DescriptionThe Digital Consulting Client Engagement Director role within 1898 & Co., a part of Burns & McDonnell, will lead strategic client engagement and market growth activities across the electric utility industry. This role will develop executive-level relationships, identify critical business and technology challenges, and position technology-focused consulting solutions that improve operational performance, enable digital modernization, and create long-term business value.
The ideal candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to utility executives and key stakeholders, translating complex business challenges into actionable consulting strategies. This individual will lead major pursuits, shape winning strategies and proposals, and clearly articulate how 1898 & Co. capabilities address client priorities. The role requires a deep understanding of digital consulting, utility operations, and technology-enabled transformation, as well as the executive presence to influence client investment decisions and build lasting business relationships.
The Client Engagement Director will be accountable for growth across assigned markets and strategic accounts, including revenue, backlog, profitability, client development, and opportunity advancement. This role will help establish market priorities, guide the evolution of service offerings, and lead multidisciplinary pursuit teams. The Director will partner closely with practice leadership, delivery leaders, project managers, solution architects, consultants, sales, and marketing teams to expand the Digital Consulting business and help clients move from their current state to their desired future state.
What You'll Do Strategic Leadership & Market Growth - Develop and execute long-term growth strategies for Digital Consulting services within assigned utility markets, client segments, and strategic accounts.
- Identify emerging industry trends, client needs, competitive dynamics, and technology disruptions to inform market priorities, service development, and business investments.
- Collaborate with practice leadership to establish annual business objectives, revenue and backlog targets, strategic account priorities, and growth initiatives.
- Influence the development and expansion of consulting offerings, alliance relationships, and go-to-market strategies based on market intelligence and client feedback.
- Serve as a visible industry leader through client forums, conferences, professional organizations, and thought leadership activities.
- Champion collaboration across practices and business lines to bring integrated technology, engineering, cybersecurity, and advisory solutions to clients.
Executive Client Relationships & Business Development - Establish and lead executive-level relationships with key utility stakeholders, serving as a trusted advisor on digital transformation, technology strategy, operational improvement, and business modernization initiatives.
- Develop and lead client-focused strategies and action plans that align consulting services and solution offerings with client business objectives.
- Build and maintain long-term relationships with new and existing clients, customers, contractors, technology partners, and industry stakeholders to create sustained business opportunities.
- Define and execute account growth and market penetration strategies for targeted utility segments, key accounts, and strategic industry opportunities.
- Leverage relationships across Burns & McDonnell to identify opportunities, generate qualified leads, and expand the company footprint within strategic accounts.
- Provide executive sponsorship for key accounts and major engagements, helping maintain alignment, resolve concerns, and strengthen long-term client value.
- Accountable for achieving annual revenue, backlog, profitability, and client growth objectives for assigned markets and strategic accounts.
- Forecast and manage sales performance, resource demand, and business development investments to support near-term performance and long-term growth. Solution Positioning & Strategic Pursuits.
- Lead the positioning of Digital Consulting services and solution offerings with prospective and existing clients, both virtually and in person.
- Provide executive leadership throughout complex pursuit, capture, negotiation, and contracting processes for strategic opportunities.
- Lead capture strategy and pursuit planning for complex, high-value opportunities, including executive sponsorship of major proposals, interviews, and presentations.
- Guide multidisciplinary teams in shaping solution scope, delivery approach, staffing strategy, pricing, value proposition, and competitive differentiation.
- Lead the development and refinement of value propositions, pursuit strategies, offering collateral, templates, case studies, and executive-level messaging.
- Direct responses to RFIs and RFPs, ensuring alignment with client priorities, win themes, delivery capabilities, and commercial objectives.
- Lead quarterly business and strategy reviews using market intelligence, opportunity data, and performance indicators to evaluate progress and adjust priorities.
- Maintain accurate sales funnel and opportunity information to support forecasting, investment decisions, resource planning, and leadership reporting.
- Partner with the broader sales organization to position services in new accounts and expand relationships within existing accounts.
Service Offering & Portfolio Development - Drive the evolution of service offerings, market positioning, and portfolio strategy to align with changing customer needs, technology trends, and utility industry priorities.
- Provide market and client insight to offering leaders and delivery teams to inform investment decisions, capability development, and solution refinement.
- Evaluate sales, proposal, and client engagement processes and sponsor improvements that increase consistency, effectiveness, and market penetration.
- Maintain deep market awareness of utility operations, digital technologies, regulatory developments, competitive offerings, and industry trends to influence business strategy and client investment decisions.
- Communicate the business value and strategic benefits of Digital Consulting solutions to executive client stakeholders and internal leadership.
- Champion technology innovation, digital modernization, and continuous improvement across client engagements and internal teams.
Engagement Leadership & Delivery Alignment - Partner with delivery leaders to ensure proposed solutions align with client expectations, delivery capabilities, quality standards, commercial objectives, and measurable business outcomes.
