Client Service Leader

Barge Design Solutions, Inc.; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee-owned

Job summary

Barge Design Solutions, Inc. is seeking a seasoned Client Service Leader to cultivate and expand relationships with public-sector clients across the Chattanooga area, focusing on municipal transportation and water/wastewater markets.

You will drive business development, account strategy, and collaboration with project teams to connect client needs with our engineering and consulting capabilities. You will lead pursuit efforts, build a robust pipeline, engage stakeholders, and guide proposals

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited program.
• 10+ years of transportation or water/wastewater industry experience, preferably in A&E consulting.
• Proven ability to develop client relationships and win work with public-sector clients.
• Established professional network in Chattanooga, TN.

Responsibilities

• Refine and execute municipal transportation and water/wastewater market strategy in Chattanooga, TN.
• Develop and maintain relationships with municipal leaders, utility directors, and key industry stakeholders.
• Build and manage a strong project opportunity pipeline and lead pursuit activities to secure new work.
• Collaborate with marketing, technical experts, and pursuit teams to develop winning strategies and proposals.
• Serve as a primary client contact and maintain strong communication throughout project delivery.
• Lead client reconnaissance, account planning, pursuit strategy development, and opportunity pipeline management.
• Develop and execute plans to achieve revenue growth, backlog targets, and profitability goals.
• May provide office leadership support and assist with local business operations.

Skills

Client relationship management

Business development

Public-sector experience

Market strategy

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM

Job description

What We're Looking For:

The Client Service Leader is responsible for developing, maintaining, and expanding relationships with public and private clients throughout the greater Chattanooga area, with a primary focus on public-sector clients and opportunities. Serving as a trusted advisor and the primary relationship manager for key clients and prospects, this role leads business development and market growth efforts across municipal transportation, water/wastewater, industrial, manufacturing, and related markets. The Client Service Leader identifies and qualifies opportunities, develops account and capture strategies, and collaborates with project managers, technical specialists, and solution center leaders to connect client needs with Barge's multidisciplinary engineering and consulting capabilities. The ideal candidate combines strong client-facing communication and relationship-building skills, proven business development experience, and relevant technical and market knowledge to secure new work, support successful project delivery, strengthen client satisfaction and retention, and drive sustainable growth and profitability.

Responsibilities:

• Refine and execute Barge's municipal transportation and water/wastewater market strategy in Chattanooga, TN.
• Develop and maintain relationships with municipal leaders, utility directors, and key industry stakeholders.
• Build and manage a strong project opportunity pipeline and lead pursuit activities to secure new work.
• Collaborate with marketing, technical experts, and pursuit teams to develop winning strategies and proposals.
• Serve as a primary client contact and maintain strong communication throughout project delivery.
• Leverage technical knowledge to identify client needs and engage subject matter experts as appropriate.
• Represent Barge at client meetings, industry events, and professional organizations.
• Maintain CRM data and support business development forecasting and reporting.
• Monitor business development investments and maximize return on investment.
• Lead client reconnaissance, account planning, pursuit strategy development, and opportunity pipeline management.
• Support workforce planning by identifying emerging market trends, evolving client needs, and future growth opportunities.
• Develop and execute plans to achieve revenue growth, backlog targets, and profitability goals through successful project pursuits and contract awards.
• Lead or support client interviews and presentations, including scope, schedule, and fee strategy discussions.
• Maintain regular communication with project teams and clients to ensure project performance aligns with client expectations and quality standards.
• Facilitate issue resolution and support client satisfaction efforts throughout project delivery.
• May provide office leadership support and assist with local business operations and employee engagement initiatives.
• Identify, qualify, and pursue opportunities aligned with Barge's strategic growth objectives and industrial market focus.
• Collaborate with Marketing and technical teams to conduct go/no-go evaluations, strengthen competitive positioning, and develop win strategies.
• Build and expand relationships with industry organizations and strategic partners.

Education & Experience Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited program.
• Minimum 10 years of transportation or water/wastewater industry experience, preferably within the A&E consulting industry.
• Demonstrated success developing client relationships and winning work with public-sector clients.
• Established professional network and credibility within Chattanooga, TN.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with clients and lead business development efforts.
• Experience leading pursuits, developing proposals, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.
• Candidates currently serving as Project Managers and SMEs, ready to transition into a client service and business development leadership role are encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrated success in business development, client relationship management, account growth, and project delivery.
• Strong relationship-building, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to secure and deliver complex projects.
• Preferred: Professional Engineer (PE) license or other relevant professional certification, with experience leading strategic client accounts and managing large-scale projects or programs.

Why join us?

Barge Design Solutions, Inc., is an engineering and architecture firm with diverse in-house multidisciplinary practice areas. The employee-owned company is more than 650+ people strong and serves clients nationwide from multiple U.S. locations. Barge is ranked on Engineering News-Record (ENR)’s Top 500 Design Firms and Architectural Record’s Top 300 Architecture Firms and is a certified Great Place To Work.

Our primary purpose for being in business is ultimately to create a better life by unleashing the potential of our people, clients and communities. This purpose is supported by our company’s core values because at the end of the day, Barge CARES:

• Collaborate – Help and expect help. Teamwork is essential in what we do.
• Authentic – Honesty, integrity and trust are at the heart of everything we do. We are who we say we are.
• Responsible – We are accountable for our work, our attitude, and our actions. We make Barge better.
• Excellence – We go all in and expect more of ourselves than others expect of us.
• Service – We are humble. We use our gifts in service of others.

We believe that if we are living out our purpose for being in business and integrating our values into everything we do, we will ultimately achieve our vision to be the firm best known for being selected when it matters most.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status or on the basis of disability. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled