Department Manager | CMT Services - Charlotte

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Overview of Bunnell-Lammons Engineering, Inc.

At Bunnell-Lammons Engineering (BLE), we are committed to delivering exceptional value to our clients through technical excellence, ethical leadership, and outstanding client service. As an employee-owned engineering consulting firm, we believe our greatest strength is our people, and we are committed to creating an environment where employees are empowered to lead, innovate, grow professionally, and make a lasting impact on our clients, our communities, and our firm.

Our values are Clients, Respect, Excellence, Safety, and Trust, which together form the foundation we call C.R.E.S.T. These principles guide how we work together and serve our clients every day. As BLE continues to expand its geographic footprint and technical capabilities, we are seeking leaders who share our commitment to building strong teams, cultivating lasting client relationships, and shaping the future of our firm.

Position Overview

The Department Manager is responsible for building and leading BLE's Construction Materials Testing Services Department in the Charlotte metropolitan area. This senior leader will oversee field and laboratory operations, staff development, project delivery, financial results, and client service while partnering with the Charlotte Branch Manager and business development team to grow the construction materials testing and special inspections practice. The role offers an experienced construction materials professional the opportunity to shape a new department, grow within an employee-owned firm, and potentially pursue future ownership and broader leadership opportunities.

Success in this role requires balancing technical excellence, project delivery, team leadership, financial performance, and client service while collaborating with others to support the growth of BLE's Charlotte operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering required; advanced education or specialized training in construction materials testing and inspection preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• Typically 8+ years of progressive experience in construction materials testing, special inspections, or related engineering consulting, including project management and increasing responsibility for technical delivery, operations, and staff leadership.
• Demonstrated experience managing field-testing and special-inspection programs, laboratory operations, and multidisciplinary teams of technicians, inspectors, project managers, and engineering staff.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable ASTM, AASHTO, ACI, ICC, and DOT standards, testing procedures, certification requirements, and quality-management practices, including laboratory accreditations, technician certifications, equipment calibration, and regulatory compliance.
• Existing relationships within the Charlotte metropolitan area or surrounding markets are beneficial but not required.
• Participation in BLE's Senior Professional Program will be required to qualify as a final reviewer, execute contracts, and manage technical risk on behalf of the firm.
• Experience managing project budgets, schedules, staffing, profitability, and contracts; exposure to departmental budgeting, utilization, forecasting, and resource planning is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop trusted client relationships, provide responsive service and contribute technical expertise to proposals, interviews, and project pursuits.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.

Primary Responsibilities

Operational & Technical Leadership

• Maintain corporate and professional standards, ethics, and regulatory compliance throughout the department.
• Establish departmental priorities, workflows, and best practices that promote technical quality, consistency, accountability, efficiency, and profitability.
• Oversee construction materials testing and special-inspection projects from scoping through scheduling, field and laboratory execution, reporting, and final delivery, ensuring appropriate staffing, technical approach, schedule, budget, and client communication.
• Manage daily field and laboratory operations, including personnel scheduling and dispatch, resource allocation, testing and inspection activities, subcontractors, equipment, and project schedules.
• Ensure compliance with applicable testing and inspection standards, laboratory-accreditation requirements, equipment-calibration programs, personnel certifications, and quality-management procedures.
• Lead QA/QC, review proposals, testing results, inspection records, reports, and other technical deliverables, serve as final reviewer where authorized, and provide technical guidance in resolving complex testing and inspection challenges.

Staffing & Talent Management

• Assess staffing needs and lead recruiting and candidate selection in collaboration with Human Resources and BLE leadership, with particular emphasis on maintaining a reliable pipeline of qualified and certifiable technicians and inspectors.
• Develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing team through clear expectations, coaching, performance management, professional development, career paths, and succession planning.
• Establish and oversee training, certification, cross-training, and renewal programs to ensure appropriately qualified personnel are available while reinforcing a culture of safety, quality, professionalism, accountability, and responsive client service.
• Manage department financial performance, budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, and progress toward revenue, profitability, utilization, backlog, and other agreed targets.
• Oversee project and contract financial performance, including billing rates, personnel and equipment utilization, overtime, profitability, and timely billing; identify risks and opportunities and implement corrective actions when needed.

Client Relations & Business Development Support

• Develop trusted client relationships through responsive communication, reliable delivery, technical credibility, and proactive problem solving.
• Partner with the Charlotte Branch Manager, business development personnel, and BLE leadership to identify target clients and opportunities and support growth strategies.
• Lead the technical and operational aspects of major pursuits, proposals, interviews, scopes, fees, risk evaluation, staffing, and resource planning.
• Expand existing client relationships, introduce complementary BLE services, and represent BLE selectively at client and industry events.

Strategic Planning & Goal Setting

• Develop the department’s long-term strategy, annual business plan, and performance objectives with the Charlotte Branch Manager and BLE leadership; track progress and adjust as needed.
• Evaluate market trends and client needs to identify opportunities for innovation, service expansion, and long-term growth and guide strategic investments in laboratory capabilities, equipment, technology, accreditations, and personnel certifications.

What Success Looks Like

• Learn BLE's standards, systems, technical resources, and Charlotte strategy while establishing strong working relationships across the firm.
• Assess immediate staffing, certification, field scheduling and dispatch, laboratory accreditation, equipment, and project-delivery needs; develop a practical implementation plan and begin assuming departmental responsibility.

First 6 Months | Build

• Establish the team, field scheduling and dispatch processes, laboratory workflows, technical standards, QA/QC procedures, certification programs, and operational capacity needed to support the department’s current and anticipated workload.
• Demonstrate reliable project delivery and support pursuits and awarded-work handoffs with practical scopes, fees, resource plans, and risk evaluation.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop key personnel while establishing clear roles, performance expectations, and professional-development priorities.

First 12 Months | Deliver

• Operate a dependable construction materials testing and special-inspections department that provides qualified personnel, responsive field coverage, accurate testing and inspection, reliable laboratory operations, timely reporting, and effective project management.
• Demonstrate measurable progress toward agreed revenue, backlog, utilization, profitability, staffing, and operational objectives while developing repeat client relationships.
• Build a collaborative, accountable team with required certifications, structured training, and sufficient field, laboratory, and project-management capacity to support continued growth.

Long-Term | Grow

• Build a scalable, profitable, and highly regarded Charlotte construction materials testing and special-inspections practice aligned with BLE's strategic objectives.
• Develop future project managers and technical leaders while contributing to broader BLE growth through collaboration, technical leadership, and long-term stewardship.
• Establish BLE as a trusted construction materials testing and special-inspections provider within the Charlotte market.

This position primarily operates in a professional office environment and requires regular in-person work. Occasional travel to client sites, project locations, company offices, industry events, and business development activities is also expected.

Why Join Us?

Join BLE to build and lead a CMT practice in one of the Southeast's fastest-growing regions, combining the autonomy to shape a local operation with the technical resources and support of an established, multidisciplinary, employee-owned firm. This role offers meaningful opportunities for professional growth, leadership, and potential ownership.

• Medical, vision, dental, life, and short- and long-term disability insurance
• 401(K) with partial company matching.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and eight holidays