Water/Wastewater Master Planning Project Manager

Freese and Nichols, Inc.; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid schedule (up to 40% remote)

Annual bonus

Company cabins in NM & NC

Job summary

Freese and Nichols in Raleigh, NC seeks a Senior Water/Wastewater Master Planning Manager to lead our Southeast US Water/Wastewater Master Planning team. This role blends project leadership with group operations, staff development, client service, and growth initiatives.

Reporting to the Group Manager, you will guide staff, foster strategic client relationships, support pursuit activities, and provide senior oversight for complex planning assignments across the region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering with 15+ years of relevant water and wastewater utility or consulting experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex water or wastewater programs, projects, or utility initiatives.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, client relationships, project budgets, and schedules.
• Strong written communication, public speaking, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to balance leadership, client development, project delivery, and technical oversight responsibilities.
• North Carolina Engineer (PE) license

Responsibilities

• Partner with Group Manager to implement the group’s business plan and growth priorities.
• Assist with workload planning, staff assignments, resource coordination, backlog management, and hiring needs.
• Coordinate with other Freese and Nichols offices to assemble effective project teams and share resources.
• Coach, mentor, and develop project managers and emerging professionals.
• Develop trusted relationships with municipal utilities and lead client positioning, proposals, and negotiations.
• Provide senior oversight for water, wastewater, and related planning assignments and ensure quality through QA/QC.

Skills

Leadership

Client relationships

Project budgets

Communication

Public speaking

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering

North Carolina PE license

Job description

Freese and Nicholsisseeking a senior Water/Wastewater Master Planning Manager for our Raleigh office. This individual will help lead the continued growth and development of our Southeast US Water/Wastewater Master Planning team. The position combines project and technical leadership with group operations, people development, client service, business development, and quality management. Working closely with the SE US Master Planning Group Manager, the successful candidate will help coordinate staff and workload, develop project managers and technical professionals, strengthen strategic client relationships, support sales and pursuit activities, and provide senior level oversight for complex water and wastewater planning assignments. The role offers an opportunity for an experienced utility or consulting leader to influence the direction and growth of an established regional practice.

Primary Responsibilities

Group Leadership and Operations

Partner with the Group Manager in implementing the group’s business plan, growth priorities, and operational initiatives. Assist with workload planning, staff assignments, resource coordination, backlog management, and identification of hiring needs. Coordinate with other Freese and Nichols offices and practices to assemble effective project teams and share specialized resources. Support recruiting, onboarding, staff engagement, and integration of new team members. Help evaluate group performance, operational needs, and opportunities to improve project delivery.

People Leadership

Coach, mentor, and develop project managers, technical leaders, and emerging professionals. Provide clear expectations, regular feedback, and meaningful opportunities for staff growth. Support employee goal setting, career development, succession planning, and leadership development. Foster an accountable, collaborative, and inclusive team environment.

Client Service and Business Development

Develop and maintain trusted relationships with municipal water and wastewater utilities. Serve as a senior client representative or account leader for selected utility clients. Identify emerging client needs and translate those needs into planning, modeling, asset management, and implementation opportunities. Lead or support client positioning, capture planning, proposals, interviews, and contract negotiations. Strengthen existing client relationships and help expand FNI’s water/wastewater planning presence in North Carolina and the Southeast.

Project and Technical Leadership

Lead or provide senior oversight for water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and integrated utility planning assignments. Guide teams performing demand and flow forecasting, hydraulic modeling, system evaluations, alternatives analyses, capital improvement planning, water quality evaluations, and asset management. Help teams define scopes, fees, schedules, staffing plans, and technical approaches. Provide senior guidance on complex utility challenges and communicate recommendations clearly to utility leadership, governing bodies, and other stakeholders. Serve as project manager, senior advisor, or technical leader based on project and client needs.

Quality Management

Serve as a QA/QC reviewer or senior technical advisor for selected planning and modeling projects. Review key assumptions, methodologies, model results, alternatives, CIPs, reports, and presentations. Help teams establish appropriate quality plans and confirm that reviews are completed and documented. Promote consistent application of master planning methods, technical standards, lessons learned, and practice resources. Support development and implementation of improved tools, processes, and technology across the group.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering 15+ years of relevant water and wastewater utility or consulting experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex water or wastewater programs, projects, or utility initiatives.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, client relationships, project budgets, and schedules.
• Strong written communication, public speaking, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to balance leadership, client development, project delivery, and technical oversight responsibilities.
• North CarolinaEngineer (PE) license

About Freese and Nichols

At the heart of our culture is our LEADS values (Learn continuously, Engage as family, Act with integrity, Deliver quality, and Serve always). Each year, our employee engagement survey confirms that our leaders and our employees live our values. We strive to be the firm of choice for clients and employees through innovative approaches, practical results, and outstanding service. For more than 130 years, we have been planning and designing the infrastructure our communities need: developing water supplies, designing roadways and bridges, preparing for natural disasters, and much more.

Besides our comprehensive benefits package (see more at Benefits That Work for You), we offer paid overtime for salaried employees, an annual bonus, and access to company cabins in Red River, New Mexico and Banner Elk, North Carolina. We are proud of our flexible work environment which includes a hybrid schedule with up to 40% of remote work. Join our team of 1,400+ employees as we grow from Virginia to Colorado. Freese and Nichols is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Freese and Nichols is a professional planning, consulting and engineering firm serving clients across the United States. With client service and continuous improvement in mind, we plan, design and manage sustainable water and infrastructure projects.