Principal, Management Consulting

Stantec•Tampa, FL

About The Position

Stantec’s Management and Technology Consulting (MTC) team provides financial, economic, funding, asset management, organizational performance, and planning services to communities and utilities across North America. This Principal role focuses on municipal and utility finance, particularly for water, wastewater, stormwater, and other public infrastructure services. The role partners with public-sector clients to address complex financial and policy challenges and develop practical, defensible solutions that support the long-term financial sustainability and affordability of essential public services. The successful candidate will lead strategic municipal finance engagements in the South, strengthen client relationships, and grow Stantec’s financial consulting services across the region. The role includes leading project delivery and business development, advising on financial plans and utility rates, developing staff, collaborating across disciplines, contributing to MTC strategy, and reviewing technical deliverables. The position requires substantial consulting or utility experience, client leadership, project management, and expertise in municipal and utility finance.

Requirements

Demonstrated technical proficiency in municipal and utility finance, including financial planning and forecasting, utility rate and fee studies, cost-of-service analysis, revenue requirements, capital funding and financing, affordability, and public-sector policy analysis.
An active network of municipal, utility, and public-sector client contacts and relationships, and demonstrated business development experience.
Ability to lead and deliver complex municipal finance assignments with broad knowledge, sound judgment, initiative, and independence.
Strong quantitative, financial modeling, analytical, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to translate complex analyses into clear recommendations for staff, governing bodies, and the public.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel for financial modeling and analysis, and proficiency with Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and other standard business systems.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
Comfort presenting financial analyses and policy options in interactive settings, including workshops and meetings with utility staff, executive leadership, boards, councils, commissions, and community stakeholders.
Ability to work efficiently and proactively, independently and with a geographically dispersed team, across multiple projects.
Strong team orientation and willingness to take on additional responsibilities for the benefit of the team.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to transparent, well-documented, defensible analyses that can withstand public review and scrutiny.
Experience and ability to work across disciplines.
15+ years of progressive consulting or utility experience, including leadership, project management, staff development, and client relationship responsibilities.
Substantial experience with municipal services and public utilities, including financial planning, rate-setting, capital planning, affordability, funding, and asset management.
Project management experience.
B.A. or B.S. in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Public Administration, Business, or an Engineering discipline.
Valid driver’s license and satisfactory driving record.
Willingness to travel as needed, mostly within the region; travel may be 10% to 20%.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of public-sector budgeting, accounting, debt financing, grants, and state or federal infrastructure funding programs.
PMP certification or other relevant professional credentials.
MBA, MPA, or a related graduate degree.
20+ years of progressive experience in municipal or utility finance within the water infrastructure industry or another public utility sector, gained with a utility, local government, financial advisory practice, and/or consulting firm.
Experience leading utility rate studies, financial plans, and related client engagements.

Responsibilities

Engage current and prospective municipal and utility clients to understand financial, policy, and infrastructure challenges, develop practical solutions, and support growth.
Lead municipal finance assignments, including utility rate studies, financial plans, cost-of-service analyses, affordability assessments, funding strategies, and related advisory services, ensuring quality, schedule, and budget requirements are met.
Work with regional leadership in the South to identify and develop municipal finance opportunities in water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, and other public infrastructure services.
Lead business development strategies and activities for municipal finance services in the South and support pursuits and client development in other geographies.
Recruit, mentor, train, develop, and deploy municipal finance and utility consulting professionals.
Work with multidisciplinary project teams to integrate financial, rate, policy, regulatory, operational, and capital planning considerations into clear, implementable recommendations.
Contribute to MTC strategic planning, focusing on growing municipal finance services and responding to infrastructure investment needs, affordability pressures, regulatory requirements, inflation, and funding access.
Maintain and grow client relationships and lead or participate in responses to client requests, RFQs, and RFPs.
Maintain current knowledge of municipal and utility finance, rate-setting, affordability, funding and financing programs, asset management, regulatory requirements, and public-sector financial trends.
Independently review financial models, rate and fee analyses, forecasts, and reports prepared by peers or junior staff for technical accuracy, methodological soundness, and reasonable assumptions and recommendations.
Meet assigned performance goals and objectives, including client-specific demands, delivery milestones, quality standards, project management requirements, junior-staff mentoring, and required training.
Recommend financial policies, rate and fee structures, funding approaches, and implementation procedures.
Provide input to team members’ annual performance processes and career development goals.