Drinking Water & Wastewater Market Sector Leader

SupportFinity™; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR Portland is seeking a Drinking Water & Wastewater Market Sector Leader to shape vision and strategy, expand engineering services, and lead a small team across diverse activities. The role focuses on client management, pursuit leadership, and cross‑sector collaboration to drive growth and industry leadership.

The ideal candidate will have 10+ years in water/wastewater markets, engineering registration if applicable, and a demonstrated record in staff development and market development within

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in an engineering, planning or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of industry experience.
• Engineering registration if an engineer.
• Experience in development and management of strategic marketing programs for planning/engineering services.
• Experience managing client relationships and program/pursuit activities.
• Experience with staff development and growth.
• Active involvement in industry associations and market visibility.
• Ability to collaborate with Regional/Area leadership and multiple directors.
• Commitment to HDR values and employee-owned culture.

Responsibilities

• Drive client management and project management for future assignments with key clients.
• Identify and develop project opportunities; act as pursuit champion and resource for HDR pursuits.
• Direct and monitor large multi-discipline projects with high technical complexity.
• Assess market areas to determine best business approach to win contracts.
• Coordinate cross-sector work with other market sectors and groups.
• Serve as Client Manager for key regional clients and engage in industry networks.
• Promote HDR services to clients and collaborate with client managers.
• Develop market sector initiatives with Business Group Managers and Practice groups.
• Lead recruitment and staff development for market sector hires.
• Coordinate with area leadership to optimize staffing and resources.
• Drive technical excellence and coordinate staff across projects.
• Identify needs for new technical services and products to strengthen HDR position.
• Support talent management and recruitment activities.

Skills

Client management

Project management

Quality assurance

Business development

Strategic marketing

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, planning or related field

Job description

Drinking Water & Wastewater Market Sector Leader

HDR |

HDR | Posted Mar 9

Full-time

Portland

Advanced (5-10 yrs)

Negotiable

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we work to weave diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work and foster a sense of belonging throughout the company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story: https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story

We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience. We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.

Employee-owned HDR has an excellent career opportunity for a Drinking Water and Wastewater Market Sector Leader who is passionate about protecting public health and understands the intersection between the drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, and stormwater markets. We are looking for someone who will collaborate with local and national leadership to set the vision and strategy to expand and provide engineering services to drinking water agencies, related clients in other sectors, and relevant research organizations.

More specifically, HDR’s Portland Water/Wastewater group endeavors to be different. Our small team is composed of engineers with experience ranging from 0-25 years, including several senior staff who began their careers as interns and have been promoted into leadership positions over time. Our origins spread across the globe, including South Korea, Columbia, Ireland, and Hawaii, in addition to staff having been born and raised here in the northwest. As a team, we are invested in projects within the communities where we live, but we work throughout the nation and beyond. Joining HDR Portland is an opportunity not only to contribute to your community and an expanding department, but also to shape your own identity as a leader within our team.

This leader will serve as a client manager, and will serve as either Principal in Charge, Project Manager, Technical Lead and/or Quality Manager on projects. Services may include studies, planning, design, financial analysis, O&M, and alternative delivery. They will identify and develop new project opportunities in collaboration with business development teams, serve as a pursuit champion, and act as a resource for HDR pursuits where assistance is needed relative to the drinking water market.

This role will collaborate with our business class practice leaders and professional discipline groups on technical services, marketing, activities to continually improve standards and best practices, and to implement effective quality assurance and quality control reviews. As a leader and mentor to junior staff, the successful candidate will engage in and encourage technical involvement in industry organizations and functions including presentations and publications. The candidate will also participate in discussions and facilitate lessons learned for project delivery processes, trends, successes, strengths, and weaknesses.

In the role of Drinking Water & Wastewater Market Sector Leader, we'll count on you to:

• Have a focus on client management and development, serving as a client manager and project manager for future assignments and pursuits with key clients in the area
• This individual will be expected to identify and develop project opportunities, serve as a pursuit champion, and act as a resource for HDR pursuits
• Duties will also include planning, directing, and monitoring all aspects of large multi-discipline projects or medium-sized projects with a high degree of technical complexity
• The position will be the responsible for assessing the areas marketplace and determining the best business approach to win and secure contracts
• Their business development efforts will need to work cross‑sector with other market sectors as well as other market sectors in other business groups
• Serve as the Client Manager for selected key clients within the region, and be active and visible in the industry
• Promote the marketing and delivery of all HDR services to clients while working with our client managers
• Work with Business Group Managers on development and delivery of area and department market sector initiatives
• Work with the client development leaders to drive client development and pursuit processes based on proven capture techniques
• Support selected pursuits through client relationship development and/or through development of strategy and participation in pursuit activities
• Participate in industry associations and serve as a company role‑model in business and community organizations
• Identify key investments (acquisitions and technology) that will maintain or drive HDR into industry leadership position
• Develop relationships with industry counterparts in other consulting organizations.
• Develop relationships with senior leadership in key client organizations
• The position will seek opportunities to enhance our practices so that we will best perform within the marketplace to win new work and to provide opportunities for staff growth and development
• They will also lead and/or assist with the identification and recruitment of prospective future market sector employees
• Assume responsibility for coordination with the area and coordinate support of work‑sharing among departments
• Work with the business class directors and practice groups to drive technical excellence and coordinate technical staff to support the program and marketing efforts
• Lead the area in identifying needs and opportunities for new and improved technical services and products so as to maximize the depth, effectiveness and efficiency of the practice
• Work with the Market Sector Directors to coordinate staffing/recruiting plans for key hires and assist local leadership as necessary with local hires
• Identify resource gaps and support talent management and recruiting
• The position will assist the Area Business Group Managers to deliver services within the market sector
• Key responsibilities consist of helping to drive client management, monitoring and taking action regarding market sector profit and loss, ensuring project delivery and supporting the QA/QC program
• Facilitate cooperation and eliminate hurdles and barriers to success
• Monitor market sector performance indicators NFE/NFB/profits/positive equity/AR/losses/investments
• Work with area business group leadership to implement process improvements and leverage work sharing to meet or exceed planned goals
• Be aware of staff workload and facilitate work sharing within the market sector; promote effective use of company resources and assist in applying key staff/expertise to projects
• Assist with contract review on key projects to help ensure risk management, proper staffing, quality reviews and resolution of claims
• Promote Quality Assurance/Quality Control; work with business class and area leadership to assist the local programs with key technical expertise to support marketing and project activities
• Facilitate development and dissemination of "lessons learned"
• Take on Project Management Assignments that make sense for this leadership role

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in an engineering, planning or a related field
• A minimum of 10 years of industry experience
• If an engineer, maintain engineering registration
• Experienced in development and management of strategic marketing programs for planning and/or engineering services
• Experienced in development and management of a wide range of client relationships and specific program and/or project pursuits
• Experienced in overall staff development to include recruiting, career path and professional growth
• Experienced with industry associations and maintains a visible profile in the market sector
• Ability to work cooperatively with Regional Market Sector Directors, Market Sector Directors, Business Class Directors, Regional Business Group Directors, Area Business Group Managers, Area Marketing Managers and Area Managers
• Demonstrated commitment to HDR values. An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must

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.

Primary Location

United States-Oregon-Portland

Industry

Water

Schedule

Full-time

Employee Status

Regular

BusinessClass

Water Treatment

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

About the company

HDR