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Discipline Director - Structural Engineering (Finance)



The Discipline Director of Structural Engineering will report to the to the firm's Chief Operating Officer (COO), this role will partner with other disciplines, the firm's office directors and others (i.e., market directors, Core of Excellence, H2M corporate administration groups). The Discipline Director (DD) will develop and implement plans and strategies that will ensure a cohesive approach to workflows, work sharing, standardization, and quality assurance/control for the Structural Engineering discipline in all offices the discipline operates in.

The Structural DD will be responsible for operational leadership and play a vital role in the strategic planning and financial performance of their discipline in any H2M office. The Structural DD is expected to work closely with office directors, market directors, and H2M's executive team to realize the firm's business plan goals, and partner with office and market directors to create a well-balanced organizational shape with the proper ratio of junior, mid-level, and senior staff. The DD is expected to participate in managing the balance between staff development/engagement versus financial performance.

The Structural DD will exhibit a tactical focus on achieving the firm's strategy and goals. This will involve partnering with office directors and monitoring progress towards achieving specific goals and will also be responsible to assert themselves in their discipline's active management and containment of risk (i.e., quality, client service, scope creep, A/R).

As a firm that relies on the concept of mutual or shared leadership, The Structural Engineering Discipline Director is expected to have a specific focus in the following areas:

• Fundamental Skills & Practices- As a professional services firm, the product we provide to our clients is the technical expertise we possess and the time we devote to their projects to make them successful. To accomplish our own goals related to quality and financial performance, it is important to consistently reinforce and drive the importance of several basic elements of our business throughout the discipline. Among these elements are employee utilization, the importance of routine engagement of experienced leadership on projects, skills related to proposal preparation and contract management, the importance of managing scope, client management, and the importance of A/R management.
Financial Management- Responsible for the overall financial performance of the Structural Engineering discipline, which includes setting, managing, and achieving annual revenue and profit goals and staff utilization expectations/goals, and optimizing performance through the proper management of staff. This includes coordination with H2M market and office directors, H2M corporate administration groups, and the executive team. Also, directs, reviews, and approves scopes/budgets and schedules; recommends allocation of resources as required to accomplish goals and meet expectations.
Staff Development- In this role you will be fully engaged with their direct reports and others (i.e., HR, Learning & Development, Risk Management, The Core of Excellence, office, and market directors, etc.) to ensure all staff members are being provided with adequate training and education opportunities to allow them to fulfill their roles with competence and to continue their professional growth and development. Ensure all activities are occurring as part of Growth Map/Goal Setting and assist Department Managers in determining where improvements are needed. As the person with the broadest view in the discipline, DDs are responsible to work with others to identify "high performers" and drive the concept of engagement within the discipline. Work with HR Business Partners to ensure recruitment goals are met and staff are mentored properly.
Teambuilding- Seize opportunities to connect people in every way possible, including intra-discipline, inter-discipline, discipline/markets, disciplines/offices, discipline/corporate administration group (i.e., Accounting, Finance, HR, IT, Facilities, Risk Management, Marketing, Core of Excellence, etc.). It is expected that the DD will proactively eliminate disconnects throughout the organization that can impede performance within their discipline. A few examples include: disconnects between people (either intra- or inter-office); disconnects where company policies need to be reinforced, refined, or re-thought; disconnects in workflows and practices that could negatively impact our ability to produce H2M quality work efficiently or make proper use of sharing work between architectural disciplines or offices.
Problem Solving- In dealing with the operations of H2M disciplines, the DD will encounter situations daily that do not necessarily have simple/concise answers. It is important to understand and prioritize issues as they arise and assess who needs to be informed, involved, and responsible. As DD it is important to include and maintain total engagement until an issue is satisfactorily resolved. For situations where consensus cannot be reached on a given issue, the discipline directors must have the ability to elevate conversations by engaging with the proper member(s) of H2M's executive team (i.e., regional office director, chief operating officer, principal market director, CFO or CHRO) as applicable, until the situation is resolved.
Vision- Work with market directors, office directors and H2M executive team to ensure total corporate alignment of the vision for the discipline is in line with the mission, vision and core values of the firm.

This role must have a thorough understanding of the operations and guiding principles of the firm, including H2M's collective market and discipline capabilities, keys to our financial success, how to move things through the H2M system, be responsible to pass this information along to senior discipline personnel (and others) in the form of guidance and assistance that will raise the level of awareness of those that may not have previously been exposed to some aspect of our business. In raising the awareness of others, and to emphasize the need to "drive issues to conclusion" and maintain accountability.

The Structural Engineering Discipline Director is also expected to maintain a strong technical commitment to his/her group and retain project and client-related responsibilities. Recognizing the void that is created as one elevates to assume a leadership position in a discipline, DD is expected to maintain a sharp focus in this area and support those that can benefit from your technical knowledge and experience.

It is each Discipline Director's responsibility to optimize financial performance in their discipline through proper engagement with staff, H2M market and office leadership, H2M corporate administration groups, and the executive team.

