Client Experience Director

HDR; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 181,000 - 326,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a highly experienced Client Experience Director to lead enterprise-wide client experience strategy, strengthening relationships and outcomes across the organization.

You will drive client feedback initiatives, partner with marketing, project delivery, and leaders to embed client-centric behaviors, and measure performance to differentiate HDR in the marketplace.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in the A/E/C industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading large cross-functional strategic programs or initiatives across complex organizations.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills.
• Ability to translate client, market, and organizational insights into strategic and operational improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead HDR’s enterprise-wide client experience program and define vision, strategy, governance, and implementation.
• Advocate for the Voice of the Client and incorporate insights into decisions.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives translating feedback into enterprise-wide action and continuous improvement.
• Build a client-centric culture and strengthen client relationships and outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Executive communication

Relationship-building

Strategy translation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

At HDR, our employee‑ownership model shapes everything we do, including how we support and care for our people. Our diverse service lines, including Water, Architecture, Building Engineering Services, Field Services, Power, Waste, Industrial, and Transportation reflect our commitment to shaping resilient, sustainable, and forward‑thinking communities around the world. Across these disciplines, our teams design and deliver solutions that safeguard public health, enhance quality of life, power innovation, and drive responsible growth. Whether advancing clean water, creating healing and learning environments, engineering next‑generation facilities, or building the infrastructure that moves people and energy, our work is rooted in technical excellence and a shared sense of purpose. Our employee‑owners collaborate across specialties, combining creativity, precision, and deep expertise to solve the most complex challenges facing our clients and communities.

Client experience at HDR is built on understanding our clients’ needs, earning their trust, and consistently meeting expectations and delivering value.

The Client Experience Director leads HDR's enterprise‑wide client experience strategy, helping teams across the organization strengthen client relationships, improve outcomes, and create experiences that differentiate HDR in the marketplace.

Working closely with business groups, operations, marketing, project delivery, client service, and corporate leaders, this role translates client insights into meaningful action, fosters a client‑centered culture, and drives continuous improvement across the enterprise. The position combines strategic leadership, relationship‑building, change management, and performance measurement to advance client loyalty, retention, and long‑term growth.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategy and Program Leadership

• Lead HDR’s enterprise‑wide client experience program, defining and advancing the vision, strategy, governance, and implementation approach aligned with established company direction and our Strategic Plan.
• Serve as the enterprise advocate for the Voice of the Client, ensuring client perspectives are understood, communicated, and incorporated into strategic and operational decision‑making.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives that translate client feedback and insights into broader strategy, meaningful organizational action, including enterprise‑wide deployment of our Client Feedback System, facilitation of workshops, action planning, issue resolution, and continuous improvement efforts.

Relationship Development and Client‑Centric Culture

• Advance a client‑centric culture across HDR by partnering with leaders and teams to embed client‑focused behaviors, decision‑making, accountability, and continuous improvement into everyday business practices.
• Partner with client service leaders, project managers, and business development professionals to assess and strengthen client relationships and improve client outcomes.
• Advise and coach business group, area/studio, market sector, project, and client service leaders on client feedback, relationship strategies, issue resolution, negotiation, and actions that strengthen client trust, loyalty, and long‑term engagement.
• Recognize and capture CX stories. Communicate and celebrate CX Program successes and milestones.

Client Insights, Research and Performance Measurement

• Oversee HDR's Client Feedback System and related client research initiatives, leveraging feedback, analytics, and market insights to identify trends, uncover opportunities, and guide actions that improve client relationships and outcomes.
• Develop, monitor, and communicate on key metrics including Net Promoter Score (NPS), client loyalty, retention, repeat business, strategic account health, issue resolution, and emerging trends. Provide actionable recommendations to leadership.

Capability Building & Operational Excellence

• Partner with Corporate teams, business groups, and operations to develop tools, training, communications, and resources that strengthen client experience capabilities and expectations across the enterprise.
• Develop and maintain standards, playbooks, best practices, and accountability processes that support and reinforce consistent execution of HDR’s client experience strategy, including client service leadership, and maximize program impact.
• Partner with IT and corporate marketing services to optimize technologies, systems, and communication strategies that support the client experience program (e.g., CRM systems, client feedback tool, dashboards, analytics, etc.).

