Department Manager | Geotechnical Services - Charlotte

Job Description

Job Description

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Reports To: Charlotte Branch Manager

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

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 Geotechnical Services Department in the Charlotte metropolitan area. This senior leader will oversee technical and operational performance, staff development, project delivery, financial results, and client service while partnering with the Charlotte Branch Manager and business development team to grow the practice. The role offers an experienced engineering 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; Master's degree with a geotechnical emphasis preferred.

• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.

• Typically 8+ years of progressive experience in geotechnical or geostructural engineering consulting, including project management and increasing responsibility for technical delivery and staff leadership.

• Demonstrated expertise in subsurface exploration, geotechnical analysis, design recommendations, construction support, and geotechnical risk management; knowledge of Charlotte-area geology and subsurface and construction conditions is preferred.

• 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 quality, consistency, accountability, efficiency, and profitability.

• Oversee geotechnical projects from scoping through subsurface exploration, analysis, reporting, and construction support, ensuring appropriate staffing, technical approach, schedule, budget, and client communication.

• Plan and coordinate subsurface exploration programs, including drilling, sampling, laboratory testing, field personnel, subcontractors, and schedules.

• Lead QA/QC, review proposals and technical deliverables, and serve as final reviewer where authorized.

• Provide technical leadership during design and construction and ensure clients and project teams receive timely support in resolving complex geotechnical challenges.

Staffing & Talent Management

• Assess staffing needs and lead recruiting and candidate selection in collaboration with Human Resources and BLE leadership.

• Develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing team through clear expectations, coaching, performance management, professional development, and succession planning.

Financial Management

• 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, 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 aspects of major pursuits, proposals, interviews, scopes, fees, risk evaluation, and project-team selection.

• 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.

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days | Establish

• Learn BLE’s standards, systems, technical resources, and Charlotte strategy while establishing strong working relationships across the firm.

• Assess immediate staffing, technical, exploration, laboratory, and project-delivery needs; develop a practical implementation plan and begin assuming departmental responsibility.

First 6 Months | Build

• Establish the team, workflows, technical standards, QA/QC processes, and operational capacity needed to deliver geotechnical projects efficiently.

• 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 geotechnical department that delivers well-planned explorations, sound recommendations, timely reports, responsive service, 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 appropriate technical qualifications, training, and capacity to support continued growth.

Long-Term | Grow

• Build a scalable, profitable, and highly regarded Charlotte geotechnical 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 geotechnical and project-delivery resource within the Charlotte market.

Work Environment

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 geotechnical 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.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, dental, life, and short- and long-term disability insurance

• 401(K) with partial company matching.

• Paid vacation, sick leave, and eight holidays

• Vehicle allowance (conditions apply)