Terracon

Principal Water Director

Terracon$125K — $150K *
Energy & Utilities
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in civil, geotechnical, environmental engineering, geology, or construction management.
  • At least 10 years of relevant experience in Water/Wastewater or geotechnical engineering.
  • Proven knowledge of Water/Wastewater markets and funding sources.
  • Experience in project execution for Water/Wastewater infrastructure, including treatment plants and pipelines.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with clients and partners.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.
  • Willingness to travel within the Northeast Texas region.

Responsibilities

  • Grow presence and manage geotechnical projects in Northeast Texas' Water/Wastewater sector.
  • Lead business development initiatives and oversee project management.
  • Identify and strategize on market opportunities and client relationships.
  • Align regional strengths with client needs and facilitate inter-office collaboration.
  • Develop and execute growth strategies in coordination with leadership across multiple levels.
  • Build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including municipalities and utility districts.
  • Lead client meetings and strategize on priority pursuits.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
  • Retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.
  • Paid time off and holidays to support work-life balance.
  • Professional development and training opportunities.
  • Flexible work arrangements, including potential remote work.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Terracon is seeking a Water/Wastewater Program Manager to lead growth, geotechnical project execution, and client experience for the Water/Wastewater market within the Transportation & Infrastructure sector across the Northeast Texas Region including treatment plants, lift stations, conveyance and collection systems, reservoirs and dams, water storage tanks, intake structures, pipeline corridors, pump stations, and related horizontal infrastructure.

The role combines growth leadership with hands-on program management. The leader will work with regional leadership, office leaders, service line leaders, project managers, client development professionals, and marketing teams to identify opportunities, strengthen client relationships, win and deliver priority pursuits, and elevate the client experience on every project.

This position is intended for a program-minded leader who understands the Water/Wastewater market, can run geotechnical programs from pursuit through delivery, and can translate client priorities into sustainable growth.

Responsibilities

  • Grow Terracon Water/Wastewater presence in Northeast Texas while leading geotechnical project execution and client experience across the program.
  • Blend business development, capture leadership, project management oversight, and program-level client account stewardship.
  • Identify market opportunities, support priority clients, shape pursuit strategy, and expand relationships with municipalities, utility districts, authorities, and engineering teaming partners.
  • Align regional capabilities with client needs and help local offices connect technical strengths to regional and divisional growth priorities.
  • Support a One Terracon approach by helping offices work together across service lines, geographies, and client accounts.
Growth and Market Development
  • Develop and execute the Northeast Texas Water/Wastewater growth strategy in coordination with regional, divisional, and sector leadership.
  • Identify, evaluate, and prioritize opportunities across municipal, utility district, authority, private-sector, and teaming-partner channels.
  • Build relationships with cities, water/wastewater utilities, river authorities, water supply corporations, special districts, engineering firms, contractors, and design-build partners.
  • Lead or support client meetings, relationship planning, conference engagement, and follow-up actions.
  • Shape pursuit strategy for priority opportunities, including go/no-go decisions, teaming, capture plans, win themes, positioning, and proposal strategy.
Geotechnical Project Execution
  • Serve as Program Manager for strategic Water/Wastewater geotechnical pursuits and projects, including scope development, fee strategy, staffing, and delivery oversight.
  • Coordinate with geotechnical project managers, technical leaders, materials, environmental, and facilities service lines to assemble the right team.
  • Provide program-level quality oversight on geotechnical investigations, foundation recommendations, settlement and seepage analyses, dewatering, pipeline corridor evaluations, and related deliverables.
  • Engage as APR where appropriate or coordinate APR assignment with technical leadership.
  • Support project managers through pursuit-to-delivery handoff, kickoff alignment, scope changes, and risk management.
Client Experience
  • Lead program-level client account stewardship for priority Water/Wastewater clients in Northeast Texas.
  • Establish consistent communication rhythms, project status reporting, lessons-learned reviews, and after-action client debriefs.
  • Resolve client escalations quickly, transparently, and with a no-surprises approach.
  • Use client feedback, win/loss debriefs, and account reviews to refine pursuit strategy and delivery practices.
  • Champion repeat-and-refer client behavior as a leading indicator of program health.
Regional and Divisional Coordination
  • Coordinate with regional leadership, office leaders, service line leaders, and project managers to align Terracon capabilities with market opportunities.
  • Connect Northeast Texas activity with Central Texas, Southeast Texas, South Texas, and West Texas efforts to support a unified Texas Division approach.
  • Bring national Transportation & Infrastructure and Water/Wastewater best practices into the region where practical.
  • Help identify where Terracon can expand or strengthen GEO, MAT, ENV, and FAC support.
Market Intelligence and Visibility
  • Monitor funding programs, agency priorities, procurement activity, and shifts in client needs to anticipate future opportunities.
  • Track sources including TWDB programs, EPA WIFIA, regional water plans, master plans, capital improvement programs, and bond programs.
  • Track competitor activity including staffing changes, service expansion, teaming patterns, client focus, and market positioning.
  • Promote Terracon visibility through industry organizations like: WEAT, UCTA, AWWA Texas Section, TWCA, TWUA, ASCE, TSPE, ACEC Texas, APWA, DBIA, and TXWARN.