This is an in‑office position that can be based in any established HDR location in the US.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in the A/E/C industry
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, organizational leadership, engineering, architecture, or related field is strongly preferred. Equivalent combination of relevant education and highly related experience will be considered in lieu of BS degree.
• Demonstrated experience leading large cross‑functional strategic programs or initiatives across complex organizations.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills
• Ability to translate client, market, and organizational insights into both strategic and operational improvements.
• Ability to effectively work within a globally matrixed firm with geographically dispersed teams and leverage knowledge and relationships across the organization
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to influence leaders at all levels of both the HDR organization and our client organizations.
• Experience analyzing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data to develop insights and recommendations for performance improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in implementing change‑management strategies
• Proven track record of managing relationships with A/E/C clients and working with clients and project teams in the A/E/C industry
• Knowledge of sales management strategies and market analysis and dynamics

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long‑term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement.

The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full‑time regular positions. Temporary and part‑time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Range $181,000-$326,000

Primary Location:United States-Nebraska-Omaha Other Locations:United States-Ohio-Cincinnati, United States-North Carolina-Charlotte, United States-Florida-Doral, United States-Washington-Bellevue, United States-Missouri-Kansas City, United States-South Dakota-Sioux Falls, United States-Alabama-Mobile, United States-Tennessee-Nashville, United States-New Jersey-Newark, United States-Oregon-Salem, United States-Maryland-Baltimore, United States-Montana-Missoula, United States-District of Columbia-Washington DC, United States-New Mexico-Albuquerque, United States-New York-White Plains, United States-Texas-Houston, United States-California-Irvine, United States-Wisconsin-Madison, United States-California-San Francisco, United States-Nevada-Reno, United States-South Carolina-Charleston, United States-New Jersey-Lawrenceville, United States-Iowa-Des Moines, United States-South Carolina-Columbia, United States-Virginia-Vienna, United States-California-Folsom, United States-Oregon-Portland, United States-Florida-Orlando, United States-Alaska-Anchorage, United States-Texas-Corpus Christi, United States-Minnesota-Minneapolis, United States-Washington-Seattle, United States-Indiana-Indianapolis, United States-Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh, United States-Nevada-Las Vegas, United States-Montana-Billings, United States-Texas-Dallas, United States-Washington-Spokane, United States-California-San Diego, United States-Virginia-Arlington, United States-Colorado-Englewood, United States-Virginia-Norfolk, United States-Pennsylvania-Philadelphia, United States-Texas-Austin, United States-Florida-Miami, United States-Colorado-Denver, United States-California-Sacramento, United States-New York-New York, United States-Kansas-Overland Park, United States-Arizona-Tucson, United States-Michigan-Ann Arbor, United States-Arkansas-Little Rock, United States-North Carolina-Winston-Salem, United States-New Mexico-Santa Fe, United States-Colorado-Colorado Springs, United States-Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States-Hawaii-Honolulu, United States-Michigan-Detroit, United States-Arizona-Phoenix, United States-Kentucky-Louisville, United States-Georgia-Atlanta, United States-Maine-Portland, United States-California-Walnut Creek, United States-Oklahoma-Oklahoma City, United States-North Dakota-Fargo, United States-Virginia-Richmond, United States-Florida-Jacksonville, United States-Illinois-Chicago, United States-California-Los Angeles, United States-Wyoming-Gillette, United States-Idaho-Boise, United States-North Carolina-Raleigh, United States-Ohio-Cleveland, United States-Florida-Tampa, United States-Texas-San Antonio, United States-West Virginia-Charleston, United States-Ohio-Columbus, United States-New Jersey-Pompton Lakes, United States-Kentucky-Lexington

Industry:Marketing/Communications Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Marketing and Admin Job Posting:Aug 14, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Aff… (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.