Engineering Branch Manager

Engineering Consulting Service; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ECS Group of Companies in Knoxville, TN, seeks an Engineering Branch Manager who will lead the Knoxville office with a blend of technical excellence and business acumen. You will mentor staff, drive project delivery, and strengthen client relationships while contributing to branch growth.

This leadership role requires a track record of managing geotechnical and construction materials projects, strong communication, and a commitment to safety.

Qualifications

• Over 10 years of technical and managerial engineering experience.
• Proven leadership, communication, and client relationship skills.
• Strong business acumen with P&L experience.
• Excellent project management and organizational abilities.
• Committed to safety and engineering excellence.
• Knowledge of local/regional engineering climate preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage multidisciplinary engineering projects including geotechnical and construction materials.
• Assemble project teams and provide leadership through full lifecycle.
• Oversee project financials, resources, schedules, and deliverables.
• Ensure quality control, safety standards, and best practices.
• Perform technical reviews of designs, drawings, plans, and specs.
• Pursue new business opportunities through networking, proposals, and client relationships.
• Manage branch budgets, forecasts, hiring, and staff development.
• Promote company values, culture, and employee engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Business acumen

Project management

Safety adherence

Geotechnical market knowledge

Education

B.S. in Civil Engineering (geotechnical concentration)

M.S. in Civil Engineering (geotechnical emphasis)

PE or PG licensure preferred

Job description

Position & Office Overview

As an Engineering Branch Manager, you are the type who is driven to succeed. You are a highly motivated star player who thrives on strategic thinking and putting ideas into motion. Every project shows both your technical expertise as well as your business savvy – and this is reflected in the strong growth of your branch. The junior and senior engineering staff look to you for mentoring both technically and in building client relationships. Your positive interactions with clients as well as business development skills contribute tremendously to the success of ECS. You get the “big” picture and want to contribute accordingly – and that’s why you’ll have all the opportunity for career growth within our company you’ll want.

Responsibilities

ECS Limited is seeking an experienced engineering leader to manage our Knoxville office. As the Engineering Branch Manager, you will oversee engineering projects, staff, business development, and day-to-day operations for the branch.

• Manage multidisciplinary engineering projects including geotechnical and construction materials projects.
• Assemble project teams and provide leadership throughout the full project lifecycle.
• Oversee project financials, resource allocation, schedules, and deliverables.
• Ensure quality control, safety standards, and engineering best practices are maintained.
• Perform technical review of engineering designs, drawings, plans, and specifications.
• Pursue new business opportunities through networking, proposals, and client relationships.
• Manage branch budgets, forecasts, hiring, and staff development.
• Promote company values, positive culture, and high employee engagement.

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Qualifications

Required Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of technical and managerial experience.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong business acumen with P&L experience.
• Excellent project management and organizational abilities.
• Committed to safety and engineering excellence.
• Knowledge of local/regional engineering climate preferred.

Required Education & Certifications

• BS in Civil Engineering from an ABET accredited college/university with a concentration in geotechnical engineering.

Preferred Education & Certifications

• MS in Civil Engineering with geotechnical emphasis.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Geologist (PG) preferred; If unlicensed, ability to obtain licensure within six months of hire required.

About Us

ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and building science + infrastructure consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 3,200 employees in 125 offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #60 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms (April 2026), #148 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms (October 2025) and #38 in Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List (June 2026). For additional information about ECS, visit: www.ecslimited.com.

ECS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To learn more, click here.