South Carolina Water Business Group Manager

HDR; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking an experienced Water Business Group Manager to lead HDR's South Carolina Water Group, directing project delivery, client engagement, and staff development across Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Water Resources Management. You will oversee pursuits, proposals, and market growth while ensuring quality, profitability and client satisfaction. Expect active collaboration with regional leadership. A hands-on leader driving growth and excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering or closely related field.
• At least 10 years of experience.
• Experience leading diverse teams.
• Active engagement in professional or industry associations.

Responsibilities

• Drive Client Success and Growth by maintaining key client relationships and pursuing new work.
• Lead and deliver projects as project manager, technical lead, or senior advisor with scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
• Grow the business by identifying opportunities and leading pursuit and proposal efforts across the region.
• Develop and mentor staff to foster accountability, technical excellence, and strong utilization.
• Own business performance by monitoring net fee earned, utilization, backlog, and profitability.
• Represent HDR through industry organizations and strategic partnerships to achieve bookings and growth.

Skills

Team leadership

Client relationship development

Business development

Proposal development

Project delivery

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Architecture or related field

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience. We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.

HDR has an exciting opportunity for an experienced water industry leader to serve as our South Carolina Water Business Group Manager. This role is ideal for a hands‑on, client‑focused professional who will lead key projects, develop and mentor staff, cultivate strategic client relationships, and drive business growth across South Carolina. The successful candidate will be actively engaged in project delivery, pursuit leadership, and business development while maintaining accountability for team performance, utilization, profitability, quality, and client satisfaction. This leader will help position and grow HDR's South Carolina Water Business Group across our Drinking Water, Wastewater, Water Resources Management, and Federal Water market sectors, delivering sustainable year‑over‑year growth and exceptional client outcomes.

In the role of South Carolina Water Business Group Manager, we'll count on you to:

• Drive Client Success and Growth – Maintain key client relationships, lead strategic pursuits, and personally support project delivery to ensure exceptional client outcomes and repeat business.
• Lead and Deliver Critical Projects – Serve as a project manager, technical lead, or senior advisor on high‑priority projects while ensuring scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives are achieved.
• Grow the Business Through Action – Identify opportunities, lead proposal development, participate in interviews, and convert relationships into new work across the region.
• Develop and Mentor Talent – Recruit, coach, and develop staff while fostering accountability, technical excellence, and a high‑performance culture focused on utilization and project delivery.
• Own Business Performance – Actively monitor and manage key metrics including net fee earned, utilization, direct labor, backlog, and project profitability, implementing corrective actions when needed to achieve business plan targets.
• Drive Business Development and Market Presence – Partner with regional and national leaders to advance growth initiatives, strengthen client relationships, lead pursuit and proposal efforts, and actively represent HDR through industry organizations, conferences, and strategic partnerships to achieve bookings and growth objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience
• 5 years or more of experience with program development, pursuit management, and client relationship development in the water consulting industry.
• Proven business development success in the water consulting industry.
• Existing network of clients and teaming partners in South Carolina is preferred.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering or closely related field
• A minimum of 10 years experience
• Demonstrated experience with leading diverse teams
• Committed to quality, improvement and HDR values
• Actively engaged in professional or industry associations to enhance HDR technical expertise and brand
• Ability to work cooperatively with regional and local office managers, other area business group directors, technical directors and marketing managers
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Primary Location:United States-South Carolina-Charleston Other Locations:United States-South Carolina-Columbia, United States-South Carolina-Greenville, United States-Georgia-Savannah, United States-South Carolina-Fort Mill Industry:Water Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:WW Treatment and Effluent Mgmt Job Posting:Aug 19, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Affliantive Action and Equal Opportunity Employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.