Municipal Client Relationship Manager- Transportation/Water

GHD•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

GHD's municipal business in Water and Transportation is experiencing accelerated growth, having doubled its municipal portfolio in recent years. To sustain this momentum, GHD has launched a growth initiative to double its municipal practice over the next four years. This phase is intentional, market-focused, and rooted in long-term partnerships with cities, counties, and local agencies. The company is seeking Client Relationship Managers (CRMs) who are energized by growth, trusted by clients, and motivated to shape the future of public infrastructure. CRMs are a critical role at GHD, operating at the intersection of clients, communities, and technical teams, bringing external voices, priorities, and opportunities into the organization. GHD's workplace thrives on a hybrid model, combining in-office collaboration and flexibility, with employees expected to be in the office three days a week. This specific position is for a Client Relationship Manager for Transportation and Water Clients in the Bay Area, working with an energetic and high-performing team.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, or similar
Professional Engineer license preferred
Minimum 15 years of experience in client service management, or client relationship management, preferably with municipal or public sector clients.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence at senior levels.
Proficiency in CRM tools (Salesforce in particular) and Microsoft Office Suite.
Strategic thinker with a client-centric mindset.
Strong understanding of municipal operations, governance, and procurement.
Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and build consensus
Experience in client engagement and business development, with a track record of building relationships across government, industry, and community stakeholders.
Proven ability to develop and execute market strategies.

Nice To Haves

Experience in client service management, or client relationship management, preferably with municipal or public sector clients.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain strong relationships with municipal clients, including city governments, utilities, and public agencies.
Act as the voice of the client within the organization, ensuring their priorities and challenges are understood and addressed.
Develop and implement client interaction plans to engage decision-makers and influencers.
Lead and mentor a Client Engagement Team to deliver innovative solutions tailored to municipal needs.
Create and execute annual growth plans for municipal accounts, focusing on long-term objectives (3–5 years).
Monitor trends in public spending, regulatory changes, and infrastructure investments to identify opportunities.
Identify and pursue new opportunities within municipal markets, including water, transportation, and urban development sectors.
Collaborate with technical teams to align proposals with client preferences during bidding and delivery phases.
Maintain an active pipeline of projects and pursuits.
Represent the organization at municipal meetings, conferences, and industry events.
Promote the organization’s brand and capabilities to municipal stakeholders.
Facilitate multi-party communications when needed to resolve issues and advance strategic initiatives.
Oversee the implementation and maintenance of the CRM system within the area of responsibility, identifying and communicating opportunities for system improvement that may enhance the management of customer relationships.
Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team.
Maintain external accreditations and in-depth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
Ensure quality service and profitable business growth by managing a portfolio of complex customer relationships and/or a small team of account managers.
Develop and implement a relationship management plan for strategic, complex potential accounts to build key relationships at local and national levels.
Coordinate the engagement of own organization with the customer organization to ensure effective two-way flow of information and resolution of issues.
Consult with a range of customer representatives at different levels to identify the outcomes they require, introducing relevant internal specialists and utilizing their expertise to gather and analyze complex customer data, clarify medium- to long-term customer needs, and develop and agree to a specification of customer requirements.
Develop a personal network of senior managers within the business sector and represent the organization at business sector events.
Obtain market intelligence, promote the organization, and enhance its reputation.
Develop internal marketing plans and work collaboratively with other departments to improve internal relationships and build strong external customer relationships.
Develop and implement relationship management plans for complex existing customer accounts to identify and build relationships with relevant decision-makers and influencers within the customer organization and to enable effective two-way flow of information and resolution of issues.
Manage ongoing relationships with identified customer segments to ensure their needs are met, providing themes, summary analyses, and recommendations for changes based on customer input.