HDR

Principal, Pursuit Operations

HDR$100K — $130K *
Omaha, NE 68104In-Person
Real Estate & Construction
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Minimum 15 years of relevant industry experience required.
  • Self-starter with a proven track record of independent project completion.
  • In-depth understanding of A/E/C industry's procurement processes.
  • Proven ability to motivate and inspire a diverse team.
  • Professional registration or relevant technical experience preferred.
  • Experience in sales and developing effective win strategies required.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills essential.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite is a must.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of pursuit managers and specialists.
  • Oversee team performance, workload balancing, and professional growth.
  • Recruit and train new staff to enhance team capability.
  • Continuously improve pursuit processes and operational standards.
  • Manage pursuit budgets and monitor resource allocation effectively.
  • Enforce brand standards and ensure quality of deliverables.
  • Develop and execute training programs to enhance team performance.

Benefits

  • Strong opportunities for professional development and training.
  • Collaborative and inclusive team culture promoting innovation.
  • Chance to lead high-performing teams in a dynamic environment.
  • Engagement in a variety of sectors and pursuit types.
  • Support for career growth with a focus on operational excellence.
Full Job Description
The Principal, Pursuit Operations leads the execution engine of AMS, driving consistent, high-quality pursuit delivery through strong team leadership, standardized processes, and operational rigor. This role is accountable for building and developing a high-performing team, optimizing workflows, and delivering pursuit excellence across all sectors. Success in this role requires a proven track record of leading high-performing teams, executing complex pursuits as a pursuit specialist, contributing to broader team success, and advancing efficiency in pursuit execution and workload management.

Key Responsibilitie

Team Leadership & Management
• Lead, manage, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of pursuit managers, specialists, and designers across sectors.
• Supervise direct reports and oversee broader team performance, workload balancing, and professional development.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and train new team members to strengthen capacity and capability.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that supports innovation, engagement, and growth.

Operational Excellence
• Establish, manage, and continuously improve pursuit processes, tools, and standards to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Maintain and evolve the AMS Pursuit Manual, templates, and portal resources.
• Oversee pursuit resourcing, workload management, and capacity planning across all sectors.
• Support go/no-go (GNG) processes and approvals, ensuring timely and consistent execution.
• Monitor and manage pursuit budgets and level of effort.
• Facilitate debriefs to identify improvement opportunities and to measure overall competitivene

Pursuit Delivery
• Lead or support pursuit execution, ensuring excellence in messaging, content, and graphic presentation.
• Enforce brand standards and quality expectations across all deliverables.
• Guide teams on best practices, production workflows, and submission readiness.
• Ensure proper utilization of marketing content, tools, and communications resources.

Training & Enablement
• Develop and deliver training programs (e.g., webinars, onboarding, "Basics") to strengthen team capabilities.
• Provide timely feedback to staff and partners.
• Promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across AMS.
• Serve as a resource for marketing and pursuit-related inquiries firmwide.

Operational Leadership & Collaboration
• Partner with leadership on department reporting, budgeting, staffing strategies, and operational initiatives.
• Support cross-functional collaboration with communications, graphic designers, and sector teams.
• Represent AMS in internal initiatives, technology adoption, and operational improvements.

Preferred Qualification
• Demonstrated experience in winning high-value contracts in the A/E/C industry
• Ability to travel up to 20%
• Work on pursuit deadlines for any sector up to 15%
• Cover letter and focused resume to job description

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

  • A minimum of 15 years relevant industry experience
  • Demonstrated "self-starter" with a history of completing projects with limited oversight
  • Deep knowledge of the A/E/C industry's standard approach to procurement of professional services
  • Demonstrated ability to motivate and inspire others
  • Maintain a professional or engineering registration or certificate or have related technical experience
  • Experience in sales and developing effective win strategies
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  • Ability and desire to travel and engage with others in-person
  • Demonstrated experience in writing compelling content based on information from technical staff
  • Strong financial acumen and negotiation skills

About HDR

HDR is an architecture, engineering, and consulting firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company was founded in 1917 as Henningson Engineering Company and has since grown to become one of the largest engineering firms in the United States. HDR provides a wide range of services, including architecture, engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management. The company has worked on a number of high-profile projects, including the Hoover Dam Bypass and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. HDR is committed to sustainability and has been recognized for its efforts in this area by organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council.
Learn more about HDR
Size
10,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1917

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