Senior Vice President – Water & Wastewater (W/WW) Market Leader - United States
The Opportunity
A top 10 leading ENR contractor is seeking an accomplished and commercially driven Water & Wastewater Market Leader to lead and accelerate the growth of its water business across the United States.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for an established industry professional with a proven track record of leading large water infrastructure programs, delivering complex capital projects and driving sustainable business growth. Combining strategic leadership with operational and commercial accountability, the successful candidate will be responsible for shaping the future direction of the water business, strengthening its market position and expanding its presence across the US water and wastewater infrastructure sector.
Reporting directly to the President, the Market Leader will hold overall responsibility for the performance, growth and delivery of the water business, including full profit and loss (P&L) accountability, business development, operational execution and client relationships.
The business has historically achieved revenues in excess of $1 billion and currently has a more focused portfolio. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in reinvigorating the business, identifying new market opportunities and positioning the company for its next phase of growth.
The role offers the opportunity to lead a nationally significant business within an established infrastructure contractor, leveraging the company's broader operational capabilities, regional talent and delivery expertise to pursue and execute major water infrastructure programmes.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Business Growth
- Develop and execute a clear strategy for the growth and long-term success of the water and wastewater business across the United States.
- Reinvigorate the business's market presence, identifying opportunities to expand its portfolio, increase revenue and strengthen its competitive position.
- Establish strategic priorities, growth targets and operational plans aligned with the wider business objectives.
- Identify and pursue major water infrastructure opportunities, including large-scale treatment, conveyance, water supply and wastewater projects.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with public-sector owners, utilities, engineering partners, industry stakeholders and other key decision-makers.
- Represent the company as a visible and credible leader within the US water infrastructure market.
Operational Leadership & Project Delivery
- Provide executive oversight of the successful delivery of complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects, ensuring performance against safety, quality, schedule, cost and contractual commitments.
- Leverage extensive experience delivering major capital projects, ideally with individual project values exceeding $300 million.
- Champion collaborative delivery models, including Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), progressive design-build and other alternative delivery methods.
- Establish a culture of accountability, operational excellence, collaboration and continuous improvement across the business.
- Ensure the appropriate deployment of people, resources, systems and delivery capabilities to support project execution and profitable growth.
- Work closely with regional and district leadership teams to leverage local expertise and resources while maintaining clear accountability for the national water business.
Commercial & Financial Management
- Assume full P&L responsibility for the water business, including revenue growth, profitability, forecasting, risk management and financial performance.
- Develop and execute strategies to improve margins, strengthen the project pipeline and deliver sustainable financial results.
- Oversee business planning, resource allocation, project selection and commercial risk assessment.
- Ensure disciplined pursuit decisions and effective management of contract, delivery and commercial risks.
- Balance near-term financial performance with longer-term investment in people, capabilities, client relationships and market development.
Business Development & Market Positioning
- Lead national business development strategy, working closely with estimating, preconstruction, operations and regional teams to identify, qualify and secure strategic opportunities.
- Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of major water and wastewater projects.
- Leverage an established industry network and reputation to deepen relationships with existing clients and establish new partnerships.
- Drive early engagement with owners, consultants, joint venture partners and other stakeholders to position the company for collaborative delivery opportunities.
- Strengthen the company's reputation as a trusted delivery partner for complex, high-value water infrastructure programmes.
Leadership & Organisational Development
- Lead and develop a high-performing water organisation, providing clear direction, accountability and a compelling vision for growth.
- Build, retain and develop senior operational, commercial and business development talent.
- Foster a collaborative culture that integrates national business leadership with regional delivery capabilities.
- Establish appropriate organisational structures, succession plans and performance management practices to support the business's future scale.
- Work closely with the President and wider leadership team to align the water business with corporate strategy and broader business objectives.
Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will be an established senior leader within the US water and wastewater infrastructure sector, combining deep technical and operational credibility with commercial acumen, strategic vision and a demonstrable ability to lead large, complex organisations.
Essential Experience
- Extensive senior leadership experience within the US water and wastewater infrastructure, engineering, construction or programme delivery sector.
- A proven track record of leading a substantial water business or business unit, with responsibility for operational performance, commercial outcomes and P&L.
- Demonstrated success delivering major water infrastructure projects, preferably with individual project values exceeding $300 million.
- Significant experience with collaborative delivery models, particularly CM/GC, progressive design-build, CMAR or comparable alternative delivery approaches.
- A strong track record in business development, strategic client engagement, market development and the successful pursuit of major infrastructure opportunities.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and large organisations across multiple projects, clients or geographic markets.
- Demonstrated ability to grow a business, strengthen profitability and build a sustainable project pipeline.
- Established relationships and credibility across the US water and wastewater market.
Preferred Qualifications
- A tertiary qualification in civil engineering, environmental engineering, construction management or a related discipline.
- Experience leading a business with substantial annual revenues and complex operational requirements.
- A background combining major project delivery with national business leadership and market-facing responsibilities.
- Experience operating within a large infrastructure contractor, engineering and construction organisation, or major programme delivery business.
Leadership Attributes
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Strategic vision: The ability to define a compelling direction for the business and translate it into measurable commercial and operational outcomes.
- Commercial leadership: Strong financial judgement and a demonstrated ability to manage P&L, improve profitability and drive growth.
- Delivery credibility: First-hand experience leading complex, high-value infrastructure projects and understanding the operational realities of project execution.
- Market presence: A respected and visible industry profile, with the credibility to engage senior utility executives, public-sector clients and industry partners.
- Collaborative leadership: The ability to bring together operational teams, regional leadership, clients and delivery partners around shared objectives.
- Organisational leadership: Experience leading large teams, developing senior talent and building a high-performing, accountable culture.
- Entrepreneurial mindset: The drive to reinvigorate a business, pursue new opportunities and build long-term market relevance.
Location
United States. The role can be based from any suitable office nationally, with travel as required to support clients, projects, business development activities and regional teams.
Compensation
An executive compensation package commensurate with the seniority of the appointment, the candidate's experience and the scope of responsibility. Additional compensation and benefits will be determined in line with the final role level and company policy.
The Impact
This is an opportunity for a high-calibre water infrastructure executive to take ownership of a nationally significant business, shape its strategic direction and lead its next phase of growth. The successful candidate will combine the credibility of a major-project delivery leader with the commercial instincts of a business builder, positioning the business to capture new opportunities across the evolving US water and wastewater infrastructure market.