- Oversee the transition of strategic opportunities from pursuit through delivery, ensuring alignment on scope, outcomes, responsibilities, risk, and success measures.
- Direct the interpretation of complex customer requirements and establish clear expectations with clients and internal teams.
- Serve as an executive escalation point for strategic client engagements and help resolve issues affecting client satisfaction, scope, commercial performance, or relationship health.
- Promote value realization by helping clients connect technology investments to operational improvement, risk reduction, and long-term business objectives.
- Champion adherence to QA/QC requirements, commercial standards, and effective engagement management practices.
Organizational Leadership & Talent Development - Provide leadership and direction to consulting, sales, and delivery teams supporting strategic accounts, pursuits, and client engagements.
- Promote collaboration across Digital Consulting and other Burns & McDonnell practices to deliver integrated solutions and drive enterprise growth.
- Support workforce and capability planning by identifying the skills, leadership capacity, and technical expertise needed to execute the growth strategy.
- Develop future leaders through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
- Partner with team leaders to support the recruitment, development, engagement, and retention of high-performing staff.
- Provide meaningful performance feedback and guidance to colleagues and emerging leaders.
- Communicate organizational strategy, priorities, policies, and goals to teams and help translate them into coordinated action.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and commitment to client success.
- Other duties as assigned.
Client Relationship Management & Business Development - Establish and lead executive-level relationships with key utility stakeholders, serving as a trusted advisor on digital transformation, technology strategy, and business modernization initiatives.
- Lead client-focused strategies and action plans for consulting services and solution offerings that drive sales.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with new and existing clients, customers, and contractors to develop new business opportunities.
- Collaborate with internal and external partners to develop and execute strategic sales plans for new and existing services.
- Leverage existing customer relationships inside the company to generate warm leads.
- Establish and maintain long-term business relationships.
- Accountable for achieving annual revenue, backlog, profitability, and client growth objectives for assigned markets and strategic accounts.
- Forecast and manage sales performance, resource demand, and business development investments to support long-term growth objectives.
Solution Positioning & Sales Process - Effectively present consulting services and solution offerings to prospects and existing customers virtually and in person.
- Provide executive leadership throughout complex pursuit, capture, and negotiation processes for strategic opportunities.
- Define and execute market growth strategies for targeted utility segments, key accounts, and strategic industry opportunities.
- Lead quarterly strategy reviews with a data-driven approach to evaluating the market and effectiveness of current plans.
- Lead the positioning of service offerings, including collaborating with partners on strategic plans, target customers, and tailored offering collateral.
- Lead the adaptation of value propositions, templates, and guides to support effective communication of capabilities and delivery of projects.
- Position for and prepare responses to RFIs and RFPs.
- Maintain accurate sales funnel data and achieve strategic targets.
- Partner with the broad sales team to position in new accounts and grow existing accounts.
- Drive account discovery planning activities for technology solutions in assigned accounts.
Service Offering & Process Improvement - Regularly review and iterate on service offerings messaging to align with customer needs and improve market penetration.
- Review sales and proposal processes, identifying areas to improve for existing offerings.
- Be a part of the culture to continuously improve in a systematic way.
- Maintain up-to-date product knowledge and participate in ongoing training.
- Communicate solution benefits effectively.
- Champion the value of technology innovation for customers with internal teams.
Team & Collaboration Support - Partner with internal teams to provide technical support in larger work engagements.
- Partner with sales and marketing groups to continue to build the business footprint.
- Direct, manage, and interpret customer requirements and properly set customer expectations.
- Support the recruitment, development, training, and retention of staff by sharing expertise and collaborating with team leaders.
- Assist with performance feedback and provide guidance, mentorship, and instruction to colleagues as needed.
- Help interpret and communicate organizational policies, purposes, and goals to staff.
- Promote overall QA/QC process adherence and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications - Bachelor Degree in engineering, information technology, cybersecurity, finance, business, or related field from an accredited program and 13 years of relevant experience required.
- Expert knowledge within the fields of consulting, energy, power, utilities, information technology, or cybersecurity.
- Expert computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite).
- Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to clearly and effectively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and clients.
- Strong attention to detail, facilitation, team building, and collaboration.
- General business and financial calculation knowledge.
- Experience with negotiation and commercial contracting.
- Ability to work with existing and new clients to identify new projects, articulate to the clients our ability to perform those projects, and translate that into the sale of consulting services.
- Ability to perform under pressure and tight deadlines and to be effective in on-site work environments.
- Professional Registration preferred.
Compensation $230,000.00-375,000.00 Yearly
The expected compensation range for this position is displayed in compliance with all local/state regulations. The expected compensation range for this position is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: individual education, qualifications, prior work experience and work location. The total annual compensation package will consist of a base salary and eligibility to participate in our discretionary year-end incentive bonus program.
