Practice Leader - Detroit
Practice Builder - Land Development (Detroit / Midwest)
Company: Confidential
Location: Detroit, MI (Hybrid or office-based leadership role)
Discipline: Land Development Engineering
Level: Senior Leader (Practice Builder / Director Track)
Salary: $120,000 to $140,000 plus performance bonus
The Opportunity-
- A leading employee-owned engineering consultancy is seeking a Practice Builder to lead and expand its Land Development presence in Detroit and across the Midwest.
- This is a high-impact leadership role combining business development, technical delivery, and team building, ideal for someone motivated by growing a market rather than simply managing projects.
- You will play a key role in establishing and scaling the Detroit presence, leveraging regional opportunities while building a high-performing team and strong client relationships.
- This is a true builder role. You will shape a practice, deliver key projects, and foster a culture that attracts and develops top engineering talent.
Why This Role / Why Now
- Build a practice, not just manage projects
- You will have autonomy to grow your own business unit, including hiring, mentoring, setting strategic direction, and driving revenue growth, supported by a strong national platform.
- High-performance environment with strong rewards
- This is a performance-driven culture where outcomes are directly rewarded:
- Leadership bonuses can exceed 50 percent of base salary
- Top performers generate $500K to $1.5M+ in annual revenue
- Strong retirement contributions and long-term earning potential
- Land Development as a strategic priority
- Land Development is a core growth area, supported by sustained demand and ongoing investment, creating long-term career upside.
- Predictable and scalable project pipeline
- The business model focuses on high-volume, mid-sized projects at approximately $100K fees, providing:
- Consistent revenue streams
- Repeat client engagements
- Scalable growth opportunities
What You'll Do
- Detroit market and team leadership
- Build and scale the Land Development team in Detroit
- Recruit, develop, and mentor engineers at all levels
- Establish a high-performance, collaborative culture
- Manage staffing, utilization, and long-term growth strategy
- Project delivery leadership
- Oversee land development projects from concept through completion
- Ensure quality, profitability, and client satisfaction
- Collaborate across multidisciplinary and regional teams
- Operate in fast-paced, client-driven environments
- Client development and growth
- Lead business development and secure new work
- Manage and expand key client relationships
- Lead proposals, presentations, and strategic pursuits
- Grow presence across developers, municipalities, and private clients
- Drive repeat business through trusted delivery
What Success Looks Like (First 12 to 18 Months)
- Established a strong presence in the Detroit market
- Built a sustainable and growing project pipeline
- Developed a scalable, high-performing team
- Delivered consistent revenue growth
- Strengthened collaboration across Midwest operations
What We're Looking For
Required
- 10+ years of Land Development engineering experience
- Proven ability to win work and build client relationships
- Demonstrated leadership across teams and projects
- Strong understanding of project delivery and financial performance
- Licensed Professional Engineer (PE)
- Preferred
- Experience in a Practice Builder or similar leadership role
- Track record of generating $250K to $1M+ in annual revenue
- Experience scaling teams or entering new markets
- Familiarity with Detroit and Midwest development landscapes
Culture and Progression
- This firm is built for entrepreneurial, high-performing leaders:
- Large, growing, financially strong organization
- Merit-based progression tied to impact and results
- High autonomy with strong internal support
- Collaborative, low-ego culture
- Clear pathway to Director and Principal-level leadership
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary: $120,000 to $140,000
- Performance-based bonus with significant upside
- Retirement contributions
- Comprehensive benefits package including health and PTO
- Leadership development and professional growth support
Interested in learning more? Apply now.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your CV and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organisations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.
That's why we recommend registering your CV so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
Yes, we help with CV and interview preparation. From customised support on how to optimise your CV to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.