Construction Engineering Inspection (CEI) Department Manager

ESP Associates, Inc. is seeking a CEI Manager for our South Carolina operations relating to delivery of CEI services on transportation projects for public and private sectors. This is a leadership position requiring significant construction and administration experience. The CEI Manager will work closely with ESP’s Transportation Division Manager, client managers, teaming partners, and other key members of the ESP team and is responsible for leading established groups of Engineers and Inspectors. This position will oversee all aspects of Personnel Management, Project Management, Operational Administration and Business Development for SCDOT and regional clients on road and bridge transportation projects. This role has flexibility to work in Charleston or Columbia.

The selected candidate must have an outgoing, can-do attitude to grow and develop staff while working closely with clients, engineers, and sub-consultants to ensure their needs are met. This will include leading business planning, marketing, meeting financial performance goals, and fulfillment of the firm’s strategy in South Carolina and supporting the Transportation Services Division overall.

Responsibilities:

• Generate business opportunities with existing and prospective clients.
• Build and maintain existing client relationships and develop new business
• Lead a team to complete CEI projects;
• Fulfillment of executed client contracts and meeting financial performance goals of project
• Establish and monitor project scope and fee, ensuring work is performed according to agreed-upon contract, diligently obtaining modifications as required
• Manage and review personnel assignments for a team, and submittals
• Communicate high-level concepts effectively with team members, internal groups, and external entities including clients, subconsultants, and relevant government agencies
• Collaborate with other company leaders, within and across service lines, to support and lead company business development activities, projects and initiatives
• Represent ESP to external entities including clients, agency officials, and the public; build client relationships, help identify business opportunities, and have client accountability
• Make recommendations and decisions on human resource actions (e.g. staffing, training, compensation, conflict resolution, etc.)
• Lead or support PMs in personnel forecasting, recruiting, interviewing, hiring and on-boarding
• Negotiate and fully execute contracts with clients and subconsultants in conjunction with company finance and legal team
• Work with internal administrative staff to set up projects, review expense and labor charges, generate timely client invoices, and assist in collections of outstanding accounts receivables
• Submit and regularly review financial reports, including client invoicing, outstanding accounts receivable, performance metrics and project profitability
• Ability to learn/utilize Client Relationship Manager (CRM) to accurately report and track ongoing business opportunities and pursuits
• Responsible for proposal management on lead and sub pursuits, including document preparation and preliminary reviews
• Other marketing duties include providing timely resume updates, project write-ups, proposal support, and participating in marketing initiatives as required
• Seize opportunities to teach, coach and mentor; foster positive development and enrichment of assigned team, preparing them for new positions
• Identify skills and knowledge gaps within the group, seek opportunities to provide internal trainings, and identify worthwhile external training content
• Participate in personnel forecasting, recruiting and interviewing activities, candidate selection and new hire onboarding.

Qualifications:

• 15 years of experience, including 5 years in North Carolina (preferred), in Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) related to the transportation industry (e.g., roadway/highway, bridge/structures, rail/transit, maritime, aviation)
• BS in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related field preferred
• Basic knowledge of MS Office products and use of PDF software.
• Understanding of SCDOT software and process systems
• South Carolina PE Preferred (ability to obtain SC PE by comity is suitable)
• Business development experience in the transportation industry; must include a strong track record in the South Carolina marketplace
• Must be willing to travel on a routine basis; this travel will include both local field and office sites. Travel is mostly day travel with occasional overnight stays required.
• A demonstrated track record of strong leadership skills and the ability to generate new business opportunities with transportation clientele in South Carolina (assisting in surrounding states a plus)
• Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing
• Strong technical writing skills required for submittal preparation
• Candidate must be able to pass a drug screen, background check, and have a satisfactory driving record in accordance with the ESP’s driving (MVR) policy.

Corporate Information:

ESP is a multi-discipline engineering design and consulting firm providing our clients with civil engineering, surveying, planning/landscape architecture, geosciences, environmental, subsurface utility engineering, and construction engineering inspection.

Through years of dedicated service to our clients, ESP has received a designation of 280 on the 2021 ENR Top 500 Design Firm rankings. For the firm's primary territory, the ENR Southeast Top Design Firms, ESP received a 2021 ranking of 49.

ESP offers an excellent employee benefits package including:

• Health and Dental Insurance
• PTO (Paid Time Off) & Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Benefits Plan
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Plan