Business Center Practice Leader - Southern California Environmental Services

We seek a Southern California and Hawaii Environmental Services Business Center Practice Leader (BCPL) to contribute to a purpose-driven organization focused on delivery of environmental solutions. The ideal candidate specializes in some or all of the infrastructure (transportation and community development), water, manufacturing and energy sectors with strong market knowledge and proven experience in Orange County/South Bay, and broader ability to support growth throughout Southern California and all sectors we serve. The Business Center Practice Leader (BCPL) is the “seller/doer” responsible for leading the pursuit and delivery of excellent work to our clients. Accountable for the top line revenue, the BCPL leads the growth of the Business Centers and Stantec’s market position while providing innovative technical solutions with exceptional quality and execution that exceed client expectations. The BCPL reports to the Regional Growth Leader (RGL).

Our Environmental Services team is a leader in fostering resilient and sustainable outcomes for both people and the environment. Working with over 40 federal, state, and local agencies in California, we use local knowledge to navigate regulations, build trust, and deliver tailored solutions that reflect each community’s environmental and cultural contexts. 

This leadership position is an integral part of our Environmental Services US West leadership team, supporting a growing environmental assessment, permitting, design, and compliance practice of more than 300 talented professionals in Southern California and Hawaii. Our people are Stantec’s most valuable resource, and in joining our team you will be able to leverage your practice area strategic planning focus, market knowledge, and client and partner relationships to pursue and win work that transforms our communities and inspires our people, within a culture that values belonging, celebrates shared successes, and embraces ambition. You will provide leaders

The BCPL is a highly collaborative role working closely with the Business Operations Leaders, Stantec’s Sector Leaders, Key Account Managers, project teams, other business developers, and peers across Stantec’s other Business Lines to identify and manage our key accounts, pursue opportunities, and solicit feedback from clients on our performance. You will partner with our other Business Center (BC) Leaders to lead and manage, inspire and engage, and win and do work – building a culturally strong and high performing business. This role also collaborates with other BC Leaders to lead our behavioral safety culture, maintain quality and technical excellence for services delivered across the BC. It is expected that all leadership roles have a maximum term of 5-years, with the opportunity to re-evaluate at the end of the term and for the purpose of succession and company growth.

Your Key Responsibilities

Client Focus:

• Drives the client relationship strategy, working with Principals and BC leaders to drive strong results in the client satisfaction survey within the respective BC.
• Lead and participate in pursuits and campaigns for major BC opportunities across multiple sectors, with a focus on infrastructure, water, manufacturing and energy sectors.
• Achieve minimum client and proposal-specific marketing and business development (M&BD) sales goals, including internal cross-selling initiatives, target 25% of time.
• Exceed client expectations through strong account management across the BC and personally leading accounts for major clients in the BC.
• Cultivate strong relationships and stay on top of opportunities from agencies aligned with sector-focused growth initiatives (for instance, California State Department of transportation, local public works agencies, and rail and port authorities related to our infrastructure growth strategy).
• Sets the tone among all leaders in the BC.
• Ensure a minimum of 4 client feedback surveys are conducted per year and issues are addressed through implementation and follow through on action plans.

Business Development and Collaboration:

• Actively contribute to win strategies and successful project execution.
• Be involved at a hands-on level in key pursuits as needed and on projects should issues impacting client satisfaction or project management escalate.
• Track pursuit success rate and return on investment rate on client-by-client basis.
• Lead growth of the BC through developing and leading the business development, key pursuit and sales strategy and hold Principals accountable to expand our reach and client base utilizing strong marketing, business development, sales account management plans.
• Develop and manage the M&BD plan for the BC, including cross selling.
• Increase visibility of Stantec by sharing our knowledge and innovation stories through key client engagements to enhance our reputation and drive revenue.
• Establish an effective Go/No Go Review process with Principals and track compliance.
• Partner with other BCPLs and leaders to drive collaboration on pursuits across geographies and business lines.
• Utilize and ensure the opportunity Pipeline is maintained and monitor to optimize business development plans and employee utilization rates.
• Maintain and enhance local marketplace reputation through established relationships and support of regional leadership.
• Develop and maintain Stantec’s integrated practice in the specified BC. Which includes:
  • The maintenance of a cohesive Stantec brand,
  • Key client and account development and maintenance,
  • Market and community outreach and engagement.
  • Accountable to achieve organic growth targets of the BC.

