Principal Water Director

Terracon•Dallas, TX

16h

About The Position

Terracon is seeking a Water/Wastewater Program Manager to lead growth, geotechnical project execution, and client experience for the Water/Wastewater market within the Transportation & Infrastructure sector across the Northeast Texas Region. This role will encompass treatment plants, lift stations, conveyance and collection systems, reservoirs and dams, water storage tanks, intake structures, pipeline corridors, pump stations, and related horizontal infrastructure. The position combines leadership in growth with hands-on program management. The selected candidate will collaborate with regional leadership, office leaders, service line leaders, project managers, client development professionals, and marketing teams to identify opportunities, strengthen client relationships, win and deliver priority pursuits, and enhance the client experience on every project. This role is designed for a program-minded leader with a strong understanding of the Water/Wastewater market, capable of managing geotechnical programs from pursuit through delivery, and adept at translating client priorities into sustainable growth.

Requirements

Bachelor degree in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, geology, construction management, or related field.
Minimum of 10 years of related experience in Water/Wastewater, infrastructure, geotechnical engineering consulting, construction, client development, project management, or program management.
Demonstrated understanding of Water/Wastewater markets, clients, funding sources, procurement methods, pursuits, and delivery models.
Demonstrated geotechnical project execution experience on Water/Wastewater infrastructure including treatment plants, lift stations, pipelines, reservoirs, tanks, or related facilities.
Experience building client relationships and supporting growth in consulting, engineering, professional services, or construction.
Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to travel within the region and across the Texas Division as needed.
Valid driver license with acceptable violation history.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer in Texas, Professional Geologist, Project Management Professional, or other relevant registration or certification.
Masters Degree and at least 30 years of experience
Experience with Texas municipal water/wastewater clients such as Dallas Water Utilities, Fort Worth Water, North Texas Municipal Water District, Trinity River Authority, Tarrant Regional Water District, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, and cities such as Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Denton, Arlington, Mansfield, Tyler, and Longview.
Experience with TWDB, TCEQ, EPA, and Texas Water Code procurement or regulatory frameworks.
Established relationships within the Northeast Texas Water/Wastewater market.
Experience with alternative delivery, including CMAR, design-build, progressive design-build, on-call contracts, master service agreements, and large capital programs.
Experience developing capture plans, client account plans, go/no-go recommendations, pursuit strategies, or regional growth plans.
Active involvement in WEAT, AWWA Texas Section, UCTA, TWCA, TWUA, ASCE, TSPE, ACEC Texas, APWA, DBIA, or similar organizations.

Responsibilities

Grow Terracon Water/Wastewater presence in Northeast Texas while leading geotechnical project execution and client experience across the program.
Blend business development, capture leadership, project management oversight, and program-level client account stewardship.
Identify market opportunities, support priority clients, shape pursuit strategy, and expand relationships with municipalities, utility districts, authorities, and engineering teaming partners.
Align regional capabilities with client needs and help local offices connect technical strengths to regional and divisional growth priorities.
Support a One Terracon approach by helping offices work together across service lines, geographies, and client accounts.
Develop and execute the Northeast Texas Water/Wastewater growth strategy in coordination with regional, divisional, and sector leadership.
Identify, evaluate, and prioritize opportunities across municipal, utility district, authority, private-sector, and teaming-partner channels.
Build relationships with cities, water/wastewater utilities, river authorities, water supply corporations, special districts, engineering firms, contractors, and design-build partners.
Lead or support client meetings, relationship planning, conference engagement, and follow-up actions.
Shape pursuit strategy for priority opportunities, including go/no-go decisions, teaming, capture plans, win themes, positioning, and proposal strategy.
Serve as Program Manager for strategic Water/Wastewater geotechnical pursuits and projects, including scope development, fee strategy, staffing, and delivery oversight.
Coordinate with geotechnical project managers, technical leaders, materials, environmental, and facilities service lines to assemble the right team.
Provide program-level quality oversight on geotechnical investigations, foundation recommendations, settlement and seepage analyses, dewatering, pipeline corridor evaluations, and related deliverables.
Engage as APR where appropriate or coordinate APR assignment with technical leadership.
Support project managers through pursuit-to-delivery handoff, kickoff alignment, scope changes, and risk management.
Lead program-level client account stewardship for priority Water/Wastewater clients in Northeast Texas.
Establish consistent communication rhythms, project status reporting, lessons-learned reviews, and after-action client debriefs.
Resolve client escalations quickly, transparently, and with a no-surprises approach.
Use client feedback, win/loss debriefs, and account reviews to refine pursuit strategy and delivery practices.
Champion repeat-and-refer client behavior as a leading indicator of program health.
Coordinate with regional leadership, office leaders, service line leaders, and project managers to align Terracon capabilities with market opportunities.
Connect Northeast Texas activity with Central Texas, Southeast Texas, South Texas, and West Texas efforts to support a unified Texas Division approach.
Bring national Transportation & Infrastructure and Water/Wastewater best practices into the region where practical.
Help identify where Terracon can expand or strengthen GEO, MAT, ENV, and FAC support.
Monitor funding programs, agency priorities, procurement activity, and shifts in client needs to anticipate future opportunities.
Track sources including TWDB programs, EPA WIFIA, regional water plans, master plans, capital improvement programs, and bond programs.
Track competitor activity including staffing changes, service expansion, teaming patterns, client focus, and market positioning.
Promote Terracon visibility through industry organizations like: WEAT, UCTA, AWWA Texas Section, TWCA, TWUA, ASCE, TSPE, ACEC Texas, APWA, DBIA, and TXWARN.