Transportation Client Development Director

Transportation Client Development Director

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee‑owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore for projects across our communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong in 21 offices across California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast United States.

We are seeking a motivated and experienced Transportation Client Development Director for California to join our team. This senior leadership role will be instrumental in driving growth, fostering client relationships, and delivering innovative transportation solutions across California. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in transportation planning, engineering, or management, coupled with proven leadership and business development success. This position works on a hybrid schedule based out of any of our California offices (San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Petaluma, Los Angeles, Irvine, Pasadena, and/or San Diego) at least 1–2 days per week.

The Client Development Director is a senior position focused on business and client development for a designated market and target region. Responsibilities include providing leadership in regional business development; supporting development of and executing on annual regional growth plans; driving regional client identification and strategy to add new clients to ESA’s portfolio and deepen existing relationships; leading key pursuits and project acquisition activities;

and identifying, mentoring, and supporting key client service managers. This role requires the ability to foster a high level of cross‑functional collaboration across ESA. The Client Development Director collaborates with Practice Leaders, Regional Directors, and Business Group Directors, among others, in driving firmwide client relationship management, business development and project acquisition activities. The position reports to ESA’s Transportation Market Leader.

The position will lead comprehensive, strategic business development for the transportation market and develop and lead transportation market growth across California.

• Technical & Professional Expertise
  • Provides high‑level leadership and visibility representing the firm with clients, especially in the Transportation market.
  • Actively participates in regional and national professional associations, conferences, and networking activities to identify and cultivate new clients, markets, hires, and/or M&A opportunities.
  • May serve as a Project Director and/or senior technical advisor on the most complex, unique, and/or large projects and/or for key clients within the market.
  • When necessary, oversees or directs project‑related work for major, highly complex projects and programs.
  • Communicates effectively on complex issues and/or high visibility projects to clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders, and the general public.
• Diversity, Inclusion + Belonging
  • Demonstrates equitable and inclusive ways of working with others, treating others with respect, empathy, and dignity.
  • Participates in diversity, inclusion and belonging‑focused learning activities to increase self‑awareness and applies concepts.
  • Identifies opportunities to increase the participation of others, particularly underrepresented colleagues, on projects, and/or amplifies their ideas in meetings and discussions.
  • Looks for and contributes to opportunities that increase team diversity through outreach.
  • Leads and/or participates in community or ESA‑sponsored diversity impact projects.
  • Cultivates and fosters collaboration and teaming with traditionally disadvantaged business enterprises to meet client needs and have a positive social impact.
• Project & Fiscal Responsibility
  • Drives execution of the annual strategic growth and client development action plan to achieve regional growth and development goals in support of ESA’s 5‑year Strategic Plan.
  • Teams with Regional Business Group Directors, Regional Directors, and Practice Leaders to balance growth with improved profitability across the region.
• Client Relationship and Business Development &…