An established engineering consultancy is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Leader to lead its Milwaukee operation.
This is a senior leadership position combining business development, people management, operational oversight, and technical leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development and Growth
A significant portion of the position will focus on business development and market growth.
- Develop and maintain relationships with contractors, developers, architects, engineers, and public-sector clients
- Identify and pursue new CMT and geotechnical opportunities throughout the local market
- Strengthen existing client relationships and generate repeat business
- Lead proposal development, fee negotiations, and project pursuits
- Represent the branch at industry events, client meetings, and professional organisations
- Develop a clear growth strategy for the office
- Expand the branch's geotechnical service offering and market presence
- Collaborate with internal leaders and technical resources to pursue larger or more complex opportunities
Branch Leadership
- Take overall responsibility for the performance and direction of the Milwaukee branch
- Lead, manage, and develop a multidisciplinary team across CMT and geotechnical services
- Establish clear expectations, accountability, and communication across the office
- Improve team structure, delegation, and day-to-day management
- Recruit, retain, and develop engineers, project managers, laboratory personnel, and field technicians
- Mentor emerging leaders and create opportunities for professional progression
- Build a collaborative, commercially focused, and client-oriented office culture
- Work closely with internal leadership to align the branch with wider company objectives
Operational Management
- Oversee the successful delivery of CMT and geotechnical projects
- Monitor branch revenue, profitability, utilisation, backlog, and operational performance
- Coordinate workloads and resources across engineering, laboratory, and field operations
- Ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with client expectations
- Maintain high standards of quality, documentation, and technical accuracy
- Support effective communication between engineers, project managers, field teams, and laboratory staff
- Identify operational shortcomings and introduce practical improvements
- Ensure the branch has the people, systems, and resources required to support continued growth
Technical Oversight
- Provide senior-level oversight across CMT and geotechnical projects
- Support technical reviews and quality-control procedures
- Ensure appropriate technical professionals are available to review and sign off on work when required
- Maintain compliance with applicable technical standards, accreditation requirements, and company procedures
- Guide teams through technical, operational, and client-related challenges
- Serve as a senior point of contact for key clients and complex projects
Experience and Qualifications
- Significant experience within CMT, geotechnical engineering, or a closely related consulting environment
- Demonstrated success managing technical, laboratory, field, or project-delivery teams
- Strong people-management skills, including the ability to establish accountability and develop employees
- Proven client relationship and business-development capabilities
- Understanding of branch operations, financial performance, resource planning, and project delivery
- Ability to manage both technical professionals and field-based personnel
- Strong communication, leadership, and commercial decision-making skills
- Knowledge of the Milwaukee or wider Wisconsin engineering and construction market would be advantageous
- A bachelor's degree in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, geology, construction management, or a related discipline is preferred
- A Professional Engineer licence is preferred but not necessarily required, depending on the candidate's background, technical capabilities, and access to appropriate internal sign-off resources
What Will Define Success?
The successful Branch Manager will:
- Build a stronger and more accountable local team
- Improve communication between branch leadership, engineers, laboratory personnel, and field staff
- Protect and expand the established CMT operation
- Grow the geotechnical portion of the business
- Develop strong, long-term client relationships
- Increase revenue, profitability, and market visibility
- Recruit and develop future leaders within the branch
- Create a clear strategy for the office's long-term growth
Why Consider This Opportunity?
- Full leadership responsibility for an established local operation
- Significant influence over hiring, team structure, and office culture
- Opportunity to lead both CMT and geotechnical services
- Strong business-development and client-facing responsibility
- Ability to expand an existing geotechnical offering
- High visibility and direct interaction with internal leadership
- Opportunity to make a measurable impact on the office's performance and future direction
- Clear progression beyond departmental management into broader branch and business leadership