Office Opener & Leader - Site/Civil
OFFICE OPENER & LEADER - SITE/CIVIL LAND DEVELOPMENT - DETROIT, MI
About the Company Our client is a globally recognized, employee-owned engineering and environmental consultancy, with private equity backing behind its growth. That's a rare combination: you build real equity, and there's genuine capital behind expansion. The firm was founded more than 50 years ago to be the consultant developers call when a site is difficult, such as brownfields, waterfronts, and complex urban infill. That reputation has grown it from a single office into a global platform with teams across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It's a long-standing fixture on ENR's list of top design firms. Land development is the core, supported by in-house geotechnical, environmental, site civil, survey, traffic, and natural resources teams. Sectors include commercial and mixed-use, industrial and advanced manufacturing, data centers, higher education, healthcare, energy, transportation, and a sports and entertainment practice ranked among the top in the world.
About Your Manager You'll report directly into the firm's executive leadership, with national practice groups and technical experts on call. Leaders here back people who want to build something, and they give them the autonomy, capital, and support to do it.
Position Overview This isn't a role on an existing team. It's the chance to open and build the firm's Michigan land development practice from the ground up. You'll own the client base, team, project pipeline, and market strategy, with a national brand and an active Midwest client list behind you. If you've been thinking you could run your own shop but don't want to give up resources, reputation, or a balance sheet, this is that opportunity with the risk stripped out.
Role & Responsibilities
- Establish the Michigan office and set its growth strategy
- Win work with developers, industrial clients, municipalities, and national accounts
- Recruit and build a team from the first hire forward
- Provide technical oversight and quality across land development projects
- Own P&L accountability for the office
- Bring national practice groups into your pursuits to pull in the right expertise
- Represent the firm across Michigan's development and industry community
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field
- 12+ years in land development or site civil, including project and team leadership
- Michigan PE strongly preferred, or the ability to obtain it quickly
- A track record of winning work, not just delivering it
- Real relationships in the Michigan development market
Preferred Experience
- A book of business that would follow you into a new role
- Experience across industrial, commercial, mixed-use, or data center development
- A temperament for a build: comfortable with ambiguity and motivated by ownership
Why Join
- Ownership: You'll build real equity in an employee-owned firm
- Practice building: You'll open the Michigan office and shape it your way
- Platform: You'll have a global brand, national clients, and in-house technical depth behind you
- Capital: Private equity backing means real investment behind growth
- Project variety: You'll work on data centers, industrial, mixed-use, sports and entertainment, and more
- Access: You'll have a direct line to executive leadership
Benefits
- Base salary of $150,000 - $225,000, depending on experience and book of business
- Performance bonus tied to office growth
- Employee ownership and equity participation
- Full medical, dental, and vision
- Strong retirement contribution
- Flexible and hybrid working
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 resume and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organizations, 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 resume so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
Yes, we help with resume and interview preparation. From customized support on how to optimize your resume to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.