Department Manager - Civil/Site
DEPARTMENT MANAGER - CIVIL/SITE - SOUTHFIELD, MI
About the Company Our client is a multi-discipline engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a national network of offices and the backing of a global professional services group. They're investing in their Civil/Site practice in Metro Detroit. The firm works across a wide range of private-sector projects, including large industrial and warehouse complexes, residential communities, mixed-use and downtown development, and high-profile sports and entertainment venues. The culture puts people first, with a strong focus on mentorship, professional development, and collaboration across disciplines and offices.
About Your Manager You'll report into the firm's regional and discipline leadership, with the support of national marketing, business development, and operations teams. Leaders here give experienced people the authority to run their department as a business, with the resources of a large firm behind them.
Position Overview This isn't a pure project management role. It's a leadership opportunity for a senior civil engineer who wants full ownership of a department's technical, financial, and growth direction. You'll lead the Civil/Site team in Southfield and take responsibility for productivity, profitability, client satisfaction, and quality. You'll also drive business development across Metro Detroit and the wider Michigan market. You'll shape the department's growth plan, build the next layer of leadership, and act as the firm's go-to expert in site development, with a national platform supporting you.
Role & Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership for the Civil/Site department to hit financial and growth goals
- Own productivity, profitability, client satisfaction, and quality of work across the team
- Develop and lead marketing and business development strategy, and cross-sell the firm's wider services
- Oversee proposals, contracts, billing, and collections to meet or exceed financial targets
- Manage backlog, resourcing, and staff utilization across the department
- Hold people managers accountable for staff development, recruiting, and employee relations
- Plan for the department's future through succession planning and leadership development
- Champion health and safety standards across the team
- Travel regularly to other regional offices as needed
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field
- 15+ years of progressive civil/site engineering experience, including significant leadership and management responsibility
- Active PE license
- Proven experience leading large teams of engineers and designers
- Strong strategic thinking, delegation, and communication skills
- Commercial awareness around fees, budgets, profitability, and utilization
Preferred Experience
- Seller-doer background with an established private development client base in Michigan
- A book of business that would follow you into a new role
- Experience running a department or office P&L
- A leadership style suited to building a lasting local practice rather than simply managing projects
Why Join
- Leadership: You'll run your own department with real authority over strategy, people, and performance
- Growth: You'll shape the Metro Detroit Civil/Site growth plan and build out the team
- Platform: You'll have national resources, multi-discipline capabilities, and global backing behind you
- Project variety: You'll work across industrial, residential, mixed-use, and high-profile venue work
- Ownership: Ownership opportunities are available as you grow with the firm
- Development: Mentorship, licensure, and learning programs are built into the culture
Benefits
- Base salary of $135,000 - $195,000
- Comprehensive health coverage plus voluntary and paid supplemental benefits
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Ownership opportunities
- Hybrid workplace
- Paid time off, paid sick leave, parental leave, and paid holidays
- Tuition reimbursement, educational assistance, and professional licensure programs
- Wellness programs, employee assistance program, and tax-advantaged plans
FAQs
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