Position Title: Director of Community Development

Client Company: Stantec

Job Scope: The Westlake, Houston Texas office was looking for a Principal for the Community Development Group. This individual would be responsible for maintaining project schedules and budgets, for contract negotiations and for client interaction for land development projects. They would be responsible for providing clear direction to the Community Development staff to guide projects to a successful completion. They would be responsible for project quality control and would possess a solid understanding of the overall project development and design process as well as possess extensive project management experience and a high level of professionalism in their dealings with the public and staff.

Candidate Placement: White Hat Executive Search successfully placed a registered Professional Engineer, senior project manager with over 16 years of progressive experience in managing, designing, and coordinating master-planned developments. He brought a deep track record in successful project completion, client management, business development, proposal and fee negotiation, contract negotiation, engineering staff workload planning and management. His diverse background included residential, institutional, commercial, mixed-use, land and site development, major roadways and urban thoroughfare, municipal utilities, and infrastructure projects (stormwater, wastewater, water, high and low voltage electrical, telecom, etc.), and storm water management. Plus, he held an MS in Engineering, a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a BS in Water Resources Engineering.

Key Accountabilities:

• Organizing and supervising the work of a technical team with regard to the planning, design, processing, and construction support of civil engineering projects
• Supervising the preparation of engineering drawings and specifications, cost estimates, and preliminary and final reports for land development projects
• Performing project management duties on major engineering projects, including client and sub-consultant coordination; making presentations to planning commissions, zoning boards, municipal officials, and public agencies; attending client meetings; and visiting job sites
• Maintaining project budgets, preparing estimates, establishing cost controls, and maintaining project schedules
• Strong previous experience around client and business development
• Ensuring quality control
• Managing and controlling sub-consultant contracts
• Organizing and maintaining project files
• Preparing monthly billing
• Marketing new clients and maintaining existing clients
• Negotiating with and/or on behalf of clients
• Preparing project proposals and attending pre- and post-proposals meetings/interviews
• Signing and sealing project plans as supervising engineer
• Assisting in staff hiring
• Staff development
• Conducting performance appraisals and administering corrective action

Skills, Qualifications & Competencies:

• Track record of establishing and maintaining client relationships in the greater Houston area
• Strong ability to develop business and promote business relationships
• Strong ability to motivate staff and promote teamwork within and across offices
• Excellent organization, coordination, managerial and “people” skills
• Excellent technical writing skills: capable of writing reports, letters and technical specifications
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Computer literacy in word processing and spreadsheet software preferred
• Possession of a valid driver’s license
• Minimum of 10 – 15 years of project management experience, including ability to organize and supervise the work of other engineers, designers and sub-consultants
• Education equivalent to college degree in civil engineering or equivalent work experience