Senior Water/ Wastewater Project & Client Manager

Job Description

Take Your Delivery Management Career to the Next Level

Are you ready to take ownership of a growing water and wastewater practice in one of Ohio’s most active infrastructure markets? This role is designed for a senior water/wastewater business development and delivery leader who wants more than traditional project execution – someone ready to shape strategy, deepen client partnerships, and lead municipal projects from pursuit through delivery.

Step into Your New Role

Kleinfelder is seeking an experienced Senior Water/ Wastewater Project & Client Manager to help lead and expand our Central Ohio water practice. The ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative environment, excels in client service, and values innovation, technical quality, and team development.

This strategic position will anchor our business development and delivery efforts in Columbus, driving growth, managing key client relationships, and delivering complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the region. You will collaborate closely with Kleinfelder’s National Water and Wastewater Market Lead, Midwest Division design professionals, and other Client Account Managers to grow our water practice across Kleinfelder.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Development & Business Development Leadership

• Lead business development efforts for the Ohio water and wastewater market, including identifying, positioning, proposing, and winning targeted pursuits.
• Serve as a Client Account Manager through project execution, ensuring strong technical delivery and client satisfaction.
• Build, nurture, and expand client relationships with municipal clients, teaming partners, and industry organizations.
• Lead proposal development, capture planning, scoping, and presentation efforts.
• Provide input on business development priorities, strategic budgeting, and resource planning for the Ohio Water team.

Project Management & Delivery

• Serve as Project Manager for multidisciplinary water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
• Oversee planning, execution, monitoring, and closeout with strong attention to quality, schedule, and budget.
• Coordinate closely with technical teams to proactively address issues and ensure consistent client satisfaction
• Represent Kleinfelder through conference presentation and participation in technical committees.

Practice & Team Leadership

• Help build the Central Ohio water practice, including strategic planning and resource alignment.
• Build and mentor a high-performing water team in Central Ohio, with a focus on sustainable growth and leadership development
• Play a key role in talent attraction, development, and succession planning within the water practice.
• Reinforce collaboration, innovation, and client focus while supporting a positive, engaged team culture.

Financial & Contract Management

• Negotiate favorable contract terms and conditions
• Achieve cost of sales, gross margin, backlog, and other related financial performance goals.
• Support proactive identification and mitigation of risks and commercial considerations throughout the project lifecycle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Environmental, Chemical Engineering, or related field is required; a master’s degree is preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) in Ohio, or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Minimum 5 years of high-level client management experience in water/wastewater markets.
• Deep consulting experience with strong project delivery performance (or equivalent depth of experience).
• Strong existing relationships with Ohio water and wastewater utilities.
• Proven experience in business development and project management for municipal water/wastewater infrastructure.
• Strong communication skills, engineering, design, and construction knowledge.
• Demonstrated success in project delivery, client account management, and financial performance.
• Understanding of sales pipeline metrics and backlog management.

Move Forward with Kleinfelder

Kleinfelder has been connecting great people to the best work since 1961. We are engineers, scientists, and construction professionals providing solutions that improve our clients' transportation, water, energy, and other private infrastructure. As a responsive, cross-disciplinary team of bright, curious, and innovative problem-solvers, we are dedicated to doing the right thing, every day, on every project from over 100 offices in the US, Canada, and Australia. Connecting great people to the best work is our purpose – together, we deliver.

Progress with an Employer that Values You

Kleinfelder is an inclusive organization free from discrimination. We are a stronger organization when we are a diverse workforce and believe that through diversity, equity, and inclusion comes creativity, innovation, and unity. We are proud to offer the following:

Benefits: Kleinfelder offers excellent compensation and benefits package, including: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) plan, and paid holidays.

Career Development: We are committed to investing in the professional development of our staff, offering each employee every opportunity to grow, develop, and take control of their career paths. We support these efforts through reimbursements for continuing education as well as many of the expenses associated with trainings and certifications, and opportunities for career development through our internal Mentoring Program.

Equal Opportunity: Kleinfelder is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans. (Compliant with the new VEVRAA and Section 503 rules)

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES

Please note that Kleinfelder does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, Kleinfelder will not consider or agree to payment for any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, Kleinfelder explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resume, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Kleinfelder.