Civil Engineering Lead

Job Description

Civil Engineering Lead

Business Development | Technical Leadership | Auckland

An opportunity to establish and grow a civil engineering business.

We are working with an established international engineering consultancy looking to appoint an experienced Civil Engineering Lead to establish and develop its civil engineering presence in New Zealand.

This is a senior appointment offering considerable autonomy, influence and the opportunity to shape the future direction of a growing engineering discipline.

The business has established technical resources and delivery capabilities internationally and is now looking for someone with the technical credibility, commercial understanding and industry relationships to develop its New Zealand civil engineering operation.

The initial focus will be on business development, client engagement and securing a sustainable pipeline of work, with the opportunity to build a local engineering team as the business grows.

The appointment is planned for 2027.

The Opportunity

This position will suit an experienced Principal Engineer, Technical Director or Civil Engineering Leader who enjoys developing business, building relationships and identifying opportunities.

You will become the senior representative for the civil engineering discipline in New Zealand, responsible for establishing its market presence and driving its growth.

The Role Will Involve

• Developing and implementing a civil engineering business development strategy
• Identifying and securing new clients and project opportunities
• Leveraging existing professional networks and industry relationships
• Building relationships with developers, architects, project managers and other consultants
• Representing the civil engineering business in client meetings, proposals and industry engagements
• Leading fee proposals, tender submissions and commercial negotiations
• Identifying opportunities across commercial, industrial, institutional and infrastructure developments
• Providing technical leadership and oversight across civil engineering projects
• Coordinating project delivery with established engineering and design resources
• Managing client expectations, project performance and commercial outcomes
• Developing a sustainable pipeline of work to support future recruitment
• Building and leading a local civil engineering team as the business develops

Technical Background

• The civil engineering work will cover a broad range of infrastructure associated with development projects, including:
• Site civil engineering and infrastructure design
• Stormwater management and drainage
• Water supply and wastewater infrastructure
• Earthworks and site development
• Access roads, car parking and pavement design
• Underground services and utilities
• External infrastructure and associated civil works
• Civil engineering coordination across multidisciplinary projects
• The successful candidate will need sufficient technical depth to understand project requirements, develop solutions, provide technical direction and confidently represent the business to clients.

What We Are Looking For

We Are Particularly Interested In Candidates Who Can Demonstrate

• A relevant Civil Engineering qualification
• Ideally 1220+ years consulting engineering experience
• Strong technical experience across civil infrastructure and development projects
• A proven track record of generating new business and securing engineering projects
• Established industry relationships and a strong professional network
• Experience developing client accounts and maintaining long-term relationships
• The ability to identify opportunities, prepare proposals and negotiate fees
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of project profitability
• Experience providing technical leadership and overseeing project delivery
• Confidence representing an engineering business at a senior level
• The ambition and ability to establish and grow an engineering team
• CPEng registration would be highly regarded.

Business development experience is essential.We are looking for someone who has successfully developed client relationships and converted opportunities into projects, rather than someone who has only supported business development activities.

Candidates who can introduce existing client relationships or demonstrate an established pipeline of potential opportunities will be of particular interest.

Building the Team

The initial focus will be on establishing the business, securing projects and developing a sustainable workload.

Engineering and design resources are already available to support project delivery during this period.

As the pipeline develops, the intention is to recruit and grow the local team of engineers, potentially within the first 12 months or sooner if business growth supports it.

This provides the opportunity to build a team around the workload, rather than inherit an existing structure.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Establish and lead a civil engineering operation in New Zealand
• Significant autonomy and influence over business development and growth
• Access to established engineering and design delivery resources
• Opportunity to develop your own client portfolio
• Build and shape a local engineering team
• Work across a diverse range of development and infrastructure projects
• Long-term leadership and career development opportunities
• Competitive remuneration reflecting experience and commercial capability

Interested in Finding Out More?

This opportunity will appeal to an experienced civil engineering professional who has reached a point in their career where they want greater influence over business direction, client relationships and team development.

If you have the technical background, industry connections and proven business development ability to establish and grow a civil engineering business, we would welcome a confidential conversation.

Qualifications

Washington Accord Degree

Why Is This a Great Opportunity

• Establish and lead a civil engineering operation in New Zealand
• Significant autonomy and influence over business development and growth
• Access to established engineering and design delivery resources
• Opportunity to develop your own client portfolio
• Build and shape a local engineering team
• Work across a diverse range of development and infrastructure projects
• Long-term leadership and career development opportunities
• Competitive remuneration reflecting experience and commercial capability