Business Development Leader

Stantec; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Stantec is seeking an experienced Business Development Lead for the Michigan water market. You will drive growth, manage key client relationships, and leverage your technical leadership to win major projects.

Reporting to the US North Water Regional Growth Leader, you will guide pursuit strategies, collaborate across lines, and build a high-performing, inclusive culture focused on delivering sustainable water solutions for communities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil, environmental, mechanical engineering, or equivalent.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in leadership and business development, including developing new clients, maintaining strong relationships, and leading competitive pursuits.
• Familiarity with the Michigan water market and projects; direct experience delivering services to municipal clients.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Michigan.

Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in pursuits and campaigns for major opportunities; engage directly in relationship development, positioning, win strategies, and teaming.
• Develop and manage marketing and business development plans and budget.
• Maintain accurate business center opportunities in the pipeline and support opportunity-based net revenue forecasting in collaboration with operations leadership.
• Track pursuit win rates and client-level return on investment and participate in go/no-go decisions for major business center pursuits.
• Drive top-line revenue growth and support achievement of net revenue, gross margin, and operating income targets.
• Review contracts, fees, and proposals for local and major pursuits with risk management.

Skills

Leadership

Client relationship management

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil, environmental, mechanical engineering, or equivalent

Job description

Communities everywhere share the need for clean water. And as they work to meet that need, they’re facing new, more complex challenges every day. Our water professionals collaborate to contribute innovative ideas, guided by scientific rigor and a vision for sustainable growth. Every day, we’re helping communities improve, reuse, and protect our world’s most precious resource.

Join our team to deliver transformational projects that will benefit future generations. Grow with us, H2O+U.

Your Opportunity

Stantec is at the forefront of the water industry, delivering some of the most impactful water projects that improve the health, quality of life and sustainability of the communities we live in and serve. Stantec’s Water team designs fit-for-purpose solutions across the entire water infrastructure lifecycle. We provide services in water supply and treatment, wastewater collection and treatment, biosolids management, water reuse, coastal resilience, urban stormwater management and flood mitigation, reservoirs and dams, as well as utility management and technology consulting. In 2025, Stantec was ranked No. 1 and No. 2 International Design Firm for Sewer/Waste and Water, respectively.

We are seeking an experienced Business Development Lead for Michigan market who wants to be part of a purpose-driven organization focused on helping our clients, colleagues, and communities thrive.

Reporting to the US North Water Regional Growth Leader (RGL) and accountable for top-line performance, you will drive business growth and strengthen Stantec’s market position. You will leverage your client and industry relationships, market insight, and technical expertise to pursue and win work that advances our business and transforms our communities.

Working closely with account and project managers, business developers, technical leaders, operations leadership, and marketing, you will manage key accounts, develop growth strategies, strengthen client and team-partner relationships, and help build a high-performing, inclusive culture that celebrates shared success and embraces ambition.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in pursuits and campaigns for major opportunities; engage directly in relationship development, positioning, win strategies, and teaming.
• Develop and manage marketing and business development plans and budget.
• Maintain accurate business center opportunities in the pipeline and support opportunity-based net revenue forecasting in collaboration with operations leadership.
• Track pursuit win rates and client-level return on investment and participate in go/no-go decisions for major business center pursuits.
• Drive top-line revenue growth and support achievement of net revenue, gross margin, and operating income targets.
• Manage client, pursuit, and marketing and business development budgets and monitor spending.
• Manage key client relationships and target priority clients and pursuits. Prepare and maintain successful client account management plans.
• Engage clients in meaningful discussions about their critical issues and translate those discussions into opportunities to deliver solutions.
• Develop branding and client engagement strategies; lead planning for regional conferences, trade shows, and promotional activities; actively participate in professional associations and committees.
• Collaborate with other Stantec business lines to leverage relationships and resources to grow the business.
• Review contracts, fees, and proposals for local and major pursuits with risk management.
• Identify project delivery resource needs; lead or assign oversight for project delivery, QA/QC, discipline excellence, and technical quality.
• Support business center and regional leadership in attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining top talent.
• Support all aspects of talent management, including career development, engagement, succession planning, coaching, mentoring, diversity and inclusion, and leadership development.
• Foster strong employee connection to leadership through regular engagement.
• Lead meetings to communicate vision, strategy, and progress to staff.

Education & Experience and Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in civil, environmental, mechanical engineering, or equivalent.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in leadership and business development, including developing new clients, maintaining strong relationships, and leading competitive pursuits.
• Familiarity with the Michigan water market and projects; direct experience delivering services to municipal clients.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills for working in diverse team environments with staff, clients, and stakeholders.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Michigan

Pay Transparency: In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Please note, the final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.

Benefits Summary: Regular full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term/long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).

Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.

The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. At Stantec we are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process then please inform a member of our Talent Acquisition team.