Northwest Area Drinking Water Practice Manager

Brown and Caldwell; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Brown and Caldwell is seeking a Senior Manager in Walnut Creek, California, to provide leadership for the Drinking Water Practice. The ideal candidate will have at least 8 years of experience in environmental engineering, manage a high-performing team, and engage in complex water planning projects. Responsibilities include overseeing team operations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting business development efforts. A Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering is required, with a preference for a Master's degree and Professional Engineering licensure.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of related work experience in environmental engineering or related field.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to mentor and develop a cohesive team.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team in environmental engineering and ensure quality and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee workload planning, performance management, and team operations.
• Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing team with clear expectations.

Skills

Environmental engineering principles

Leadership and people management

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering or related field

Job description

Brown and Caldwell (BC) is currently seeking a senior-level Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership for the Drinking Water Practice across the Northwest (NW) Area, overseeing a team that includes both individual contributors and people managers. The NW Drinking Water Practice Manager is responsible for guiding day-to-day execution while ensuring high standards of technical quality, timely delivery, and effective collaboration across the team. Operating within the objectives defined by the NW Area strategy, the Practice Manager exercises sound judgment and discretion in making operational decisions, working in close partnership with their supervisor, a NW Area Municipal Operations Lead. Recognized for strong technical leadership and people leadership capabilities, the Practice Manager fosters a culture of balance, belonging, and engagement within the practice. This includes setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and aligning individual development goals with broader Area growth objectives. A key focus of the role is developing and coaching a high-performing team, supporting both technical excellence and ongoing career growth for team members. The Practice Manager is accountable for overall team performance, operational excellence, and workload management. This includes overseeing resource planning, performance management, and team operations to ensure staffing aligns with business needs while maintaining compliance with company policies and regulations. Serving as a single point of contact for the practice, the Practice Manager coordinates workload sharing, supports growth strategy/leads business development efforts (including positioning and pursuits) and business planning in collaboration with NW Area growth leadership, and maintains a clear understanding of the practice's core competencies.

In this role, you will work closely with the Drinking Water Area Practice Lead to engage in water planning and design projects for some of the largest water suppliers in the NW. Depending on the applicant skillset/interests, projects include PFAS planning and design, groundwater treatment, surface water treatment design, water system planning, and climate change resiliency planning. Roles can include project management, technical advisor, and client service manager. BC's drinking water team focuses on delivering solutions that enhance the adaptability, reliability, and resilience of our clients' water systems for lasting, positive impacts on our communities. BC is an employee-owned company and the right size where you can connect to other leadership easily, and work on some of the most interesting projects in the water industry.

Remote work is allowed although candidate should be located in the Pacific Northwest.

Responsibilities

• Manage the work efforts of a team in environmental engineering.
• Assign, prioritize, and review technical work to ensure quality, accuracy, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide technical guidance and oversight for analysis, modeling, planning, and design activities.
• Support development of facility, watershed, or resource management plans and engineering deliverables.
• Conduct performance appraisals and support hiring, development, and performance management activities.
• Make decisions based on unit objectives, company policies, and established procedures.
• Ensure project commitments are met through effective coordination of resources and schedules.
• Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing team with established, clear expectations, regular feedback, and a culture of engagement, growth, and accountability.
• Oversee workload planning, performance management, and team operations to align resources with business objectives in compliance with company policies and regulations.
• Flexibility to adapt and execute various additional assignments based on evolving needs.

Skills and Competencies

• Broad knowledge of environmental engineering principles and practices.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management skills.
• Ability to guide technical work while balancing delivery and team needs.
• Effective communication skills for technical teams and project stakeholders.

Experience

• Typically, a minimum of 8 years of related work experience in environmental engineering or related field.
• Typically will become certified in BC's Subject Matter Specialist (SMS) Framework and progress through the SMS competencies.

Preferred Experience

• 15+ years of experience with progressively increasing responsibility in drinking water planning, design, and implementation.
• Strong understanding and demonstrated successful execution of project management leadership.
• Leadership in delivery of drinking water projects in the Northwest.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to mentor and develop a cohesive team of individual contributors.
• Experience successfully leading and winning drinking water projects with municipal clients.
• History engaging in PNWS-AWWA and selectively presenting at conferences and professional meetings.

Education

• A bachelor's degree in environmental engineering or related field is required.

Preferred Education

• MS degree in environmental engineering or related field.
• Professionally licensed engineer (PE) or the ability to obtain a PE in Washington and/or Oregon.

Salary Range

Location A: $117,000 - $159,000

Location B: $128,000 - $175,000

Location C: $140,000 - $191,000

Benefits and Other Compensation

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time off and parental leave, paid holidays, 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match, performance-based bonus eligibility, employee referral bonuses, tuition reimbursement, pet insurance and long-term care insurance.

Brown and Caldwell is proud to be an EEO/AAP Employer. Brown and Caldwell encourages protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Brown and Caldwell ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.