Job Responsibilities:

General Responsibilities:

  • • Develop and implement annual discipline business plan in partnership with markets, offices, and executive team.
  • • Ensure discipline standards, practices, policies, and procedures including quality control and standardization are aligned with corporate standards of performance (Core of Excellence) and are properly implemented and administered.
  • • Ensure the discipline is well connected in all offices where it is active and implement necessary communications protocols to maintain connection.
  • • Work with office directors to identify areas of improvement which may be needed in discipline operations in offices other than your home office, and work with appropriate office director to propose corrective actions, if necessary.
  • • Coordinate with H2M's corporate administration groups (i.e., HR, IT, Facilities, Marketing, BD, Accounting, Finance, and Risk Management, Core of Excellence) to implement and manage the various procedures and initiatives of those departments.
  • • Influence and drive H2M Growth Map process within the discipline by ensuring proper face time between supervisors and staff. Maintain connection with HR to ensure timely completion of required steps.
  • • Provide positive energy and promote a sense of "team" amongst office staff that is consistent with H2M mission, vision, and core values.
  • • Work with offices to develop appropriate work sharing plan.
  • • Participate in regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with COO to share formal and informal information about the discipline, discuss specific issues and track the status of performance and development goals.

Market-Related Responsibilities:

  • • Develop a general understanding of all H2M markets; work with market directors and executive leadership to determine goals for your discipline in each market. Partner with market directors regarding marketing, BD strategy and growth of markets appropriate for your discipline. Provide input regarding need of special skills or staffing.
  • • Communicate and meet regularly with market directors. Provide market intelligence where possible, to assist in understanding local market conditions, forecasts, and concerns.
  • • Coordinate with and support market directors in client networking, identifying potential clients and identifying potential teaming/partnering firms.
  • • Support markets in representing the firm at local political, social, or networking events.

Office-Related Responsibilities:

  • • Partner with office directors and others to fulfill goals of annual business plan by participating in recruiting/interviewing/hiring process.
  • • Assist in the integration of new hires and help them make necessary connections throughout the firm. Provide corporate mentoring and guidance. Work with office leadership to ensure proper mentoring is made available to achieve and maintain technical competency.
  • • Proactively identify and resolve performance and/or other issues with staff. Partner with office leadership to create performance improvement plan, where appropriate.
  • • Work with the office directors and technical managers to establish and evaluate employee goals, provide mentoring and training, and ensure utilization goals are met.
  • • Communicate/meet regularly with office and market directors.
  • • Monitor staff workload and utilization. Communicate with office and executive leadership on a regular basis to discuss issues, concerns, etc.
  • • Partner with other discipline directors and office directors to efficiently share resources to the benefit of H2M's overall performance.

Key Personal Traits/Characteristics:

  • Ability to work with people from all corners of the company to identify and evaluate issues and ensure timely implementation of workable solutions.
  • Possess a steadfast commitment to H2M's core values and an ability to insist on the same from others.
  • Must be fiscally responsible for the team.
  • Ability and willingness to analyze situations where there may be apparent competing interests and provide direction and guidance that is in the overall best interest of the firm. Also, ability to require others behave similarly.
  • Knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of our business (i.e., operations, markets, corporate administration groups), how they interact with each other, and depend on each other.
  • Ability and willingness to over-communicate important messages.
  • Must possess a "Finisher" and "Problem Solver" mentality.
  • Ability to work with people with different perspectives and/or frames of reference.
  • Comfortable implementing the concept of shared responsibility.
  • Ability to work with H2M executive team to establish metrics and hold others accountable.
  • Willingness to maintain a high level of accessibility.
  • Ability to point others in the right direction without always burying oneself in the minutiae.
  • Comfortable being put in uncomfortable situations.

Education and Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in civil or Structural Engineering and P.E.
  • Must have minimum 15 years of technical civil/structural expertise with strong knowledge of structural engineering principles and practices. Must have at least 5 years demonstrated senior leadership experience in an engineering consulting industry.
  • Strong business development/client management skills coupled with an ability/potential to cultivate existing and new clients and expand business relationships and opportunities.
  • Demonstrating experience leading and developing an engineering team at various levels; strong ability to motivate, grow and engage staff.
  • Exceptional communication presentation skills.
  • Hard-working self-motivated person with an entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Relevant knowledge of structural engineering technical programs (AutoCAD, etc.)

"H2M is a strong collaborative workplace where people and ideas are always treated with respect. I am encouraged to develop, and I love that I am constantly learning new things and skills" Employee testimonial.

our staff

We're passionate about our work, dedicated to our clients, and committed to our legacy. We emphasize collaboration and community involvement and promote sustainability in our practice, ensuring that the right projects are developed with minimal impact on the environment. Our integrated approach to design incorporates the diverse voices and visions of our staff into every project. Through mentoring, peer reviews, and professional development opportunities, employees at every level are offered the opportunity to share best practices and gain new experiences.

our approach
Since our early roots, our focus has remained steadfast: to provide quality service with sound judgment and to serve as an honest professional resource to our clients. With a dedicated, responsive staff and multiple service offerings under one roof, we blend "can-do" with "can-be," developing real, workable solutions with a dose of innovation. Our diverse in-house expertise reduces the need for sub-consultants and ensures that our architects and engineers develop a comprehensive understanding of every project.

Our integrated approach to design incorporates the diverse voices and visions of our staff into every project. Through mentoring, peer reviews, and professional development opportunities, employees at every level are offered the opportunity to share best practices and gain new experiences.

We offer a comprehensive benefit package including medical/dental/vision insurance with HSA & FSA, life and LTD insurance, 401(k) with matching contributions, annual bonus, tuition reimbursement, and excellent professional development program.

www.h2m.com

EOE/M/F/D/V

Other details

  • Job Family Engineering
  • Pay Type Salary
  • Min Hiring Rate $170,000.00
  • Max Hiring Rate $200,000.00

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