Discipline Leader - Utility Design Engineering

Overview Colliers Engineering & Design is seeking a senior consulting leader to guide, grow, and strengthen our Utility Design Engineering (UDE) discipline in Columbus, Ohio. This role is built for a high-level industry professional with technical credibility, established client relationships, strong operational discipline, and the ability to expand fiber design services in existing and new markets. Candidates must be located within a commutable distance to our Columbus, OH office. Are you energized by building teams, winning work, strengthening client relationships, and shaping a growing practice? As the Discipline Leader, you will help drive the strategy, performance, and continued expansion of Colliers Engineering & Design’s fiber utility design practice across existing and emerging markets. This is an opportunity for a proven consulting leader with technical credibility, strong operational instincts, and established industry relationships to make a meaningful impact. You will work closely with clients, partners, industry groups, and internal leaders to build trust, pursue new opportunities, and position Colliers Engineering & Design as a go-to provider for fiber and utility design solutions. This role goes well beyond technical oversight. It is a chance to lead a scalable business, mentor managers and technical staff, drive project delivery and financial performance, and help define the next chapter of growth for a discipline that supports the infrastructure powering communities for years to come. Responsibilities Strategic Leadership and Discipline Growth Lead the UDE fiber discipline with overall accountability for financial performance, quality, client satisfaction, productivity, operational consistency, and long-term growth. Develop and execute a clear growth strategy for fiber utility design services in existing markets while identifying and opening new geographic and client markets. Establish the vision, priorities, standards, and leadership structure needed to scale the discipline across multiple offices and regions. Business Development and Market Expansion Serve as a senior seller-doer and visible industry leader for UDE fiber services. Develop, maintain, and expand relationships with broadband providers, utilities, municipalities, public agencies, developers, contractors, and strategic teaming partners. Identify and pursue opportunities in fiber design, FTTx, middle mile, OSP & ISP fiber design, utility coordination, road moves, make-ready, permitting, GIS-supported workflows, and related infrastructure services. Represent CED at industry conferences, client meetings, association events, and regional market development activities. Coordinate with internal business development, marketing, and technical leaders to help execute UDE growth. Technical and Project Delivery Leadership Provide senior-level oversight and practical technical leadership for fiber utility design projects. Ensure design delivery aligns with client requirements, jurisdictional standards, permitting requirements, project budgets, schedules, scope expectations, and quality standards. Support teams delivering FTTx, middle mile, OSP fiber design, utility coordination, road move, make-ready, permitting, GIS-based design support, and related infrastructure services. Establish and maintain technical standards, QA/QC expectations, project initiation practices, documentation requirements, project handoff packages, and change management practices. Provide senior review and guidance on scope, fee, schedule, staffing, contract, and delivery risk before issues impact profitability or client satisfaction. Collaborate with internal groups to deliver complete fiber infrastructure solutions. Operational and Financial Management Drive discipline performance through strong financial management, project controls, utilization oversight, revenue forecasting, backlog review, billing discipline, and collections awareness. Monitor project performance, profitability, budget adherence, work in progress, aged unbilled revenue, accounts receivable, write-offs, staffing levels, and resource allocation. Team Development and Leadership Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain high-performing UDE fiber professionals across multiple offices and markets. Develop and support all UDE staff. Build scalable training, cross-training, role progression, and succession planning programs that support growth and retention. Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, safety, business awareness, and consistent communication. Collaboration, Compliance, and Safety Ensure discipline compliance with company policies, procedures, health and safety requirements, contract review procedures, and standard operating practices. Partner with safety leadership and the Discipline Safety Coordinator to reinforce safe work practices for office and field activities. Travel regularly to CED offices, client locations, project sites, and industry events to support leadership, business development, staff engagement, and client growth. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, planning, GIS, telecommunications infrastructure, or a related technical field. 15+ years of progressive experience in fiber utility design, utility infrastructure, broadband, OSP, FTTx, middle mile, permitting, make-ready, utility relocation, or related consulting services. Significant leadership experience within an engineering, utility, broadband, infrastructure, or multidisciplinary consulting firm. Demonstrated success leading teams across multiple offices, geographies, or service lines. Established reputation and relationships within the broadband, fiber, utility, municipal, contractor, or infrastructure design markets. Strong business development background with the ability to build relationships, win work, expand accounts, and enter new markets. Proven understanding of project financials, utilization, backlog, billing, collections, forecasting, proposal development, contracts, and profitability. Experience developing scalable processes, technical standards, QA/QC practices, project delivery workflows, and staff development programs. Ability to communicate effectively. Willingness to travel regularly to Colliers Engineering & Design offices, client/project locations, and industry events. Ability to read, write, and understand English for purposes of comprehending written job-related communications and verbal instructions and interactions. Preferred Professional Engineer (PE) license or other relevant professional credential. Experience leading a fiber design practice, utility design group, or related infrastructure service line. Experience with public and private broadband programs, municipal utility coordination, grant-funded broadband work, public agency permitting, DOT and railroad permitting, and utility relocation programs. Familiarity with GIS-based design and delivery workflows, project tracking systems, workload dashboards, design standards, and scalable documentation tools. Ability to support growth across multiple regions, including established and new geographic markets. Experience evaluating client and project profitability, renegotiating scope or pricing, and improving underperforming workstreams. Experience recruiting, mentoring, training, and developing all staff. What We Offer At Colliers Engineering & Design, our people are our most important resource. That’s why we are committed to providing all our employees with a safe, comfortable work environment, potential for career advancement, and the ability to impact society through their projects as well as Company sponsored activities. This dedication begins with supporting a work life balance through a generous compensation package that includes: company paid medical, dental, and vision coverage; paid pregnancy disability leave; short- and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; a company-matched 401(k)/Roth; paid time off that includes parental and military leave; employee referral and professional license bonuses and a straight time policy that compensates exempt employees for billable hours worked in excess of 40 billable hours within a work week. We have also created an internal culture that provides the resources and technology needed to encourage personal and professional growth opportunities through reimbursement for education; a free in-house resource for hundreds of educational and self-enrichment courses; mentorship program; wellness program; Women’s Organization and ongoing philanthropic opportunities. #J-18808-Ljbffr HILGARTWILSON, LLC