Head of Client Experience & Loyalty

HDR; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 181,000 - 326,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental & vision

Disability insurance

Employer-sponsored retirement plan

Employee referral bonus

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Client Experience Director to design and drive HDR’s enterprise‑wide client experience program from strategy to execution. You will translate client insights into actionable plans across marketing, operations, and project delivery while championing a client‑centric culture and continuously improving outcomes.

With 15+ years in A/E/C, you will oversee client feedback systems, develop CX metrics, and partner across HDR to standardize tools, trainings, and plays.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in the A/E/C industry.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, organizational leadership, engineering, architecture, or related field is strongly preferred. Equivalent combination of relevant education and highly related experience will be considered in lieu of BS degree.
• Demonstrated experience leading large cross‑functional strategic programs or initiatives across complex organizations.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills
• Ability to translate client, market, and organizational insights into both strategic and operational improvements.
• Ability to effectively work within a globally matrixed firm with geographically dispersed teams and leverage knowledge and relationships across the organization
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to influence leaders at all levels of both the HDR organization and our client organizations.
• Experience analyzing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data to develop insights and recommendations for performance improvement

Responsibilities

• Lead HDR’s enterprise‑wide client experience program, defining and advancing the vision, strategy, governance, and implementation approach aligned with established company direction and our Strategic Plan.
• Serve as the enterprise advocate for the Voice of the Client, ensuring client perspectives are understood, communicated, and incorporated into strategic and operational decision‑making.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives that translate client feedback and insights into broader strategy, meaningful organizational action, including enterprise‑wide deployment of our Client Feedback System, facilitation of workshops, action planning, issue resolution, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Advance a client‑centric culture across HDR by partnering with leaders and teams to embed client‑focused behaviors, decision‑making, accountability, and continuous improvement into everyday business practices.
• Partner with client service leaders, project managers, and business development professionals to assess and strengthen client relationships and improve client outcomes.
• Advise and coach business group, area/studio, market sector, project, and client service leaders on client feedback, relationship strategies, issue resolution, negotiation, and actions that strengthen client trust, loyalty, and long‑term engagement.
• Recognize and capture CX stories. Communicate and celebrate CX Program successes and milestones.
• Oversee HDR's Client Feedback System and related client research initiatives, leveraging feedback, analytics, and market insights to identify trends, uncover opportunities, and guide actions that improve client relationships and outcomes.
• Develop, monitor, and communicate on key metrics including Net Promoter Score (NPS), client loyalty, retention, repeat business, strategic account health, issue resolution, and emerging trends. Provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Partner with Corporate teams, business groups, and operations to develop tools, training, communications, and resources that strengthen client experience capabilities and expectations across the enterprise.
• Develop and maintain standards, playbooks, best practices, and accountability processes that support and reinforce consistent execution of HDR’s client experience strategy, including client service leadership, and maximize program impact.
• Partner with IT and corporate marketing services to optimize technologies, systems, and communication strategies that support the client experience program (e.g., CRM systems, client feedback tool, dashboards, analytics, etc.).

Skills

Leadership

Cross‑functional collaboration

Executive communication

Strategic program management

Client insights

Relationship building

Change management

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, organizational leadership, engineering, architecture, or related field

Job description

HDR is seeking a Client Experience Director to design and drive HDR’s enterprise‑wide client experience program from strategy to execution. You will translate client insights into actionable plans across marketing, operations, and project delivery while championing a client‑centric culture and continuously improving outcomes.

With 15+ years in A/E/C, you will oversee client feedback systems, develop CX metrics, and partner across HDR to standardize tools, trainings, and plays.