Central Virginia Water Leader (Associate Vice President)

Job Description We’re Growing Water  – and we’re looking for our next Senior Water Leader in Richmond, Virginia. Dewberry is seeking a  Central Virginia Water Leader (Associate Vice President) to provide day-to-day leadership for our Richmond office and serve as a strategic partner to the Mid-Atlantic Water (MA Water) Business Unit Manager (BUM). This role offers a rare opportunity to lead a high-performing, well-established team while shaping the next phase of growth for Dewberry's water practice in Central Virginia. This role is ideal for a senior water/wastewater leader who is ready to take ownership of a high-performing operation. We are seeking a proven leader who enjoys balancing strategy, people leadership, and client engagement. This is a key leadership position, contributing to growth and delivery of water and wastewater projects for premier municipal clients in Central Virginia. The successful candidate will collaborate across MA Water offices in Baltimore, Fairfax, Richmond, and Virginia Beach and will be supported by Dewberry's National Water Market strategy, top-notch marketing and capture teams, a deep technical team with water/wastewater expertise, and proven local project delivery teams. This role requires a strong understanding of water markets, clients, and procurement environments, as well as the ability to align local opportunities with national capabilities. National, MA Water, and Local Support Structure This role is fully supported through a multi‑level delivery and growth model , including: National Water Market Support Enterprise-level business development and capture planning National pursuit positioning and opportunity tracking Access to deep technical subject matter experts across water and wastewater disciplines Technical delivery support for complex projects Alignment with national market trends and investment priorities MA Water Collaboration Strategic alignment and coordination across MA Water offices Shared resources and technical expertise across Baltimore, Fairfax, Richmond, and Virginia Beach Local Richmond Team Support Established local project management and project delivery teams Day-to-day execution support for municipal projects Strong local technical and operational foundation Dewberry is a leading, market-facing professional services firm with more than 60 locations and 2,500 professionals nationwide. What sets us apart from our competitors is our people. At Dewberry, we seek out exceptional talent and strive to deliver the highest quality of services to our clients. Whether you’re an experienced professional or a new graduate, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with the best and brightest and work on innovative and complex projects at the forefront of the industry. Our commitment to excellence stems from our personal integrity and from other defining attributes, which we call “Dewberry at Work,” that have inspired our employees to be successful for more than a half-century. Responsibilities The Central Virginia Water Leader serves as a trusted partner and leadership extension of the BUM , helping translate strategy into execution while maintaining strong operational and leadership presence within the Richmond Office. This role is intentionally structured to provide: Local leadership and execution responsibility in Richmond Strategic collaboration with MA Water leadership National Water Market support for business development and technical delivery Strong local project management and delivery teams to support execution Key Responsibilities: Branch Leadership and Operational Support – Richmond Assist the BUM with day-to-day leadership of the Richmond Office water/wastewater practice. Provide oversight and guidance to project managers, engineers, and technical staff. Support workload planning, staffing coordination, and delivery execution. Promote quality control, consistency, and adherence to company standards. Mentor and develop staff and emerging leaders within the branch. Serve as a visible and accessible leader in the Richmond office. Client and Market Leadership – Central Virginia Serve as a primary or secondary client manager for key municipal water and wastewater clients. Build and maintain trusted relationships with public-sector agencies. Support development and execution of client action plans and capture strategies. Represent Dewberry in regional water industry and professional organizations. Business Development and Marketing Support Support the BUM in identifying, tracking, and pursuing new business opportunities. Lead or contribute to proposal efforts, including technical approach, scope development, and pricing input. Collaborate closely with enterprise marketing, capture, and pursuit teams. Assist in implementing branch-level and MA Water business development plans aligned with national strategy. MA Water Strategic Collaboration Support MA Water strategy and coordination across offices in Baltimore, Fairfax, Richmond, and Virginia Beach. Assist with identification of long-lead opportunities and early positioning. Encourage work sharing and effective leveraging of staff and subject matter experts across offices. Participate in MA Water planning and coordination initiatives within the National Water Market framework. Project, Technical, and Advisory Leadership Provide senior oversight for medium to large water and wastewater infrastructure and treatment projects. Serve as Project Principal, Senior Advisor, or Peer Reviewer as appropriate. Support delivery teams working on conveyance, pumping, storage, and treatment projects. Help ensure projects meet scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client expectations. Required Skills & Required Experience Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline required; Master’s degree preferred. Virginia Professional Engineer (PE) license required. Mini