Data Management Discipline Leader

CDM Smith•Fairfax, VA

About The Position

CDM Smith is seeking an experienced Environmental Data Management professional to serve as the Environmental Data Management Discipline Leader. This national leadership role is responsible for advancing CDM Smith’s environmental data management capabilities by establishing consistent, defensible, and scalable workflows that support project delivery, regulatory compliance, quality assurance/quality control, data validation, and analytics across Environmental Services Group programs. The Environmental Data Management Discipline Leader will provide strategic direction for the firm’s use of environmental data management platforms, with a primary focus on EQuIS and related tools used for field data acquisition, laboratory data integration, data validation, reporting, dashboarding, and decision-support analytics. The role is intended to elevate environmental data management from a project-by-project support function to a well-governed technical discipline that improves efficiency, reduces data risk, supports defensible decision-making, and strengthens CDM Smith’s market position in environmental consulting.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
12 years of related experience.
Domestic and/or international travel may be required.
An appropriate and valid driver's license is required.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Geology, Data Management, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
12+ years of relevant experience in environmental data management, environmental consulting, laboratory data workflows, data validation, database management, or environmental project delivery.
Demonstrated experience with EQuIS or comparable environmental data management platforms, including database setup, EDD management, data loading, reporting, QA/QC, and/or validation workflows.
Strong understanding of environmental project delivery, including field sampling, analytical laboratory coordination, SAP/QAPP requirements, EDD specifications, data quality objectives, data validation, regulatory reporting, and technical deliverables.
Experience developing or implementing standardized workflows, SOPs, templates, guidance documents, training materials, or governance frameworks.
Demonstrated ability to mentor staff, support technical teams, and build capability across multiple projects or offices.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to translate technical data management concepts for project managers, technical leads, clients, regulators, and internal leadership.
Experience coordinating across technical disciplines, business units, digital/IT teams, GIS teams, laboratory teams, and project delivery teams.
Proficiency with Microsoft business software, including Power PI, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.
Willingness to travel domestically as needed for training, project support, client meetings, and internal coordination.
Advanced degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Geology, Data Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
Advanced experience with EQuIS Professional, EQuIS Enterprise, EQuIS Data Qualification Module, EDD development, database administration, EQuIS reporting, EQuIS Geotech, EnviroInsite, or related EarthSoft tools.
Experience integrating environmental databases with Power BI, GIS platforms, SQL-based reporting, electronic field data collection tools, SharePoint workflows, Quickbase, or other analytics and visualization platforms.
Experience with PFAS data management, emerging contaminants, high-volume analytical datasets, forensic data, or complex multi-program environmental databases.
Experience developing data management approaches for federal, state, municipal, DoD, DOE, CERCLA, RCRA, NPDES, drinking water, or other regulated environmental programs.
Experience evaluating the appropriate use of internal versus third-party data validation resources and developing efficient validation workflows that align with project-specific data quality objectives.
Recognized technical leader with a history of presentations, publications, internal training, conference participation, or professional engagement in environmental data management, analytics, or digital delivery.
Proven record of building technical teams, mentoring junior and mid-level staff, and developing repeatable training or cohort-based learning programs.
Experience supporting proposals, client presentations, marketing materials, and business development strategies related to environmental data management, analytics, and digital delivery.

Responsibilities

Provide national leadership for environmental data management across ESG programs, including strategy, standards, workflows, training, and technical support. Promote consistent data management practices across projects, clients, regulatory programs, and business units.
Develop, implement, and maintain data governance frameworks, standard operating procedures, templates, checklists, and guidance documents for environmental data management. Establish consistent practices for data planning, acquisition, laboratory coordination, electronic data deliverables, database setup, data validation, reporting, and analytics.
Serve as a senior technical leader for EQuIS-based data management, including database strategy, database consolidation, reference value standardization, EDD formats, data loading, data validation workflows, EQuIS Enterprise functionality, permissions coordination, troubleshooting, and integration with reporting and analytics tools.
Lead the development and improvement of defensible data validation and QA/QC workflows, including the appropriate use of EQuIS Data Qualification Module tools, manual review processes, third-party validation support, and project-specific validation strategies for federal, state, industrial, PFAS, and other complex environmental programs.
Support project teams during project startup to ensure data management requirements are built into scopes, budgets, schedules, laboratory requirements, SAPs, QAPPs, EDD specifications, and reporting workflows. Provide senior oversight on complex projects while enabling appropriately trained staff to manage day-to-day data workflows.
Coordinate with data analytics, GIS, Digital Engineering, BT, PSG, and other technical teams to connect validated environmental data to dashboards, Power BI tools, GIS platforms, automated reporting workflows, and other decision-support applications. Help prioritize tool development and ensure technical experts are involved in requirements definition, testing, and implementation.
Advance the use of electronic field data collection tools and automated workflows that reduce manual transcription, improve real-time data availability, and support direct integration with databases and analytics platforms. Coordinate with GIS and digital teams on tools such as Survey123, Esri Field Maps, Quickbase, SharePoint-connected forms, and related field data systems.
Oversee the development, maintenance, and curation of discipline intellectual property, including data management plans, EDD templates, database setup procedures, validation guidance, reporting templates, training materials, dashboard examples, project startup checklists, and standard workflows. Maintain these resources in CDM Smith’s knowledge management systems so they are accessible and usable by project teams.
Build and mentor a sustainable cohort of environmental data managers, validators, analysts, and project technical staff. Develop training pathways that include introductory awareness, hands-on EQuIS use, advanced data validation, database administration concepts, dashboard integration, and project delivery applications. Support ongoing mentoring through group calls, office hours, one-on-one coaching, and project-based learning.
Work with ESG leadership, RTLs, project managers, and technical discipline leaders to identify staffing needs, develop a bench of trained practitioners, assign work at appropriate staff levels, and reduce over-reliance on single individuals. Support strategic hiring, consultant support, and staff development plans where needed to meet growing project demand.
Identify opportunities to reduce manual data handling, improve cost efficiency, automate repetitive tasks, streamline validation workflows, reduce spreadsheet and Access database reliance, and improve consistency across projects. Promote practices that reduce project risk, improve quality, and provide better value to clients.
Support proposals, client discussions, project descriptions, marketing materials, and technical approaches that highlight CDM Smith’s data management, validation, analytics, and PFAS data handling capabilities. Help position CDM Smith as a leader in defensible environmental data management and analytics-enabled project delivery.
Coordinate with ESG, WSG, PSG, DES, BT, Digital Engineering, GIS, laboratory services, and other internal groups to align environmental data workflows with enterprise systems and business objectives. Promote consistent use of data management tools beyond individual projects and reduce fragmentation across the firm.
Contribute to internal technical seminars, conference presentations, publications, R&D initiatives, digital hub submissions, and innovation efforts related to environmental data management, EQuIS, field data acquisition, data validation, PFAS data complexity, automation, and analytics-enabled delivery.