Roles We Recruit

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

C-suite roles

The executives who set direction, run operations and shape technology for engineering-led businesses.

CEO / President

Sets strategy, owns the P&L and represents the firm to clients, boards, lenders and owners. Clients look for a leader who can grow revenue without losing delivery quality, keep senior people aligned and earn the respect of technical staff. See our CEO executive search.

How we assess: we test strategic judgment and commercial results through Key Competency Questions, confirm them with verified senior references and match leadership style to your board’s expectations.

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Runs the operating engine: utilization, project controls, resourcing, systems and margin. Clients want someone who can turn growth into repeatable delivery, often during an acquisition, a new office or a change of ownership. See our COO executive search.

How we assess: we look for measurable gains in margin, utilization or delivery, then check them through references and a behavioral assessment of how the candidate decides under pressure.

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Owns technology strategy, platforms and digital delivery, from engineering software and data to cybersecurity. In engineering and infrastructure businesses, the strongest CTOs tie technology investment to project outcomes. See our technology executive search.

How we assess: technical depth, platform and transformation experience, and how clearly the candidate explains technology choices to a non-technical leadership team.

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Runs the firm’s information technology: design and project software, ERP and project accounting, networks, data and cybersecurity. Engineering firms often hire their first CIO as they outgrow an IT manager and face tougher client security requirements. See our CIO executive search.

How we assess: systems delivered and how users adopted them, security leadership examples checked in references, and how well the candidate partners with principals and project leaders.

ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP

VP and director-level engineering roles

Leaders who own technical quality, grow engineering teams and keep complex work on track.

VP of Engineering

Leads the engineering function across disciplines and offices, setting technical standards, staffing plans and quality control. Clients look for a leader who can scale teams, develop principals and control technical risk as the firm grows. Our engineering leadership salary report shows typical pay levels. See our VP of engineering executive search.

How we assess: competency responses on team building and quality systems, a behavioral profile matched to your culture and verified references from credible senior sources.

Director of Engineering

Manages engineering delivery day to day: workload, technical reviews, hiring and mentoring, often with direct client responsibility. Clients want a hands-on leader who is still credible on technical detail but can run a department.

How we assess: we test the balance between technical and management work, review project history in the detailed resume and check delivery record with references.

Director of Civil Engineering

Leads civil design and delivery across site development, transportation, water or public works, usually holding a PE license and responsibility for sealed work. Clients look for technical authority, agency relationships and the ability to win work. See civil engineering recruitment and our VP of civil engineering executive search.

How we assess: we verify PE licensure with the issuing state board, map the candidate’s project portfolio and test client-facing and leadership competencies.

DELIVERY, PRACTICE AND OFFICE LEADERSHIP

Roles that win and deliver the work

The senior people who hold client relationships, run offices and practices, and carry accountability for major projects.

Principal / Principal Engineer

A senior technical and commercial leader, often an owner or partner, who brings in work, holds key client relationships and signs off on technical quality. Clients look for a recognized name who can grow a book of business and mentor the next generation. See our principal engineer executive search.

How we assess: client relationships and business development record, technical standing and licensure, and how the candidate’s ambitions fit your ownership and succession plans.

Project Executive

Holds overall accountability for major projects or a portfolio: contract, budget, schedule, risk and the client relationship. Clients want someone who protects margin and reputation on complex work, from infrastructure programs to large private developments.

How we assess: project values, scope and outcomes checked against the resume and references, plus a behavioral profile showing how the candidate handles risk and conflict.

Program Manager / Program Director

Coordinates a set of related projects, often for a public agency or large owner, managing funding, stakeholders, consultants and reporting. Clients look for structure, clear communication and calm under scrutiny. See infrastructure executive search. For Senior Project Managers and Project Directors, see our engineering project manager and civil engineering project manager executive search pages.

How we assess: program scale and complexity, stakeholder examples in competency responses, and verified references from people who saw the candidate deliver.

Regional / Office Leader

Runs a regional or office P&L: hiring, client development, utilization and local reputation. This hire often opens a new market or rebuilds an office after a departure, so local knowledge and a network matter.

How we assess: Job Location Mapping shows where each candidate is based relative to the office, and we test market knowledge, recruiting ability and commercial results.

Practice / Market Sector Leader

Leads a practice such as transportation, water and wastewater, land development or structural engineering, setting the growth plan and the technical bar for that market. Clients look for sector credibility, client relationships and the ability to build a team.

How we assess: sector track record, pursuit and win history, team building and fit with your wider leadership group.

Operations Manager

Runs day-to-day operations for an office, region or business unit: resourcing, crews and equipment, schedules, utilization and safety. Clients want a practical leader who keeps delivery on track and gives leadership honest reporting. See our operations manager executive search.

How we assess: hands-on delivery record, planning and resourcing examples in competency responses, and references from managers and the teams they led.

