Client Service Director - Water/Wastewater

Kennedy Jenks; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 354,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Competitive compensation

Employee ownership opportunity

Tuition reimbursement

Professional registration support

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Kennedy Jenks in Irvine seeks a dynamic Client Service Director to grow and strengthen our water and wastewater practice across the national footprint. This senior leadership role blends client relationship leadership, market development, and delivery oversight for projects in municipal and industrial sectors, with a focus on resilient infrastructure and sustainable solutions.

You’ll build teams, pursue opportunities, and guide strategic pursuits from planning through delivery, mentoring diverse

Qualifications

• Education: BS or MS in Civil, Chemical, Environmental, or a similar engineering field.
• Experience: Minimum of 15 years of relevant consulting/engineering experience.
• Market knowledge: Thorough understanding of the local consulting market and municipal/industry client needs.
• Licensure: PE license or ability to obtain licensure in CA.
• Travel: Ability to travel to client sites and Kennedy Jenks offices as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop opportunities: Engage the marketplace to identify new clients and projects aligned with KJ's water and wastewater growth strategy.
• Advance client relationships: Leverage municipal and industry relationships to expand service offerings.
• Lead strategic pursuits: Guide positioning, teaming, proposal strategy, and pursuit planning.
• Build high-performing teams: Collaborate on hiring, staff development, and inclusive leadership.
• Oversee project development: Support scope, schedule, fee development, staffing, and coordination from planning through design and construction.

Skills

Client relationship leadership

Business development

Collaborative influence

Team development

Clear communication

Education

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Job description

Founded in 1919, KJ has always looked to the future. With a talented team of professionals and a culture of continuous improvement, we deliver exceptional engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management services, with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Using advanced analytics, technology, and tools, KJ improves designs, reduces risk, and finds better ways to deliver projects from planning through construction. KJ is at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions for clients, including green infrastructure design, strategies to reduce energy use and environmental impacts, award-winning water reuse projects, and efficient construction management practices that ensure quality, safety, and on-time delivery. We are known for our dedication to industry-leading client service and tailored solutions.

Kennedy Jenks is seeking a dynamic Client Service Director in Irvine to grow and strengthen our public and private sector water and wastewater practice across our national footprint.

This senior leadership role is central to Kennedy Jenks’ growth strategy, combining client relationship leadership, market development, team building, strategic planning, and delivery oversight for meaningful water, wastewater, stormwater, environmental, pipeline, and industrial consulting work.

You’ll step into a well-established, high-performing practice with strong client relationships, an active project portfolio, and a national platform. Working alongside established leaders and project teams, you'll help build on that momentum by identifying opportunities, deepening client partnerships, developing high-performing teams, and delivering practical infrastructure solutions that support communities, utilities, and industrial clients.

What You’ll Do

• Develop opportunities: Engage the marketplace to identify new clients, projects, partnerships, and service opportunities aligned with KJ’s water and wastewater growth strategy.
• Advance client relationships: Use established municipal, industry, and teaming relationships to expand service offerings and strengthen long-term client partnerships.
• Lead strategic pursuits: Guide positioning, teaming, proposal strategy, interview preparation, and pursuit planning for priority opportunities across your territory.
• Build high-performing teams: Collaborate with internal leaders on strategic hiring, staff development, team structure, and inclusive leadership that supports project and client success.
• Oversee project development: Support scope, schedule, fee development, negotiation, staffing, and coordination from planning through design and construction.
• Contribute to delivery: Serve as a project manager, project engineer, or project team member where your leadership and technical judgment add value.

What Makes This Role Different

• Direct growth impact: Your relationships, judgment, and market insight will help shape where KJ grows and how we bring value to clients.
• National platform, local relevance: You can connect local client needs with KJ’s broader technical depth, project resume, and collaborative resources across the firm.
• Visible leadership role: You’ll influence strategy, pursuits, team development, and client outcomes while contributing to work that supports resilient infrastructure and trusted public and private sector partnerships.

What You Bring

• Client-centered leadership: A reputation for building trust, listening well, and aligning solutions with client priorities.
• Business development mindset: Confidence identifying opportunities, shaping strategy, and converting relationships into meaningful work.
• Collaborative influence: The ability to bring internal teams, external partners, and client stakeholders together around shared goals.
• Team development approach: A commitment to mentoring, motivating, and supporting inclusive teams that deliver strong results.
• Clear communication: Strong writing, editing, research, presentation, and verbal communication skills.

Qualifications

• Education: BS or MS in Civil, Chemical, Environmental, or a similar engineering field.
• Experience: Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in consulting, engineering, or infrastructure services.
• Market knowledge: Thorough understanding of the local consulting market, including municipal and industry client needs.
• Licensure: Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain licensure in CA.
• Preferred: Design-Build experience and DBIA certification.
• Travel: Ability to travel to client sites, project locations, and Kennedy Jenks offices as needed.

Kennedy Jenks supports a healthy work-life balance and utilizes a hybrid model of home and office work, with a minimum of two days per week in the office. This approach empowers our people to thrive, collaborate, and do their best work.

Salary range for this position is anticipated to be $157,000 and $354,000, and may vary based upon education, experience, qualifications, licensure/certifications, and geographic location.

Benefits summary

• Medical
• dental
• vision
• life and disability insurance
• a health savings account
• a 401(k)
• bonus programs
• tuition reimbursement
• employee ownership opportunity
• professional registration support
• business travel assistance
• competitive paid time off and holidays
• an employee assistance program
• additional programs that support your wellbeing and professional growth

Kennedy Jenks is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship status, genetics, protected veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.