Municipal Client Service Manager- Water- Bay Area

GHD; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering firm is seeking a Client Service Manager in Oakland, California. This role involves building and maintaining relationships with municipal clients, leading a team to deliver tailored solutions, and pursuing new business opportunities within the municipal sector. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Engineering or Environmental Science, over 10 years of experience in client management, and exceptional communication and leadership skills. Competitive salary offered.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in client service or relationship management.
• Professional Engineer license preferred.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with municipal clients.
• Lead a Client Engagement Team to deliver innovative solutions.
• Identify and pursue new opportunities in municipal markets.

Skills

Client service management

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Proficiency in CRM tools

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Engineering or Environmental Science

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Description

Help us build the future and we’ll help you build a rewarding and purposeful career. Our global network is made up of architects, designers, planners, engineers, and environmental scientists all working towards the same goal.

Client Service Manager (Water) – GHD Municipal Business

GHD’s municipal business in Water and Transportation is in a period of accelerated growth. Over the past few years, we have doubled our municipal portfolio, driven by strong client relationships, technical excellence, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve. Building on this momentum, we have launched a bold growth initiative to double our municipal practice over the next four years. This next phase of growth is intentional, market‑focused, and rooted in long‑term partnerships with cities, counties, and local agencies.

To help lead this next chapter, we are seeking Client Service Managers (CSM)-Water who are energized by growth, trusted by clients, and motivated to shape the future of public infrastructure.

As a Client Service Manager for Water Clients in San Francisco, Oakland and Concord, CA and working with an energetic and high‑performing team, this position offers a variety of duties and will see you involved in:

Client Relationship Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with municipal clients, including city governments, utilities, and public agencies.
• Act as the voice of the client within the organization, ensuring their priorities and challenges are understood and addressed.
• Develop and implement client interaction plans to engage decision‑makers and influencers.

Strategic Account Management

• Lead and mentor a Client Engagement Team to deliver innovative solutions tailored to municipal needs.
• Create and execute annual growth plans for municipal accounts, focusing on long‑term objectives (3–5 years).
• Monitor trends in public spending, regulatory changes, and infrastructure investments to identify opportunities.

Business Development

• Identify and pursue new opportunities within municipal markets, including water, transportation, and urban development sectors.
• Collaborate with technical teams to align proposals with client preferences during bidding and delivery phases.
• Maintain an active pipeline of projects and pursuits.

Advocacy and Representation

• Represent the organization at municipal meetings, conferences, and industry events.
• Promote the organization’s brand and capabilities to municipal stakeholders.
• Facilitate multi‑party communications when needed to resolve issues and advance strategic initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators

• For the client portfolio,
• Opportunity pipeline
• Bookings targets

Additional Responsibilities

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Data: Oversee the implementation and maintenance of the CRM system within the area of responsibility, identifying and communicating opportunities for system improvement that may enhance the management of customer relationships.
• Personal Capability Building: Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team. Maintain external accreditations and in‑depth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
• Key Account Management: Ensure quality service and profitable business growth by managing a portfolio of complex customer relationships and/or a small team of account managers.
• Customer Relationship Development / Prospecting: Develop and implement a relationship management plan for strategic, complex potential accounts to build key relationships at local and national levels. Coordinate the engagement of own organization with the customer organization to ensure effective two‑way flow of information and resolution of issues.
• Customer Needs Clarification: Consult with a range of customer representatives at different levels to identify the outcomes they require, introducing relevant internal specialists and utilizing their expertise to gather and analyze complex customer data, clarify medium‑to‑long‑term customer needs, and develop and agree to a specification of customer requirements.
• Sales Opportunities Creation: Develop a personal network of senior managers within the business sector and represent the organization at business sector events. Obtain market intelligence, promote the organization, and enhance its reputation.
• Promoting Customer Focus: Develop internal marketing plans and work collaboratively with other departments to improve internal relationships and build strong external customer relationships.
• Customer Relationship Management / Account Management: Develop and implement relationship management plans for complex existing customer accounts to identify and build relationships with relevant decision‑makers and influencers within the customer organization and to enable effective two‑way flow of information and resolution of issues. Manage ongoing relationships with identified customer segments to ensure their needs are met, providing themes, summary analyses, and recommendations for changes based on customer input.

Education

• Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, or similar

Qualifications

• Professional Engineer license preferred
• Minimum 10 years of experience in client service management, or client relationship management preferably with municipal or public sector clients.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence at senior levels.
• Proficiency in CRM tools (Salesforce in particular) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strategic thinker with a client‑centric mindset.
• Strong understanding of municipal operations, governance, and procurement.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and build consensus
• Experience in client engagement and business development, with a track record of building relationships across government, industry, and community stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop and execute market strategies.

As a multicultural organization, we encourage individual achievement and recognize the strength of a diverse workforce. GHD is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability or handicap; citizenship status; service member status; or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Salary Range: $230,000-$280,000 based on experience and location.