Associate Vice President - Land Development

Job Description:

The Associate Vice President (AVP) will serve as a hands-on leader for Pape-Dawson’s Savannah team, helping guide the office’s continued growth and strengthening relationships with clients throughout the market. This individual will lead complex land development projects, maintain direct involvement in client and project execution, mentor and develop staff, and support business development efforts.

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience in residential land development, particularly large-scale residential development and single-family communities, along with a strong seller/doer background. This role is intended for an experienced project and team leader who remains engaged in the work—not a purely executive-level position. The successful candidate will be capable of leading and developing a team of professionals while maintaining ownership of key client relationships and projects. Experience serving public-sector clients is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Savannah land development team and support the continued growth and development of the office.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and direction to a team including project managers, project engineers, designers, and technical staff.
• Manage and maintain direct ownership of complex residential land development projects from planning and conceptual design through final design, permitting, construction, and closeout.
• Serve as a primary client contact, building trusted relationships with private developers, public agencies, municipalities, and industry partners.
• Lead projects involving large-scale residential development, single-family communities, infrastructure, utilities, drainage, and related civil engineering services.
• Provide hands-on technical and project leadership while ensuring quality, schedule, budget, and client expectations are met.
• Mentor project managers and senior staff, support career development, and help build a strong succession pipeline within the Savannah team.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, performance development, and retention of key team members.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities through relationship development, networking, market engagement, and client outreach.
• Lead or support proposals, RFQs/RFPs, interviews, project scoping, fee development, and contract negotiations.
• Develop and maintain relationships with public-sector clients, including municipalities, counties, authorities, and other governmental agencies.
• Represent Pape-Dawson through professional associations, industry organizations, civic groups, and community events.
• Collaborate with regional and company leadership regarding staffing, resource allocation, operational priorities, and market opportunities.
• Ensure consistent application of company design, production, quality control, and project management standards.
• Represent the company with professionalism and integrity in client, industry, and community settings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Georgia
• Minimum of 12 years of progressive civil engineering and land development experience
• Significant experience in residential land development, including large-scale residential and single-family development projects.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing teams
• Strong preference for experience supporting public-sector clients and working with municipalities, counties, authorities, or other governmental agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to own client relationships while remaining actively involved in project delivery and team leadership.
• Strong business development, proposal, presentation, and client interview skills.
• Ability to balance project execution, staff development, client service, and business development responsibilities.
• Ability to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with additional hours as needed to meet project and business needs.