Senior Practice Leader
Market Lead - Water & Infrastructure
Knoxville, Tennessee
Confidential Opportunity
An established engineering and consulting firm is seeking an experienced Project Manager / Professional Engineer to lead and expand its presence across the Knoxville and East Tennessee market. This is a high-impact leadership position combining project delivery, client engagement, business development, and team growth responsibilities.
Position Overview
This role is ideal for a professional with strong local market knowledge, established industry relationships, and a proven ability to win work while delivering successful projects. The successful candidate will help grow regional operations, strengthen client partnerships, and serve as a trusted advisor to public and private sector clients.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage municipal, water, wastewater, stormwater, and infrastructure projects from planning through delivery.
* Maintain responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client satisfaction.
* Develop and strengthen relationships with local municipalities, utilities, agencies, and industry partners.
* Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities.
* Lead proposal preparation, interviews, and strategic pursuits.
* Coordinate multidisciplinary technical teams to ensure successful project execution.
* Support staff recruitment, mentoring, and professional development.
* Act as a regional leader and representative within the Knoxville market.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related field.
* 10+ years of experience in municipal, water, wastewater, stormwater, or infrastructure engineering.
* Demonstrated success managing projects and client relationships.
* Existing industry network within Tennessee or the surrounding region.
* Experience balancing project management with business development responsibilities.
* Strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills.
* Ability to work independently while collaborating with senior leadership and technical teams.
* Valid driver's license.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional Engineer (PE) licence in Tennessee or ability to obtain through comity.
* Experience leading regional growth initiatives or building new client relationships.
Work Arrangement
Hybrid working environment with flexibility available. Travel throughout East Tennessee and surrounding areas may be required to support project delivery, client meetings, and business development activities.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
- Opportunity to play a key role in expanding a growing regional practice.
* Significant autonomy and visibility within the organisation.
* Exposure to complex and impactful infrastructure projects.
* Collaborative and entrepreneurial culture.
* Competitive compensation, performance incentives, retirement benefits, healthcare coverage, and generous paid time off.
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.