Board Director Executive Search for Engineering Firms

BOARD DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Directors who make your board stronger, not just bigger

We run board director executive search for engineering and civil engineering firms across the U.S., both executive and independent directors. That could be a founder-led consultancy adding its first outside director, an employee-owned firm building a more independent board, or a contractor getting ready for investment, a sale or a change of leadership.

We work with firms of every size. Whether your board is two partners around a conference table or a formal board with committees, the search starts with one question: what does your board need that it doesn’t have today? Our For Clients page explains how our recruitment process works.

What a board director does in an engineering business

A board director doesn’t run projects or manage staff. The job is to oversee the people who do. In an engineering firm, that means approving strategy, testing the big bets (a new market, an acquisition, a move into design-build), holding the CEO to account and making sure risk is understood before it shows up in the numbers.

Engineering and civil firms carry risks that many other businesses don’t. Professional liability, fixed-price contracts, bonding capacity and safety all land on the board’s desk sooner or later. A director who has dealt with those problems before knows which questions to ask, and when.

There is often a specific reason behind the search, such as an ownership transition, a first outside investor or a CEO succession. We agree that reason with you up front, because it changes who we look for.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

What we look for in a board director

Board experience matters, but it isn’t the whole story. We focus on four things.

Judgment you can test

We look for people who can show decisions they shaped as a director or senior executive, and what happened next. Good directors talk about the times they pushed back, not only the wins.

The right risk experience

Someone who understands contract risk, professional liability and project-based cash flow is worth more to an engineering board than a big name from an unrelated industry.

Independence

An outside director has to be able to disagree with the founder or CEO. We check how candidates have handled conflict with owners, and we ask the people who sat beside them.

Time to do the job

Board seats are part-time, but the work isn’t light. We confirm candidates have room for meetings, committees and the occasional crisis, and that their other roles don’t conflict with yours.

How RoleDNA™ Mapping assesses a board candidate

Every shortlisted candidate goes through RoleDNA™ Mapping, our own assessment process. For board searches, the Behavioral Assessment is especially useful. It uses the McQuaig Word Survey, matched to a role profile we build with your chair or CEO, so you can see how a candidate is likely to act in the boardroom: whether they challenge, how they handle pressure and how they work with a strong-minded founder.

You also get written answers to key competency questions, a short introduction video, verified references and a detailed resume, all scored against the profile and shared in an online client dashboard you can open at any time. Read more about RoleDNA™ Mapping.

Two interviewers meeting a smiling candidate across a desk in a bright office

RESULTS

The track record behind every board search

98%

Fill rate

of the searches we take on end with a candidate placed.

96%

12-month retention

of the candidates we place are still in their role after 12 months.

12/24

Free replacement

months of cover: 12 as standard, extended to 24 (2 years) for senior roles.

Every placement is backed by our 12-month free replacement guarantee, 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. How our guarantee works.

LOCATIONS

Board searches across the U.S.

We run board searches from our Miami headquarters and recruit directors nationwide. See our pages for Miami, Tampa, Dallas, Houston and Austin.

If you are hiring the person who runs the business day to day, see managing director executive search. For finance and other senior support roles, see functional head executive search.

Board director recruitment: FAQs

Do you recruit independent directors as well as executive directors?

Yes, we recruit both. An independent director usually makes the most sense once the business has grown past the point where the owners can oversee everything themselves.

Does a board director need an engineering background?

Not always. Some boards need a seasoned engineer. Others need finance, legal or M&A experience from someone who understands project-based businesses. We look at the gaps on your current board before we decide.

How confidential is a board search?

Very. Board changes can unsettle staff, clients and lenders, so we approach candidates discreetly and only share names with the people you approve.

CONTACT US

Thinking about adding to your board?

Tell us what’s changing in your business and what your board is missing, and we’ll tell you honestly whether a search makes sense. Complete the form, or contact us directly, and a partner will be in touch.

Headquarters: Alexander Executive Search, 1221 Brickell Ave, Suite 900, Miami, FL 33131.

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