Vice President of Engineering Services

About the role

As the operational vice president at Ayres, you’ll lead a diverse team spanning all four U.S. time zones. You will have operational control of the consulting services provided to private and public clients locally, regionally, and nationally, and provide administrative leadership to our Engineering Services division. Ayres embraces the unique challenges each project brings, delivering innovative, client-focused solutions for community infrastructure—from planning and design through construction—to help shape resilient and thriving communities.

We’re seeking a vice president with an entrepreneurial spirit and a collaborative mindset to drive a strategic approach to further grow our division. Your leadership across a multi-disciplined company, proven client relationships, and ability to lead will earn you a seat on our company’s leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Create a divisional vision in alignment with the firm’s strategic plan.
• Collaborate and lead the Engineering Services team through the execution of the divisional strategic plan.
• Foster a work environment rooted in collaboration, transparency, work quality, and client service.
• Prepare the annual divisional budget, complete quarterly forecasts, oversee monthly revenue recognition, and report on financial performance.
• Grow the division in and beyond existing markets in Wisconsin, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Pursue business development opportunities, including client contact, marketing initiatives, and client/partner satisfaction.
• Engage in local, state, and/or national professional organizations.
• Champion and support staff development and mentorship to foster career growth.
• Understand and adhere to Ayres policies and procedures while overseeing quality assurance and quality control measures.
• Build and maintain respectful working relationships with fellow managers and leaders to facilitate decision-making.
• Approve and oversee the preparation and negotiation of contract documents, including scope of work, project schedule, and fee estimates.
• Provide leadership on project production, ensuring work is completed on schedule, profitably, and in conformance with quality standards and contract requirements.
• Make strategic hires in core focus areas to grow the team and develop talent within the company, division, and group.

Requirements

• Consulting experience in the A/E (Architecture/Engineering) industry.
• A minimum of 10 years of combined experience in:
  • Strategic planning: leading a business unit toward a clear vision.
  • People development: proven leadership, collaboration, and growth.
  • Market growth: building relationships, leveraging data, and securing projects through a winning strategy.
• Ability to delegate responsibilities and manage multiple priorities.
• Willingness to travel to any company location on a regular basis.
• Valid driver’s license with a good driving record.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, civil engineering, or a related field. A master’s degree in business is a plus.
• Hold a professional engineering license (desired).

Skills

• Ability to work and communicate effectively across the division, other divisions, and administrative groups.
• Proven success in collaborative leadership and cross-selling across service lines.
• Ability to grow the division geographically through expansion of existing service lines.
• Proven success in meeting goals and objectives of annual business plans and budgets, including revenue, profitability, staffing, workload backlog, billing, accounts receivable, return on investment, and image development.
• Desire to build the Ayres brand at local, state, and national professional meetings/conferences.
• Ability to delegate responsibilities and manage multiple priorities.
• Creative thinking to generate ideas for capturing new clients and market share.
• Excellent communication skills, client service focus, and business development and marketing experience.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and 401K with company match.
• Paid time off (PTO), paid holidays (including two floating holidays), and a flexible work schedule.
• Professional development opportunities.

Note: Benefits vary depending on job status. For more details, visit Ayres’ benefits page.