Principal Geotechnical Engineer

A senior seller-doer in a geotechnical or geo-structural consultancy who leads investigations, signs and seals foundation and earth retention recommendations, and wins work with structural engineers, contractors and agencies. See our principal geotechnical engineer recruitment.

How we assess: technical judgment on difficult sites, PE licensure (and, in California, GE licensure) verified before shortlisting, and client development checked with references.

Technical Director / Practice Leader (Geotechnics)

Sets the technical standard for a geotechnical practice: methods, QA/QC, peer review and risk, and in practice leader roles the growth plan and P&L. Clients look for recognized technical authority who can also develop principals. See our geotechnical technical director executive search.

How we assess: quality and risk systems built, practice results, and references from firm leaders, clients and the principals they developed.

Other senior appointments

We also recruit Operations Directors, Technical Directors, HSE and quality leaders and senior technology leaders such as Heads of Data and Cybersecurity. For energy and process roles, see oil and gas executive search.

How we assess: every role is assessed against a success profile agreed with you before the search begins, so the standard is set by your business, not by a generic job description.

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER (PE) PROFILE

What a PE license means in a senior hire

A Professional Engineer (PE) is an engineer licensed by one or more US states. The license shows that the engineer has met the state’s education, examination and experience requirements and is held to a standard of competent, ethical practice that protects public health, safety and welfare.

For many senior roles, particularly in civil engineering, the PE is far more than a line on a resume:

• Signing and sealing work: every state reserves the authority to sign and seal engineering plans, and to offer engineering services to the public, for licensed PEs.
• Client trust: a license shows clients and public agencies that a leader has met an independent, state-regulated standard of competence and ethics.
• Leadership: licensure signals readiness for a higher level of responsibility and is often expected of principals, practice leaders and directors of engineering.

Sources: AIChE, Professional Engineering Licensure; NSPE, What is a PE?

THE PATH TO A PE LICENSE

How engineers become licensed

Licensure laws are set by each state, so details vary, but most states follow the same general pattern.

Most states will license an engineer who already holds a license elsewhere without a repeat exam, provided the original state’s standards are at least equal to their own, although the paperwork varies. According to AIChE, most states also require continuing professional development to renew a license, generally around 15 professional development hours a year. Source: AIChE.

Every role, assessed the same way

Whatever the title, every shortlisted candidate goes through RoleDNA™ Mapping, our 8 levels of objective assessment:

Job Location Mapping, Executive Summary, Professional Photo, Candidate Introduction, Key Competency Responses, Behavioral Assessment, Verified References and a Detailed Resume.

Results are scored against the success profile agreed for your role, so you compare candidates like for like. Read how it fits into our retained search process, check market pay in our Engineering Leadership Salary Report 2027 and see what a mis-hire could cost with the Bad Hire Calculator.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which roles do you recruit?

We recruit senior leadership roles paid $150K and above, including CEO and President, COO, CTO, VP of Engineering, Director of Engineering, Director of Civil Engineering, Principal, Project Executive, Program Director, regional and office leaders, and practice or market sector leaders.

Do you only recruit PE-licensed engineers?

No. Many senior roles require a PE license, especially in civil engineering, and we verify it whenever a role does. Other roles, such as COO, CTO or operations leadership, may not need one, and we assess them against the requirements you set.

How do you verify a PE license?

We check the license number, discipline, status and expiration date with the state board that issued it, review public disciplinary records where available, and confirm that the resume and references are consistent with the license record.

Do you work with smaller engineering firms?

Yes. We work with firms of every size, from growing companies to large, established ones, and run a dedicated process for engineering firms under $120M.

What guarantee do you offer?

Every placement carries a 12-month guarantee as standard, extended to 2 years for senior roles. If the person leaves within that period, we find a replacement free of charge, subject to the agreed terms of engagement.

Where do you recruit?

We recruit across the U.S. Our headquarters is at 1221 Brickell Avenue, Suite 900, Miami.

Do you recruit construction executives?

Yes. We recruit senior leaders for contractors, developers and infrastructure organizations, including presidents, operations leaders, project executives, program directors and regional leaders paid $150K and above.

How is executive search different from contingency recruiting?

With contingency recruiting you only pay if you hire a candidate the recruiter sent, and several agencies may be working the same role. Retained executive search is exclusive: we map the market, approach people who are not looking and assess every shortlisted candidate before you meet them.

What does executive search cost?

SHRM describes the industry standard for retained search as about 33% of the role’s annual salary, bonus and signing bonus, and contingency fees as around 20% to 25% of first-year cash compensation. Our fee depends on the role and is agreed with you before the search starts. See how executive search fees work.

How long does a search take?

Most searches take about 4 to 8 weeks from instruction to accepted offer. You’ll typically see a shortlist of fully interviewed and briefed candidates within 2 to 4 weeks, and we send a weekly progress update throughout. Interview dates depend on your team’s and the candidates’ availability, so agreeing on the brief, pay range and interview steps at the start keeps things moving.