Vertical Practice Director

Responsibilities

This position requires leading Brasfield & Gorrie’s structural engineering practice as a business unit. The Vertical Practice Director is responsible for the overall performance of the practice, including staffing across six offices, hiring ahead of growth, allocating work across projects, and building the operational relationships that ensure engineering solutions are effectively executed in the field.

This position is well suited for a senior leader who can operate with strong technical credibility while focusing day to day on people, capacity, and operations. The Vertical Practice Director works closely with regional operations and preconstruction leadership, as well as the Director of Engineering, to align engineering resources with business needs and set the strategy for the practice over the next five years. This is leadership of a practice, not leadership of individual projects. The Vertical Technical Director, a separate role, owns the technical infrastructure for the practice.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties include the following (other duties may be assigned):

• Lead the structural engineering practice as a business unit, with accountability for performance, staffing, and operational execution across six offices
• Align engineering resources with project and business needs, ensuring appropriate staffing levels and capabilities across the practice
• Allocate work across projects and offices to balance workload, support delivery, and position the practice for growth
• Hire senior engineers ahead of projected demand and support long-term workforce planning for the practice
• Provide day-to-day leadership of the engineering team, including staff development, coaching, and performance management
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with regional operations and preconstruction leadership to ensure engineering work is practical, constructible, and aligned with field needs
• Partner with the Director of Engineering to support department-wide initiatives and overall engineering strategy
• Establish and drive the strategic direction of the vertical practice, including setting priorities and goals for the next five years
• Support practice-level decision-making related to staffing, organizational structure, and long-term growth
• Ensure engineering resources are effectively deployed to meet schedule, quality, and business objectives
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, responsiveness, and continuous improvement across the practice
• Support coordination across offices and teams to maintain consistency in execution and alignment with department priorities
• Provide leadership and informed judgment on practice-related operational issues, using technical credibility to influence engineers and business partners
• Work in close partnership with the Vertical Technical Director to ensure strong alignment between technical capability and operational execution

What Sets This Role Apart

• Opportunity to lead Brasfield & Gorrie’s structural engineering practice as a business unit rather than as a project-specific leadership role
• Direct influence on staffing, hiring strategy, workload allocation, and long-term growth across six offices
• High visibility and close partnership with regional operations, preconstruction, and engineering leadership
• Meaningful impact on how engineering work is deployed, supported, and executed in the field
• Ability to shape the next five years of strategy for the vertical practice
• A leadership role centered on people, capacity, and operations, while still requiring the technical credibility to lead engineers effectively

Education - Skills - Knowledge - Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or related field
• 15+ years of engineering and design experience
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required
• Structural Engineer (SE) license preferred
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams, staffing functions, and operational execution
• Proven ability to lead an engineering practice or similarly complex business unit environment
• Strong technical credibility and ability to engage meaningfully with engineering work
• Strong understanding of project execution, construction processes, and engineering integration with operations and preconstruction
• Experience allocating resources across multiple offices, projects, or business needs
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to build trust and alignment across engineering, operations, and preconstruction teams
• Ability to manage competing priorities while planning for long-term growth and organizational needs

Position Characteristics

• Serves as the leader of the vertical structural engineering practice
• Accountable for staffing, workload management, and operational performance across the practice
• Functions as a business unit leader focused on people, capacity, and execution
• Builds and maintains the relationships that ensure engineering work is successfully implemented in the field
• Operates with strong technical credibility, while not owning the technical infrastructure of the practice
• Influences both day-to-day execution and long-term strategic direction of the practice
• Works with a high level of independence, judgment, and accountability

The above description covers the principal duties and responsibilities of the job. The description shall not, however, be construed as a complete listing of all miscellaneous, incidental, or similar duties which may be required from day to day. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.