Qualifications

Requirements
  • Bachelor degree in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, geology, construction management, or related field.
  • Minimum of 10 years of related experience in Water/Wastewater, infrastructure, geotechnical engineering consulting, construction, client development, project management, or program management.
  • Demonstrated understanding of Water/Wastewater markets, clients, funding sources, procurement methods, pursuits, and delivery models.
  • Demonstrated geotechnical project execution experience on Water/Wastewater infrastructure including treatment plants, lift stations, pipelines, reservoirs, tanks, or related facilities.
  • Experience building client relationships and supporting growth in consulting, engineering, professional services, or construction.
  • Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
  • Ability to travel within the region and across the Texas Division as needed.
  • Valid driver license with acceptable violation history.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Professional Engineer in Texas, Professional Geologist, Project Management Professional, or other relevant registration or certification.
  • Masters Degree and at least 30 years of experience
  • Experience with Texas municipal water/wastewater clients such as Dallas Water Utilities, Fort Worth Water, North Texas Municipal Water District, Trinity River Authority, Tarrant Regional Water District, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, and cities such as Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Denton, Arlington, Mansfield, Tyler, and Longview.
  • Experience with TWDB, TCEQ, EPA, and Texas Water Code procurement or regulatory frameworks.
  • Established relationships within the Northeast Texas Water/Wastewater market.
  • Experience with alternative delivery, including CMAR, design-build, progressive design-build, on-call contracts, master service agreements, and large capital programs.
  • Experience developing capture plans, client account plans, go/no-go recommendations, pursuit strategies, or regional growth plans.
  • Active involvement in WEAT, AWWA Texas Section, UCTA, TWCA, TWUA, ASCE, TSPE, ACEC Texas, APWA, DBIA, or similar organizations.


About the Team

Innovation and hands-on practice come together in our geotechnical consulting services. We provide geotechnical services nationwide for a wide range of projects, drawing on six decades of historical geotechnical data, a fleet of more than 200 drill rigs, 140 accredited laboratories, and thousands of employees to quickly organize or capture site data wherever projects are located. From AI-supported solutions and predictive technologies to geophysics and traditional exploration, we deliver precision, value-added subsurface information and engineering and scientific expertise to solving our clients' challenges and achieve their goals for project sustainability, quality, and efficiency.

About Terracon

Terracon is a leading provider of engineering consulting services in the United States. The company was founded in 1965 and has since grown to employ over 5,000 people in more than 150 offices across the country. Terracon offers a wide range of services, including geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, construction materials testing, and facilities engineering. The company is committed to providing high-quality services to its clients while also promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility. Terracon is a privately held company and is headquartered in Olathe, Kansas.
Learn more about Terracon
Size
5,000 employees
Industry
Net Income
$50 million
Founded
2023
5 Year Trend
+20%
Revenue
$800 million
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Terracon

More Energy & Utilities Jobs

Find similar Principal Water Director jobs: