Executive Vice President

Job Description

Job Description

We are excited to expand our executive leadership team by adding an Executive Vice President to help lead the execution of our three-year strategic plan beginning in 2027. This opportunity is open to both internal and external candidates, and it is supported by a strong bench of talented leaders across the organization. We are confident that the individual selected for this role will be backed by a deep and capable team, positioned to enable their success and support Ayres’ continued growth.

This addition of the Executive Vice President is intended to support two primary objectives:

1. Complementary leadership strength and capacity - We are seeking an individual whose skills and experience will complement the strengths of our current executive team, ensuring we are well-positioned to meet the demands of our strategic growth.
2. External focus and OneAyres mindset - A key priority is strengthening our external focus, deepening client relationships, expanding our market presence, and attracting high-quality talent to support our long-term vision. While this focus is essential, responsibility will be shared across the executive team. Once the new leader is in place and our three-year strategy is finalized, responsibilities will be aligned to maximize the effectiveness of each team member.

Success in this role requires exceptional leadership. While the executive team is responsible for a range of ongoing operational responsibilities, achieving Ayres’ long-term objectives will depend on the ability to identify opportunities, inspire others, and lead the organization in executing our strategic plan.

This position is in-person and will be based out of one of the following Ayres locations: Eau Claire, WI; Fort Collins, CO; Green Bay, WI; Madison, WI; St. Paul, MN, or Tampa, FL. The position will be closed on Monday, June 29th with first-round interviews being scheduled for the week of July 6th.

Leadership At Ayres – Who We Are:

Leadership is built on our core values, allowing us to evolve our timeless principles, advance our practices, and develop our people to meet the needs of a growing marketplace. We work hard to foster an inclusive environment with a strong sense of shared purpose, allowing our employee-owners to feel valued, encouraged, and engaged in sharing ideas and doing meaningful work.

To continue this mission, the person who fills this role will bring a balance of external growth leadership and operational execution with the ability to connect strategy to delivery through strong business acumen, relationships, and operational discipline allowing Ayres to scale effectively, strengthen our marketplace presence, and consistently deliver on our commitments.

We are proud to grow our team with driven and valued individuals. Join us today and contribute to a culture of excellence and innovation. Working Together, Improving Lives.

Who You Are:

• Leader – You build trust and alignment across the organization and externally with clients and partners. You work seamlessly across service lines and geographies, bringing people together to drive results. You understand that sustainable growth requires both strong relationships and disciplined execution.
• Strategic & Operational – You think like both a strategist and an operator, connecting vision to action. You enjoy identifying opportunities in the market, but equally thrive on building the systems, accountability, and processes that turn strategy into measurable results.
• Growth-Oriented – You are energized by building markets, expanding services, and strengthening client relationships. You bring a proactive, opportunity-focused mindset and a track record of driving revenue growth, whether through organic expansion, partnerships, or acquisitions.
• Inspirational – You naturally contribute to an environment that motivates, supports, and fosters employee engagement. You bring the awareness and confidence to champion topics related to culture while aligning people around common goals.
• Driven – you bring the energy, resilience, and focus required to convert complex organizational challenges into measurable victories. You inspire others to reach beyond expectations and take ownership of the results.
• Agile – You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and evolving business needs. Your flexibility allows you to pivot quickly, optimize operations, and adapt strategies to meet changing market and organizational dynamics.

Opportunities You’ll Have:

• Serve as an owner and member of a four-person executive team, helping set the overall vision, strategy, and operational direction of the firm.
• Drive growth across markets, services, and geographies by focusing Ayres business development approach to strengthen external relationships, pursue strategic partnerships, and identify new opportunities.
• Partner with internal leaders to align growth and operations, ensuring strategy is supported by scalable processes, strong execution, and consistent performance across the organization.
• Strengthen the Ayres brand and market presence by championing clear, consistent messaging and equipping teams to effectively communicate our value across clients and communities.
• Enhance operational effectiveness, improving how we deliver work, manage resources, and maintain quality to support sustainable growth.
• Execute acquisition strategy and integration efforts, onboarding of new teams, alignment of culture, and realization of business objectives.
• Contribute to talent development by advancing programs that build leadership capability, strengthen engagement, and align workforce skills with market demand.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree that has equipped you to think critically and creatively.
• Experience in the engineering, geospatial, planning, or related technical services market.
• A minimum of 15 years of industry experience showing results in the following areas:
  • Demonstrated success leading a company, division, or business unit with accountability for both growth and operational performance.
  • Proven ability to drive market expansion and revenue growth while maintaining strong operational discipline.
  • Building alignment across teams and functions to successfully execute company-wide initiatives.
• Developing and maintaining strategic external partnerships.
• Active leadership in professional or business organizations.
• Willingness to travel as needed to support strategic growth objectives and organizational needs.
• Ability to build trust at all levels, form strong, authentic relationships and lead with a collaborative mindset.
• Valid driver’s license with a good driving record.

Desired Skills and Experience:

• MBA and/or completion of a recognized executive leadership development program (such as ACEC SEI or a comparable program)
• Registered professional in engineering, planning, survey, or related technical disciplines.
• Strong strategic planning acumen with experience in systems such as Traction (EOS) or similar operating frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience balancing growth strategy with operational execution in a professional services environment.
• A passion for building and scaling organizations, while maintaining culture and engagement.
• Proven success achieving measurable business outcomes and leading teams through growth and change.
• Ability to think both strategically and tactically, translating vision into clear priorities, actions, and results.

Benefits of being part of the Ayres team:

• Health, dental, and vision Insurance.
• Short and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and 401K with company match.
• PTO, paid holidays including two floating holidays, and a flexible work schedule.
• Professional development opportunities.

Please note, benefits vary depending on job status. To learn more about our great benefits, visit our website at -ayres-advantage/