition reimbursement.
• Paid volunteering opportunities.
• Employer-sponsored 401(k) plan for retirement savings.