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Purple Squirrel Advisors · 23 hours ago

Vice President of Engineering

Wixom, MI

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

10+ years exp

Purple Squirrel Advisors is a growing civil engineering firm seeking a Vice President of Engineering/Chief Operating Officer to lead and optimize their operations. This role focuses on executive leadership, overseeing engineering and business operations, driving efficiencies, and supporting strategic growth initiatives.

Staffing & Recruiting

Hiring Manager

Meaghan Brown

Responsibilities

Partner closely with ownership and senior leadership on staffing strategy, workload planning, and responsible growth pacing

Help optimize utilization, project flow, and handoffs across engineering, surveying, and field services

Evaluate and improve internal processes, particularly within engineering, where systems and workflows are improving but still evolving

Support forecasting, analytics, and financial discipline including capture rates, billable versus non-billable time, pricing strategy, and margin improvement

Represent the firm in planning commission meetings, public hearings, and homeowner or community forums

Confidently address objections, manage public sentiment, and proactively anticipate stakeholder concerns

Support business development efforts by strengthening relationships with developers, builders, municipalities, and strategic partners

Contribute to executive discussions around long-term growth, service expansion, and potential acquisitions

Help ensure engineering capacity scales in line with demand without sacrificing quality, culture, or profitability

Provide technical leadership and mentorship to senior engineers, project managers, and EITs who are still developing full project ownership capability

Qualification

Leadership in civil engineeringOperational optimizationClient relationship managementProfessional Engineer licenseAutoCAD Civil 3DAdvanced Excel proficiencyPublic speakingCommunication skillsTeam-first attitude

Required

Proven leadership experience in civil engineering or closely related land development services, with responsibility for project delivery, team performance, and profitability

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field

Professional Engineer license strongly preferred

10-15+ years of experience in a civil engineering, land development, or land surveying environment

Advanced proficiency in Excel

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Polished, confident communicator with executive presence, comfortable presenting projects in public forums, handling homeowner and community questions, and serving as a key face of the firm with municipalities and clients

Demonstrated success managing and growing client relationships with developers, builders, and/or commercial clients, and comfort representing the firm in municipal settings such as planning commissions and public meetings

Excellent communication and client-facing skills, demonstrating a team-first attitude and the ability to work closely with senior leadership and external stakeholders, confidently representing the firm in planning commission meetings, public hearings, and homeowner forums