Water/Wastewater Practice Lead
About the role
Develop Water/Wastewater Practice across the Southeast. At McAdams, we invest in growth‑minded leaders who are eager to build, innovate, and elevate those around them. We are looking for a Water/Wastewater Practice Lead to guide the strategic direction of the practice across all metro locations: leading the production team, managing resources, and ensuring seamless execution of water and wastewater projects. You will develop proposals and contracts that support profitability, clear scope alignment, and drive both short and long‑term strategic planning for the market sector. As a Water/Wastewater Practice lead at McAdams, your leadership will shape the practice’s growth and reputation. You will cultivate strong client relationships by understanding their business needs, identifying new opportunities, and cross‑selling McAdams’ multidisciplinary services. You will be accountable for the profitable operation of the Water/Wastewater practice area within the Water Resources division, while representing McAdams at regional and national industry events and contributing thought leadership that elevates our presence in the water and wastewater community.
Responsibilities
- Own the strategic direction of the Water/Wastewater Practice by leading the production team, providing resource management, resolving complex technical problems and working collaboratively with all team members on all aspects of project execution.
- Coordinate and oversee resource scheduling to ensure workload and deadlines are effectively managed.
- Develop proposals or contracts that ensure the contract scope is adequate for the project, provide the desired level of profitability, and ensure that the project schedule is viable.
- Understand business initiatives and concerns of current and prospective clients to recognize and promote new opportunities and cross‑sell other services provided by the firm.
- Responsible for the development of short‑term and long‑term strategic market sector plans of the Water/Wastewater practice area.
- Responsible for the profitable operation of the Water/Wastewater Practice Area of Water Resources at McAdams.
- Representation of McAdams at industry events, professional organizations and conferences (regional and national), development as a thought leader within these organizations.
Requirements
- PE required.
- Four‑year college degree (B.S.) in engineering.
- 10+ years of related experience and/or training.
Qualifications
- Highly motivated to develop a Water/Wastewater practice.
- Possess technical expertise in civil engineering as it applies to Water/Wastewater projects.
- Demonstrated leadership abilities, able to carry a project through the design process independently and within a team framework.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage and grow key relationships.
- Proven knowledge of budget impacts and profit and revenue expectations.
- Demonstrated ability to think critically while preparing and executing strategic plans for growth.
- Proven relationships within the community that are of value in the development of a Water/Wastewater practice.
Skills
- Strategic planning and practice development.
- Technical expertise in water/wastewater civil engineering.
- Leadership and team mentorship.
- Client relationship management and cross‑selling.
- Budgeting, profitability analysis, and financial oversight.
- Critical thinking and problem solving.
- Thought leadership and industry representation.
Benefits
- Opportunities to shape strategy and grow a practice.
- Exposure to high‑impact projects across multiple market sectors.
- A united, team‑first culture.
- A platform for long‑term career growth and leadership development.