Section Manager - Environmental Engineering (Upper Midwest)
burns mcdonnellSioux Falls (SD)
Section Manager - Environmental Engineering (Upper Midwest)
Posted today
burns mcdonnellSioux Falls (SD)
SENIORITY
Manager
About the role
Description:
Environmental challenges facing industrial, utility, commercial, and government clients are increasingly complex – and addressing them requires experienced leaders who can combine technical excellence, project strategy, client partnership, and business growth. Burns & McDonnell is seeking a Section Manager to help expand and deliver Environmental Engineering services across the Upper Midwest Region. As a Section Manager, you will be a key leader in developing new business, delivering high-quality environmental engineering projects, and guiding multidisciplinary teams. You will influence strategy, support client development, and set the tone for exceptional project execution in markets including industrial facilities, utilities, commercial, and local government agencies. Burns & McDonnell is a 100% employee-owned firm with a long legacy of delivering sustainable environmental solutions. You'll have access to a network of more than 12,500 professionals across engineering, environmental, and construction disciplines – along with a culture that rewards initiative, collaboration, and an ownership mindset.
What You'll Do:
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients across sectors including oil/gas/chemical, utility, industrial, and local government clients.
- Identify, pursue, and win environmental engineering opportunities that align with regional and national strategies.
- Lead proposal development, client interview preparation, and overall capture planning.
- Stay informed on market drivers, client needs, regulatory changes, and emerging trends in environmental engineering.
- Lead planning, design, permitting, and implementation of environmental engineering projects.
- Serve as the technical and strategic advisor for project teams, reviewing key deliverables and guiding technical approaches.
- Oversee scope, schedule, budget, and quality to ensure projects meet or exceed client expectations.
- Provide day-to-day leadership for multidisciplinary internal teams and subcontractors.
- Commit to safety being the number one priority and follow Burns & McDonnell's Live Safer approach
- Mentor project engineers and emerging PMs through coaching, work direction, and knowledge sharing.
- Manage project financials, including fee development, forecasting, margin performance, and risk management.
- Contribute to annual sales planning and business strategy for the Environmental Engineering practice.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Environmental, Civil or Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
Minimum 5 years of related professional experience.
Demonstrated experience with environmental engineering projects for oil/gas/chemical, utility, industrial, or municipal clients.
Understanding of regional permitting frameworks, environmental regulations, and compliance programs.
Strong skills in client engagement, project delivery, and multidisciplinary team leadership.
Exceptional communication, coordination, and problem-solving capabilities.
Professional Engineer (PE) registration (preferred).Experience leading environmental engineering projects across markets.
Proven business development track record, including client and regulatory agency relationships within the Upper Midwest region.
Experience directing environmental consulting teams or collaborating with construction groups. EEO/Disabled/Veterans Job Field: Environmental Engineering
Job Type: Experienced
Schedule: Full-time
Travel: Yes, 25 % of the Time
Before you apply
Applying takes about a minute. These four things decide how fast it moves after that.
Your profile is current
It's what we read first. Occupations, seniority and locations matter more than a long history.
Two examples you can talk through
Not a portfolio — just two pieces of work where you can explain the decisions and what you'd change.
A number in mind
What you're on now and what would make you move. We negotiate better when we know both.
Your notice period
Employers plan around it, and it's the question that stalls offers most often.
Once you apply, someone reads it and calls you before anything reaches the employer — usually within two working days.