Transportation Client Development Director

Environmental Science Associates (ESA), as a 100-percent employee-owned ESOP, prides itself on bringing value to our clients through the technical expertise and consulting acumen of our employee-owners. We are seeking a motivated and experiencedTransportation Client Development Director for California to join our team. This senior leadership role will be instrumental in driving growth, fostering client relationships, and delivering innovative transportation solutions across California. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in transportation planning, engineering, or management, coupled with proven leadership and business development success. This position will work on a hybrid schedule based out of any of our California offices (San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Petaluma, Los Angeles, Irvine, Pasadena, and/or San Diego) at least 1-2 days per week.

The Client Development Director is a senior position focused on business and client development for a designated market and target region. Responsibilities include providing leadership in regional business development; supporting development of and executing on annual regional growth plan(s), driving regional client identification and strategy to both add new clients to ESA's portfolio and deepen our relationship and work with existing clients, leading key pursuits and project acquisition activities, and identifying, mentoring and supporting key client service managers. This role requires the ability to foster a high level of cross-functional collaboration across ESA. The Client Development Director collaborates with Practice Leaders (technical service leads), Regional Directors (regional operations) and Business Group Directors, among others, in driving firmwide client relationship management, business development and project acquisition activities within the market and region(s) and works closely with ESA's Corporate Marketing Director and External Brand and Communications Manager to implement appropriate marketing efforts. The position reports to ESA's Transportation Market Leader (currently filled by ESA's Strategic Business Development Director serving as acting Market Leader).

This position will lead comprehensive, strategic business development for the transportation market and develop and lead transportation market growth across California. The role will build on our established client relationships and market position by leveraging market knowledge, industry insight, and business acumen. The Client Development Director will work collaboratively with regional and market leadership. This role has a high level of client engagement; responsible for client stewardship, cultivating new clients to increase market share through various market-wide strategic business development and marketing activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical & Professional Expertise:
  
  
  
  • Provides high-level leadership and visibility representing the firm with clients, especially in the Transportation market.
  • Actively participates in regional and national professional associations, conferences, and networking activities to identify and cultivate new clients, markets, hires and/or M&A opportunities.
  • May serve as a Project Director and/or senior technical advisor on the most complex, unique, and/or large projects and/or for key clients within the market.
  • When necessary, oversees or directs project-related work for major, highly complex projects and programs.
  • Communicates effectively on complex issues and/or high visibility projects to clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders and the general public, and at professional gatherings.
  
  
  
  
• Diversity, Inclusion + Belonging:
  
  
  
  • Demonstrates equitable and inclusive ways of working with others treats others with respect, empathy and dignity.
  • Participates in diversity, inclusion and belonging-focused learning activities to increase self-awareness and applies concepts.
  • Identifies opportunities to increase the participation of others, in particular underrepresented colleagues on projects, and/or amplifies their ideas in meetings and discussions.
  • Looks for and contributes to opportunities that increase team diversity through outreach.
  • Leads and/or participates in community or ESA-sponsored diversity impact projects.
  • Cultivates and fosters collaboration and teaming with traditionally disadvantaged business enterprises to meet client needs and have a positive social impact.
  
  
  
  
• Project & Fiscal Responsibility:
  
  
  
  • Drives the execution of the annual strategic growth and client development action plan to achieve regional growth and development goals in support of ESA's 5-year Strategic Plan.
  • Teams with Regional Business Group Directors, Regional Directors and Practice Leaders to balance growth with improved profitability across the region.
  
  
  
  
• Client Relationship and Business Development & Marketing Responsibility:
  
  
  
  • Strengthens ESA's understanding of industry and client needs and issues, market trends, and positions ESA to respond to achieve the long-term vision for the region.
  • Identifies and cultivates strategic partnerships and/or teaming opportunities with other firms for target client and/or services delivery.
  • Leads the development of strategic and key clients and pursuits and the preparation of major regional or strategic proposals; works with Practice Leaders, marketing leaders and capture managers to develop and implement business development and marketing strategies and tactics.
  • Provides strategic focus to assist senior staff and other business development leaders with their growth initiatives and better position ESA in these markets.
  • Maintains and grows an extensive professional network, including decision-makers at client organizations.
  • Regularly travels to ESA offices across California in support of key initiatives, business development and market coordination.
  • Leads the identification of strategic pursuits to leverage ESA's full array of capabilities and the development of major strategic contract or project acquisition efforts.
  • Responsible for strategic client management and development by identifying and supporting key client managers; ensuring the expansion of the portfolio across regions.
    
    
  
  
  
  
• Staff Growth and Development - Career, Skills and Business Development
  
  
  
  • Takes initiative to provide mentoring and coaching to foster best practices and increase staff exposure and engagement across transportation market.
  • Coordinates with Regional Directors and Practice Leaders regarding strategic hiring, and the professional development and retention of key employees within the region.
  • Coordinates with Regional Directors and Practice Leaders on the expansion of the market's portfolio across California focused on increasing market share, included service offerings and diversification.
  • Performs other related duties as required.
  
  
  
  

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of related experience in designated practice, with emphasis on business and team building, client relationships, business development, and market growth.
• 8+ years of experience targeting, procuring, and retaining new clients within the transportation market.
• Demonstrated Client relationships and project portfolio with depth of experience specific to California.
• Bachelor's degree with major coursework in a practice-related field.
• Exceptional leadership skills with a demonstrated record of business success and growth.
• Demonstrated experience as a practitioner with successful client service and project delivery experience.
• Expert knowledge of and expertise in advanced processes and principles for area(s) of practice-related expertise.
• Recognized technical expert in the area of expertise, recognized as a strategic thinker and leader.
• Strong management skills and ability to direct and review detailed tasks and projects.
• Exceptional writing, oral and presentation skills, effective, active listener, and able to speak confidently and persuasively on a variety of complex topics
• Able to pass a federal and state background check for project-based assignments.