Kleinfelder | Utilities & Energy Engineering Design Operations Leader

ASCE Maryland Section; Maryland; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional engineering firm seeks a Utilities & Energy Engineering Design Operations Leader to manage operations in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. In this leadership role, you will oversee utilities projects, ensuring high-quality deliverables while fostering team growth and client relationships. Ideal candidates have over 15 years of experience in utilities and strong strategic planning skills. This position offers a hybrid work environment and an opportunity to significantly impact regional utility services.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of utility experience plus 7+ years in a leadership role.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to lead teams.
• Demonstrated success with strategic planning for long-term business plans.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to lead and grow teams.
• Solid understanding of financial metrics (KPIs, Revenue, DSO, AR) on projects.
• Professional approach representing the company.
• Experience growing revenues in utility markets.
• Ability to recruit, retain, and develop high-end talent.

Responsibilities

• Manage operations for the Utilities Department across Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
• Lead the Utilities operations and provide project managers with business planning.
• Develop talent to support the technical and managerial skills necessary.
• Lead the growth of the group through the pursuit of Utility related lines of work including electrical distribution design, gas distribution design, and capital enhancement projects.
• Develop a Center of Excellence Utility Design Practice to support the growth of these services across the East Division and in other Divisions of Kleinfelder.
• Responsible for maintaining and enhancing relationships with current clients to ensure high-quality and compliant design services, projects, and all other deliverables are delivered.
• Establish and maintain standards, processes, and procedures that ensure a high level of project quality and targeted profitability is maintained on utility projects.
• Conduct portfolio review of Utilities project operations and ensure accountability for metrics related to profitability, AR, DSO, NRM, WIP, Gross & Net Revenue.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Strategic planning

Financial understanding

Business development

Team mentoring

Strategic planning

Education

BS in Engineering

Job description

Utilities & Energy Engineering Design Operations Leader

Hunt Valley, MD

Full Time

Duties & Responsibilities

Kleinfelder is seeking a highly qualified Utilities & Energy Engineering Design Operations Leader to manage our Operations in the Mid-Atlantic area (Maryland, Virginia, and DC). This position can be hybrid. The ideal candidate will thrive as a vital part of a resourceful and collaborative group of utility and energy professionals across the East Division.

You will have full support of Kleinfelder’s East Division Private Market Lead, Key & Growth Account Leads, and our established Environmental Planning & Permitting Discipline Leads to further advance these services across geographies. You will lead and mentor a team of engineering design professionals, helping to design and execute high-impact projects that shape the infrastructure of our communities. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact on the growth of our firm.

The Utility Department includes Gas and Electrical distribution design, including new business, residential development, and capital enhancement projects. The Utility Department Manager will be responsible for the overall profit and loss of the Department, including all aspects of the operations including business development, client relations, partnering with other firms, proposal preparation with our marketing department, overseeing technical services, scheduling, coordination with other departments/ offices, delivering high quality services, hiring talented people, and profitable growth.

The Utility Department Manager should have experience leading the development and growth of client contracts with Investor-Owned Utilities, teaming partners, and other local utilities. The Utility Department Manager must be highly motivated, promote a team approach, have good interpersonal skills (high emotional intelligence), and excellent communication skills (verbal and written).

The right leader will be someone who can envision the future, stay up to date on the latest technologies, and set internal design and project standards that ensure seamless project delivery. The Utility Department Manager will be responsible for developing and executing a long-term strategy for growth, including the development of the utility one- three- and five-year strategic plans inclusive of markets and clients. By providing oversight and leadership for the utility business, this person will lead the group's expansion from strategy to execution, ensuring that the right people are engaged, and the right clients and projects are pursued. The responsibility includes client satisfaction and performance evaluation.

Specific Duties include:

• Provide oversight and leadership for the Utility Department throughout Maryland, DC and Virginia.
• Lead the Utilities operations and provide project managers with business planning, hours/revenue planning, and forecasting, workshare, and staff balancing training needed for success.
• Plan, recruit and develop the talent needed to support the technical, managerial, and supervisory skills necessary for the growth of the department. The Utility Department Manager will have complete control of internal resources, marketing budget, and complete support from the MD/VA/DC Area Manager.
• Lead the growth of the group through the pursuit of Utility related lines of work including electrical distribution design, gas distribution design, and capital enhancement projects.
• Develop a Center of Excellence Utility Design Practice to support the growth of these services across the East Division and in other Divisions of Kleinfelder.
• Responsible for maintaining and enhancing relationships with current clients to ensure high-quality and compliant design services, projects, and all other deliverables are delivered.
• Establish and maintain standards, processes, and procedures that ensure a high level of project quality and targeted profitability is maintained on utility projects.
• Conduct portfolio review of Utilities project operations and ensure accountability for metrics related to profitability, AR, DSO, NRM, WIP, Gross & Net Revenue.

Job Requirements

Specific Skills/ Experience/ Education:

• 15+ years of utility experience plus 7+ years in a leadership role.
• BS in Engineering is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to lead, and grow, teams.
• Solid understating of Financials including but not limited to KPl's; Revenue, Sales, DSO, CMbA, Estimate to Complete, WIP, and AR on projects.
• Professional approach appropriates to represent the company in all settings.
• Solid professional relationships with key regional clients and teaming partners.
• Demonstrated success with strategic planning for long-term business plans, including setting/measuring goals and leadership of strategic pursuits.
• Successful experience growing revenues in utility markets.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, retain, and develop high-end talent to an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results on challenging projects.