West Operating Unit Manager

Job Description

Dewberry is seeking a West Operating Unit Manager (OUM) to lead the strategic growth, operational performance, and profitability of its Western Region. The region currently includes five offices across California and Colorado, generating approximately $50 million in annual revenue and employing 150 professionals.

 

Reporting to the President of Dewberry Engineers Inc., the OUM will be responsible for advancing regional growth, building organizational capacity, strengthening leadership talent, and expanding client relationships across key markets, including Transportation, Construction Management/Inspection, Water/Wastewater, Water Resources, and Site-Civil/Land Development.

 

The ideal candidate is a visionary and market-focused leader with a strong engineering background, significant P&L responsibility, and a proven record of growing engineering and consulting businesses. This individual will bring deep public-sector market knowledge, strong client and industry relationships, and demonstrated success leading multi-office operations, developing high-performing teams, and driving profitable growth.

 

Dewberry is a leading, market-facing professional services firm with more than 60 locations and 2,500 professionals nationwide. What sets us apart from our competitors is our people. At Dewberry, we seek out exceptional talent and strive to deliver the highest quality of services to our clients. Whether you’re an experienced professional or a new graduate, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with the best and brightest and work on innovative and complex projects at the forefront of the industry. Our commitment to excellence stems from our personal integrity and from other defining attributes, which we call “Dewberry at Work,” that have inspired our employees to be successful for more than a half-century. 

 

 

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Growth

• Lead the overall growth strategy and business performance of Dewberry's Western Region.
• Expand market share and strengthen client relationships across:
• Transportation
• Construction Management/Inspection
• Water/Wastewater
• Water Resources
• Site-Civil/Land Development
• Identify emerging market opportunities, industry trends, and growth initiatives.
• Serve as executive sponsor for key pursuits, strategic accounts, and major client relationships.
• Represent Dewberry within industry, professional, and community organizations to enhance market visibility and influence.

Operational & Business Management

• Provide executive oversight for five regional offices, ensuring operational excellence and financial performance.
• Lead regional business planning, resource management, and P&L accountability.
• Drive collaboration across offices, disciplines, and business units to support project delivery and growth objectives.
• Champion innovation, technology adoption, and process improvements that enhance efficiency and client service.
• Partner with corporate leadership to establish priorities and advance company-wide initiatives.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing leadership team.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop future leaders while strengthening organizational capacity.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.
• Lead geographically dispersed teams and align leaders around shared business objectives.

Client & Industry Leadership

• Strengthen relationships with public-sector clients, private-sector partners, and industry stakeholders throughout the Western Region.
• Leverage existing relationships and market expertise to create new business opportunities.
• Position Dewberry as a trusted partner and industry leader across Western markets.

Required Skills & Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering; advanced degree or MBA preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 20+ years of engineering consulting experience serving public-sector clients.
• 10+ years of leadership experience managing diverse, multi-office engineering operations with P&L responsibility.
• Strong relationships with California and Colorado public agencies and private consultants, primarily in the Water/Wastewater and Water Resources, Civil/Site/Utilities Infrastructure and Transportation sectors.
• Experience with other Western States and leading and delivering engineering services to federal sector clients would be considered a plus.
• Demonstrated success leading growth initiatives, business development, and organizational expansion.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing and motivating high-performing teams, designing and executing a strategy that impacts regional, national and international firm prominence.
• Able to co-create and share a common vision and strategies with Dewberry corporate and operational leadership.
• Able to understand and leverage Dewberry strengths for cross-selling across service lines.
• Active in leadership roles with the AEC industry organizations and civic/community organizations

 

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will be:

• A strategic and forward-thinking business leader.
• An accomplished builder of client relationships and business partnerships.
• Skilled at leading and motivating high-performing teams.
• Politically astute and adept at navigating complex stakeholder environments.
• An effective communicator and influencer, comfortable engaging with executive leadership, client executives, and boards.
• Passionate about developing people, driving growth, and building a culture of collaboration and accountability.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Dewberry we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for our employees. So if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the position description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may just be the right candidate for this or other opportunities.

 

*At this time, Dewberry will not sponsor a new applicant for work authorization.

*Dewberry is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

 

Notice to Third Party Recruiters:  Dewberry only compensates job placement recruiters that have a valid Dewberry-approved written agreement in place for recruiting services. Dewberry does not compensate third party recruiters for unsolicited job placement candidate information.

 

Salary Range

The projected range for this position is $281,000 to $434,000 annually. Depending upon other factors, i.e., skills, experience, location, market conditions, the range may vary slightly.