Project Leader

Veolia; Dieringer (WA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Veolia in Washington state seeks a Project Leader to guide planning, execution, and completion of critical infrastructure projects for a water reservoir. You will lead cross‑functional teams, manage budgets, and ensure safety and regulatory compliance while maintaining strong client relations with Cascade Water Alliance.

The role requires 6+ years of leadership experience, a related degree, and a proven ability to deliver on time and within cost.

Qualifications

• 6 years of leadership experience, including 4 leading project teams.
• Degree in business, finance, engineering, or project management preferred.
• Strong communication, organizational and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage budgets, contracts, safety, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Inspire and guide a team toward project goals with clear vision.
• Foster collaboration, accountability and staff development.
• Mentor team members to enhance contributions and growth.
• Communicate goals, expectations and progress to teams and stakeholders.
• Build relationships across departments and with clients.
• Lead by example with high work ethic and professionalism.
• Influence without direct authority and secure cross‑functional buy‑in.
• Engage with clients, provide updates, and address needs.
• Monitor safety and enforce comprehensive protocols.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Project management

Strategic planning

Communication

HR principles

Financial oversight

Relationship management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, PM, or related field

Tools

MS Office

Database software

Job description

Job Description

Position Purpose: In the role of Project Leader, the successful candidate will lead the planning, execution, and completion of a project, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and timely delivery within budget constraints. Navigate project-specific challenges with resilience and adaptability, proactively addressing obstacles as they arise. Effectively communicate project goals, progress, and challenges to team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed. Foster a collaborative team environment by leveraging strong emotional intelligence and building positive relationships within the project team. Develop and implement creative, practical solutions to overcome project-related issues and drive successful outcomes. Ensure that project teams reflect and respect diversity, promoting an inclusive and supportive working environment. Drive project success by keeping a clear focus on achieving defined objectives and delivering high-quality outcomes.

Key Focus Responsibilities

• Reservoir Level Maintenance: Managing and maintaining physical water levels of the recreational lake reservoir.
• Infrastructure Management: Handling dike management, vegetation control along dikes and right-of-ways, and maintaining the reservoir's 13-mile hydraulic system.
• Client Collaboration: Working closely with the client, Cascade Water Alliance, on a daily basis.
• Compliance & Flow Management: Balancing seasonal lake levels, meeting complex environmental regulations, protecting native fish populations, and monitoring water flows.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities

• Ability to inspire and guide a team towards project goals, providing clear vision and motivation.
• Focused on empowering team members by fostering an environment of collaboration, accountability, and support.
• Skilled in mentoring and developing individual team members to enhance their contributions and professional growth.
• Excellent communication skills to articulate project goals, expectations, and progress to both internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills for building effective relationships across departments and ensuring alignment with operational objectives.
• Demonstrates leadership by example, setting high standards for work ethic, professionalism, and accountability.
• Ability to influence without direct authority, gaining buy-in and cooperation from cross-functional teams or stakeholders.
• Ability to engage with clients, providing regular updates, and ensuring their needs and expectations are addressed throughout the project.
• Skilled at managing stakeholder expectations and navigating sensitive situations diplomatically.
• Safety:
  • Champion a culture of safety excellence by implementing and enforcing comprehensive safety protocols, procedures, and best practices across the entire project.
  • Conduct regular safety training programs and promote individual accountability for safe work practices.
  • Monitor and report on project safety performance metrics, including incident rates and near-misses.
  • Promote a culture of safety accountability and individual responsibility.
• Business Development and Client Relations:
  • Maintain outstanding relationships with current clients.
  • Facilitate opportunities for scope expansions, contract extensions, and renewals.
  • Participate in council meetings for the project and neighboring cities/towns to build relationships with prospective clients.
  • Solicit client feedback and respond to customer needs promptly.
  • Seek customer and sales input to gain an intimate understanding of customer needs, problems, and systems.
  • Improve satisfaction levels by identifying needs and implementing corrective actions.
  • Evaluate and develop new business opportunities.
• Contract Management:
  • Interpret contracts to define deliverables and fulfill schedules.
  • Conduct routine client meetings, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.
  • Ensure customer requirements and deadlines are met.
  • Automate processes where possible and capture historical data for future quotes.
  • Participate in project start-up teams.
• Procurement:
  • Manage contract MBE/WBE/VBE procurement requirements.
  • Ensure compliance with legal requirements and company policies.
  • Identify and justify capital expenditures partnering directly with the client.
• Financial Management:
  • Monitor project's financial performance, including:
  • Compliance with cost center budget.
  • Personnel utilization.
  • Pricing.
  • Customer invoicing and collections.
  • Prepare monthly reports in a timely manner.
  • Develop and present annual budgets for project review.
  • Ensure project meets or exceeds financial plans.
  • Forecast monthly budget variances.
  • Ensure timely collection of receivables.

Work Environment

• Spends 60% of time in the operations environment and 40% of time in the office environment at a project site.
• Attends client meetings (e.g., city council, utility board or internal management).
• Need to work outside in inclement weather conditions and drive a company vehicle to perform duties.
• Occasional travel for training or meetings.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background:

• A degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, Project Management, or a related field is strongly preferred but not required.
• 6 years of leadership experience, 4 of which leading project teams, with a strong emphasis on effective team collaboration and project delivery.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Leadership and Personal Qualities
  • Outgoing, self-directed, goal-oriented, and creative in identifying opportunities
  • Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail
  • High degree of initiative, judgment, and resourcefulness
  • Ability to find creative solutions to complex problems and manage changing priorities
  • Demonstrated leadership ability with understanding of HR principles
• Financial Management
  • P&L ownership, budgeting, and cost control for project sites
  • Proven track record of delivering excellent customer satisfaction
• Relationship Management
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships with customers
  • Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, listening, and presentation)
  • Ability to handle sensitive communications internally and with all levels of project stakeholders
• Compliance and Safety
  • Commitment to compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies
  • Ability to understand and manage safety, environmental, and health requirements
• Technical Skills
  • Facilities and capital equipment management
  • Problem-solving and solution development
  • Team building and motivation across all personnel levels
  • Technical writing and total quality management
  • Strong PC skills, including proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, and database software
  • Ability to optimize technology and systems to streamline processes and increase efficiency

Required Certification/Licenses/Training:

• Must be able to obtain the certifications as required.

Additional Information

Pay Range: $118,000 to $130,000 per year.

Benefits: Veolia’s comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental, vision, life insurance, savings accounts, tuition reimbursement, paid volunteering and more. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.