Practice Consultant - Tunnels and Complex Underground Structures

HNTB; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 226,000 - 361,000; Full time

Job summary

HNTB seeks a senior tunnel professional to lead business development for tunnels and complex underground structures nationwide, collaborating with National Tunnel Practice leadership, geographic offices, and market sector leaders to identify opportunities and shape winning strategies.

You will translate tunneling expertise into client‑focused solutions, manage relationships with infrastructure owners, utilities, and contractors, and guide pursuits from capture through delivery across multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field with 12 years of relevant experience.
• Master’s degree in relevant field with 11 years of relevant experience.
• In lieu of degree, 16 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Strategic growth and market development in tunnels and underground structures.
• Client engagement and relationship management with owners and authorities.
• Capture planning and pursuit leadership for priority opportunities.
• Technical positioning of tunneling solutions and advisory support.
• Strategic teaming, partnerships, and cross‑sector coordination.
• Support effective handover from pursuits to delivery teams.

Skills

Business development

Tunneling expertise

Client relationship management

Pursuit leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field

Master’s degree in relevant field

In lieu of degree, 16 years of relevant experience

Job description

What We're Looking For

At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners.

HNTB seeks an accomplished tunnel professional to lead business development for tunnels and complex underground structures across the transit, rail, highways, airports, and water/wastewater market sectors. This position will combine technical expertise, client relationships, market knowledge, and pursuit leadership to advance the growth of HNTB’s National Tunnel Practice. Working closely with the National Tunnel Practice leadership, geographic offices, and market sector leaders, this individual will identify emerging opportunities, strengthen strategic partnerships, and position HNTB to win and deliver major underground infrastructure programs nationwide.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic growth and market development: Develop and implement business development strategies aligned with the National Tunnel Practice’s priorities. Identify opportunities to expand HNTB’s services, enter new geographic markets, and apply tunnel and underground engineering expertise across market sectors.
• Client engagement and relationship management: Establish and strengthen relationships with infrastructure owners, public agencies, airport authorities, utilities, contractors, and other decision‑makers. Understand clients’ capital programs, technical challenges, funding constraints, and delivery objectives to position HNTB as a trusted advisor.
• Opportunity identification and qualification: Monitor capital investment plans, project development activities, funding initiatives, and procurement schedules. Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of opportunities, assess strategic fit and competitive positioning, and support go/no‑go decisions.
• Capture planning and pursuit leadership: Lead early positioning and capture strategies for priority opportunities. Coordinate client engagement, competitor assessments, teaming arrangements, win themes, and technical differentiators. Guide proposal development and interview preparation in collaboration with pursuit managers and technical leaders.
• Technical positioning and advisory support: Translate deep knowledge of tunneling and complex underground construction into compelling, client‑focused solutions. Help clients evaluate project feasibility, underground alternatives, delivery approaches, constructability, risk, and lifecycle value during early project development.
• Strategic teaming and partnerships: Identify and cultivate relationships with engineering firms, specialty consultants, contractors, and technology providers. Recommend teaming structures that strengthen HNTB’s qualifications, technical capabilities, and competitive position.
• Cross‑sector and geographic coordination: Connect tunnel expertise with HNTB’s broader transportation and water infrastructure capabilities. Collaborate across offices and practices to develop integrated service offerings and expand opportunities from planning and program management through design and construction support.
• Industry visibility and thought leadership: Represent HNTB at industry conferences, professional associations, client forums, and technical events. Support presentations and publications that demonstrate the firm’s capabilities and strengthen its reputation in underground infrastructure.
• Growth planning and performance: Contribute to annual business plans, sales forecasts, pursuit budgets, and resource planning. Track pipeline development, client engagement, pursuit outcomes, and progress against agreed growth objectives.
• Transition from pursuit to delivery: Support effective handover of successful pursuits to project teams, preserving client commitments and strategic objectives. Maintain client relationships during delivery to gather feedback, strengthen satisfaction, and identify follow‑on opportunities.

What You’ll Do

• Apply technical expertise and guidance in area of practice. Acts as subject matter expert to provide strategic advice and analysis and engage in marketing and business development efforts for pursuits.
• Prepares technical materials for projects, including strategic analyses, commercial documentation, technical provisions, procurement documents, and other materials pertaining to applicable subject matter focus.
• Works with the line organization in a senior support role on strategically important client and project pursuits, providing technical input and market knowledge to navigate complex projects and enhance win probabilities and client satisfaction.
• Targets national and international associations, trade shows, etc., to help the division/region/office identify leads, win work and maintain industry recognition.
• Identifies, pursues, and executes high‑level projects with assigned departments, agencies, and programs.
• Assists in the successful contracting and project execution process, working closely with regional HNTB staff and office leadership.
• Partners with National Practice Consultants and Leaders to develop and promote technical knowledge and applicability of practice area.
• Works with HNTB project leadership to manage client relationships and guides the application of HNTB services within a specific practice area to best serve the interests of the client and HNTB.
• Contributes to strategic planning in area of expertise and assists with thought leadership initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field with 12 years of relevant experience
• Master’s degree in relevant field with 11 years of relevant experience
• In lieu of degree, 16 years of relevant experience

What We Prefer

A senior tunnel and underground infrastructure professional with a strong technical foundation, established industry relationships, and demonstrated success in business development and major project pursuits. The individual should bring sound commercial judgment, excellent communication skills, and the ability to mobilize multidisciplinary teams around client needs and growth opportunities.

The approximate pay range for the California San Francisco Bay Area is $225,746.07 - $360,607.36. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state.

The approximate pay range for Colorado is $198,656.54 - $317,334.48. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state.

The anticipated last day to apply is 01/31/2027. Please note that the job may be unposted prior to this date if the job is filled or no longer a need.

The approximate pay range for New York is $225,746.07 - $360,607.36. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Locations: Denver, CO; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA

Job Type

Regular

Full/Part Time

Full time

Job Category

Operations Group

ReqID

R-32135