Senior Vice President – Land Development

Pape-Dawson Engineers•Dallas, TX

About The Position

Overview The Senior Vice President of Land Development is a senior executive leader responsible for the strategic direction, technical excellence, and sustained growth of the firm’s land development practice. This role provides enterprise-level leadership across commercial, residential, and site development services, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality, compliant, and client-focused solutions. As a leader of leaders, the Senior Vice President oversees multiple Vice President–level teams and senior managers, sets strategic priorities, develops future leaders, and makes high-impact decisions that shape the organization’s performance, culture, and reputation. This role embodies the firm’s values, holds teams accountable to leadership principles, and is recognized internally and externally as a trusted industry leader.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related field from an ABET-accredited program; advanced degree preferred.
Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the state of employment.
15+ years of progressive experience in land development engineering, including significant leadership experience overseeing large, multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated success leading complex land development programs involving grading, drainage, utilities, and site infrastructure.
Extensive experience managing senior leaders and multiple teams at scale (typically 20+ staff and multiple leadership layers).
Strong understanding of state and local land development regulations, permitting processes, and approval frameworks.
Proven ability to set strategic direction, make high-level organizational decisions, and drive sustained business growth.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills, with a strong commitment to client service and professional excellence.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership and strategic oversight for the land development practice, including site, commercial, and residential development services.
Lead and develop multiple Vice President–level teams, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, consistent performance, and excellence in project delivery.
Establish and uphold technical standards, quality controls, and best practices for land development engineering across all teams.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing land development, permitting, and site infrastructure.
Serve as a senior client advisor and relationship manager, strengthening long-term partnerships and ensuring superior client satisfaction.
Drive strategic growth through business development, market positioning, client engagement, and expansion of land development services.
Oversee financial performance for the practice, including budgets, resource planning, staffing strategies, and profitability.
Mentor and develop senior leaders and emerging talent, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Represent the firm externally with clients, agencies, industry groups, and professional organizations as a recognized leader in land development.
Champion the firm’s mission, values, and culture, ensuring leadership excellence and consistency across all teams.