Project Focus:

• Lead delivery of significant BC project pursuits.
• Achieve minimum direct utilization target 45%.
• Actively participate including contribution to written content in major projects in key roles such as Independent Technical Reviewers, as required. Oversee risk management related to projects and pursuits including review of contracts, fees, and proposals on large pursuits and in coordination with Stantec’s risk review process.

Practice:

• Inspires, motivates, and holds the team accountable for the delivery of innovative design solutions.
• Drive project excellence
• Leads or assigns responsibility for oversight of project delivery, Quality Assurance/Quality Control, discipline excellence and technical quality, documents quality and best practices in the execution of work.
• Assign responsibility for design excellence in all disciplines present in BC to foster innovation, sustainable design principles and use of technology.
• Comply with ISO-certified Integrated management System and Project Management (PM) Frameworks
• Achieve >95% PM Frameworks compliance from Internal Practice audits.
• Leads or assigns responsibility for management, needs assessment and provision of digital practice, tools, and applications in support of BC to deliver work.

Provide broad leadership influence:

• Act as a highly regarded leader, thought partner and a source of counsel and advice for their BC.
• Be personally involved in key client relationships, strategic project pursuits and major project leadership within the BC.
• Proactively identify opportunities to reinforce and further develop Stantec’s high-performance culture with a focus on innovation, speed, and productivity.
• Foster a success-oriented, accountable environment within the company.
• Uphold a corporate culture that promotes ethical practices, encourages individual integrity, and focuses on the customer and service delivery.
• Provide support through ongoing collaboration with Business Operating Unit (BOU) Operations, Regional Business Leaders (RBL), Regional Growth Leaders (RGLs), Regional Leaders (RL) and Business Center Operating Leaders (BCOL) regarding resolution of operational issues identified within the BC.

Business and Financial Management:

• Support BCOL and other BCPLs (BC Leadership) with the annual budget for the BC, outlining the vision, focus, and priorities for implementation and setting specific goals for business performance.
• Accountable for top line revenue growth, the BCPL also supports the BCOL in meeting established targets net revenue, gross margin, SG&A, and operating income target in the BC.
• Responsible for net revenue forecasts by period, quarter, and year end.
• Partners with BCOL to develop and implement improvement plans for distressed business units and BCs. Including focus on write-offs and business line expenses.
• Supports achieving utilization rate and backlog targets and partners with BCOL to drive collaboration and work sharing across the practice.

Health and Safety:

• Support BC Leadership with the health and safety performance of the BC, including monitoring of leading and lagging indicators, meeting leading indicator goals, and following up on BC Improvement Plans.

People Leadership:

• Support BC Leadership with developing, attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent.
• Establish employee connectedness to leadership by interfacing frequently with employees.
• Partner with BCOL by conducting quarterly office visits and BC Wide meetings to communicate the vision, business strategy and progress against applicable action plans.
• Support the overall talent management lifecycle including career development, employee engagement, succession planning, coaching, and mentoring, diversity and inclusion, and leadership development for the BC.
• Support the BCOL with managing performance and compensation in accordance with Stantec’s compensation philosophy within the BC through yearly employee performance review (YEPR), rate review, and STIP/bonus -allocation for the BC.
• Direct reports may include roles focused on M&BD.
   
• Good driving record and valid driver’s license required.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

A Bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 15 years’ related work, leadership, financial management, business development and consulting experience; or an equivalent combination of education and related experience. Professional registration in related field. Account management, business development, relationships and sales strategy experience in the infrastructure (transportation and community development), water, manufacturing and energy sectors.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

Indoor (Office Environment) Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting. Noise level varies but generally at levels of conversation. Majority of time spent using computer/laptop at workstation and related office equipment. Time spent carrying, reaching, lifting, bending, pushing, and pulling up to 20 pounds: Occasional – 1-33% of shift. Subject to extended periods of sitting; may be required to stand for varying lengths of time and walk short to moderate distances to perform work.

Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time. Field work may include exposure to the elements including inclement weather.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

About Stantec

Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.

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