Water Market Sector Leader

Department: Water/Wastewater

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Remote- USA

Reporting To: Scott Phillips

Description

• Primary clients: local government water and wastewater utilities, stormwater programs, watershed and coastal entities, state agencies responsible for water resources, and federal departments/agencies responsible for water infrastructure and compliance.
• Primary services: water/wastewater treatment and conveyance, stormwater and drainage, One Water and integrated planning, asset management and capital planning, regulatory compliance, funding support, and resilience/adaptation.
• Boundary: water infrastructure that is integral to industrial facilities (e.g., process water, industrial wastewater systems, and industrial stormwater within or directly serving an industrial site) is led by the Industrial Market Sector Leader. The Water Market Sector Leader collaborates where industrial projects require coordination with public utilities, agencies, or community systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year market strategy and annual plan (targets, priority clients, services, staffing, investments).
• Serve as a visible thought leader: publish, present, and represent Waggoner in industry forums to increase sector brand and market credibility.
• Lead or oversee major pursuits, capture plans, teaming strategies, and client messaging; partner with marketing and business development on campaigns and collateral.

• Develop and maintain trusted advisor relationships with priority clients; lead account planning in coordination with Business Unit Leaders and Area Managers.
• Lead capture planning and pursuit strategy for major programs, including go/no-go, teaming, pricing strategy inputs, and interview preparation.
• Identify emerging client needs, regulatory/funding drivers, and competitive positioning; evolve service offerings accordingly.

• Ensure project delivery aligns with market strategy, client expectations, technical standards, and risk posture.
• Partner with Business Unit Leaders and Area Managers to forecast workload and coordinate resources to meet commitments.  
• Promote consistent delivery methodologies, lessons learned, and knowledge-sharing across offices and disciplines.
• Champion consistent project delivery standards and quality systems across the sector, including use of standard agreements and templates where client requirements allow (e.g., EJCDC-based agreements and front-end documents).
• Support the development and use of firmwide templates and standards (e.g., supplemental conditions, spec/plan covers, standard details, report templates).
• Lead or participate in QA/QC and risk reviews on key pursuits and high-risk projects; promote ‘do it right the first time’ delivery.
• Advance safety in design practices, risk management, and a consistent project closeout process.
• Contribute to proposal reviews and continuous improvement of win themes, deliverables, and client communications (including letter proposals where appropriate).

• Lead through influence in a matrix environment; align Business Unit Leaders, Area Managers, Discipline Leaders, and project teams to sector priorities.
• Establish clear target markets, clients, and services; translate strategy into actionable plans, account plans, and pursuit roadmaps.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff across business units through project engagement, QA/QC reviews, and pursuit leadership—regardless of reporting lines.
• Build and sustain high-performing teams by mentoring, recruiting, and aligning talent to the best and highest use in service of clients.
• Develop communities of practice and technical development opportunities; encourage cross-office collaboration and staff visibility to sector work.
• Support succession planning and development of future leaders.

• Own sector performance and accountability (revenue, backlog, win rate, profitability, utilization, client satisfaction) in partnership with Business Unit Leaders and finance/operations.
• Maintain a pipeline and forecast; communicate risks and opportunities to Strategic Operations leadership.

• Coordinate with other Market Sector Leaders when markets, clients, or services overlap; define clear lead/support roles for pursuits and client management.
• Develop integrated solutions and cross-sector teams to deliver greater client value and expand relationships.
• Use regular cross-sector planning, shared CRM/account plans, and joint pursuit reviews to prevent duplication and ensure a One Firm client experience.
• Escalate and resolve priority or resourcing conflicts through the EVP of Strategic Operations as needed.

• Growth: achievement of annual net service revenue targets, healthy pipeline, improved win rate, and diversified client portfolio.
• Brand: increased visibility through speaking, publishing, associations, and client references aligned to the sector strategy.
• Delivery: strong client satisfaction, consistent QA/QC outcomes, reduced rework/risk events, and successful closeout on key projects.
• People: improved engagement and retention, effective mentoring, and a developing bench of sector leaders and technical experts.
• One Firm: effective collaboration across market sectors and business units with clear lead/support roles and integrated wins.

What you'll need

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Environmental, or Chemical Engineering or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) required.
• Typically 15+ years of progressive water experience, including 7+ years of client leadership and demonstrated pursuit leadership.

• Deep knowledge of funding programs, regulatory frameworks, and public procurement for water utilities.
• Experience leading One Water or integrated watershed/coastal resilience initiatives and driving standardization/quality systems.

• Strategic thinking and market insight
• Client relationship leadership and executive presence
• Pursuit leadership and persuasive communication
• Technical leadership and commitment to quality
• Ability to influence without direct authority; collaborative leadership
• Financial acumen and performance accountability
• People development, mentoring, and team building

• Primarily office-based in any WEI location with flexibility; travel to client sites, Waggoner offices, and industry events as required.
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be needed during pursuits or critical project milestones.

Why Join Our Team

• WEI Incentive Program 
• Healthy Workplace Program 
• Employee Referral Bonus 
• Competitive Health Benefits 
• Career Development and Training 
• Flexible/Hybrid Schedule 
• Community Service Opportunities