Group Manager - Stormwater​/Capital Improvement Projects; CIP

Established more than 35 years ago in Charlotte, NC, at ESP Associates, Inc., we help communities manage water effectively. We are seeking an established Water Resources professional with a passion for Stormwater and Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). This position can work from a variety of ESP office locations including Fort Mill, SC;
Charleston, SC;
Huntersville, NC;
Morrisville, NC; and Wilmington, NC. This individual will be at the helm of overall staffing, supervision, management, and growth of the practice.

As a leader contributing to employee development and management of departmental activity, this individual will ultimately be responsible for:

• Managing clients and undertaking business development activities,
• Preparation of proposals/ contracts, and
• Representing ESP and client(s) in public settings.

• Establish, lead and grow the Water Resources team in the Wilmington, NC office.
• Partnering with Clients to perform planning studies and a variety of modeling approaches associated with municipal water resources projects.
• Prepare and review statements of qualifications.
• Management of design development, preparation and/or administration of the contract documents, cost estimates, agency correspondence, client relations, staff supervision and mentoring. Exciting projects include Municipal Stormwater Studies, Municipal Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), LOMR/CLOMR (FEMA Map Revisions), Greenway Design, Municipal Embedded Staff Augmentation, Stormwater Drainage Master Plans, Stream Mitigation, Grant Support Services, Water / Sewer Planning and Design, and other similar projects.
• Building the team and overall growth of the group.
• Presentations to Public officials, selection committees, and public engagement.
• Business development and marketing of clients including networking, active participation in professional development forums, presenting work to professional organizations, writing proposals, and maintaining budgets and backlog reporting for projected work.
• Project contract preparation, invoicing, and financial reporting.

• Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering(BSCE) or related engineering degree.
• Professional Engineer (PE) Registration in North Carolina.
• 10+ years of professional engineering design and project management experience.
• A strong background in Stormwater and Capital Improvement Projects.
• Excellent financial management skills.
• Demonstrated experience working in a multidisciplinary environment with the ability to adjust to project priorities and requests of multiple clients.
• Experience working with local codes, ordinances and public agency standards related to Stormwater and Capital Improvement Projects.
• Strong business development skills along with knowledge of the local market.
• Strong collaborator and presenter in front of boards and Councils for multiple project types.
• Ability to liaise with public sector clients, maintain client relationships, manage projects and mentor staff.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership and communication skills that will allow you to effectively and professionally interact with clients, government officials and the public.
• Experience with developing and following a formalized QA/QC program.
• Candidate must be able to pass a drug screen, background check, and have a satisfactory driving record in accordance with the company’s driving (MVR) policy.

ESP is a multi-discipline engineering design and consulting firm providing our clients with civil engineering, surveying, planning/landscape architecture, geosciences, environmental, subsurface utility engineering, and construction engineering inspection.

Through years of dedicated service to our clients, ESP has received a designation of 186 on the 2026 ENR Top 500 Design Firm rankings. For the firm’s primary territory, the ENR Texas & Southeast Top Design Firms, ESP received a 2026 ranking of 53.

ESP offers an excellent employee benefits package including:

• Competitive compensation with yearly performance reviews and discretionary annual bonuses
• 401(k) (Traditional & Roth plans) with a guaranteed employer match of 100% up to the first 3% and 50% on the next 2% (eligibility after 60 days)
• PTO (Paid Time Off) & 10 Paid Holidays
• VTO (Volunteer Time Off) of 4 hours each year (prorated during first year based on hire date)
• Tiered Health, Vision & Dental Insurance Options (eligibility after 30 days)
• Behavioral Medicine through Teladoc
• Short-Term Disability Insurance (Employer paid)