Practice Leader-Testing & Inspection

Welcome to Verdantas, where innovation meets sustainability, and your career finds purpose! At Verdantas, we’re redefining environmental consulting and sustainable engineering through our use of cutting-edge modeling and digital technology and our genuine commitment to people. Our work spans high-growth sectors like water resources, resilient land use, energy transformation, and civil infrastructure. Our commitment to excellence, across more than 90 offices, is championed by a team of over 2,000 experts, scientists, engineers, geologists, and technical specialists, embedded in a people-focused culture, prioritizing the well-being of our employees, clients, and the communities we serve. We partner with clients to deliver smart, data-driven solutions to complex environmental and infrastructure challenges. We don’t just solve problems; we help shape a more sustainable future. Join a people-first culture that values your well-being, empowers your growth, and amplifies your impact. At Verdantas, your career goes beyond the expected, and your work helps build a better world. Ready to shape the future of resilient communities? Ready to shape the future of resilient communities? The Role As Practice Leader for Testing & Inspection, you'll have the authority and the accountability to shape how this practice operates, grows, and wins. This role is a blend of operational leadership, creative thinking, business development/strategic growth, and mentorship, requiring a strong technical background. You'll be the person who sets the bar on quality, fills the pipeline, develops the next generation of Testing and Inspection (T&I) professionals, and makes sure our clients never have a reason to look elsewhere. The Practice Leader will be instrumental in growing our market through people development, sustainability, and client engagement. Initially, this Practice Leader will be focused on our Lake Elsinore Testing and Inspection operation. The immediate priority is to improve the quality management system and performance of the Lake Elsinore T&I operations in close partnership with the California delivery team, T&I operational leaders and West region leadership. This is a hands-on leadership assignment. The successful candidate will get close to the work, be present 25%-50% of the time in California, quickly assess current-state operations and help strengthen laboratory throughput, field inspector utilization, scheduling, backlog conversion, reporting discipline, quality systems, client responsiveness, margin performance. In partnership with West leadership, this leader will help define the near-term improvement plan, clarify roles and accountabilities, establish the right operating metrics and build confidence with the local delivery organization. Success in the first six months should be visible through high-quality project performance, stronger ownership, better lab-field coordination, improved utilization, clearer performance visibility and a more repeatable client delivery model. As the Lake Elsinore operating foundation strengthens, the role will expand into a broader West area and national T&I mandate. The leader will use lessons from California to shape Verdantas’ national playbook for labs and field inspection teams, including operating standards, quality systems, commercial practices, talent development, acquisition integration and long-term growth strategy. What You'll Be Doing in Your First Year: Operational Leadership (~40% of your time) •Run the day-to-day of the T&I department — field ops, lab throughput, scheduling, and quality oversight — without losing sight of the bigger picture. •Develop and implement quality control procedures to ensure the accuracy and reliability of all testing results. •Monitor and report on departmental performance metrics; maintain strong knowledge of sales pipeline and hard backlog. •Monitor maintenance of equipment and tools used for testing, ensuring they are properly calibrated and functioning correctly. •Oversee lab Quality Management and accreditations — we're talking AASHTO, Caltrans, AMRL, CCRL, DSA, OSHPD,— and make sure we stay current on all of them. •Manage resource allocation. •Oversee subcontractor relationships, compliance and AP approvals, ensuring proper credentials and procedures are implemented throughout their engagement. Business Development (~20% of your time) •Identify and pursue new business opportunities; build and maintain relationships with clients, stakeholders, and industry partners. Lead proposal development and contract negotiations. Represent Verdantas at industry conferences, seminars, and networking events. •Know your pipeline. Own your pipeline. Whether it's a municipal roadway job or a high-rise with complex special inspection requirements, you'll be the one making sure Verdantas is the first call. •Develop and maintain relationships with clients and partners to promote the services of the T&I department. Mentorship & Technical Leadership (~25% of your time) •Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff and project teams. Foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development. •Be the person your personnel come to when a field situation gets complicated — and have the depth to back it up. •Stay current with industry/emerging trends, regulations, and best practices, with communication to the team. •Support and shape the company's people-focused culture by promoting inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration — reinforcing positive workplace values and encouraging teamwork and cross-functional collaboration. Senior Review / Project Management (~15% of your time) •Provide senior review and quality control of daily and final reports. This role may require project management of special projects that demand dealing with key sustaining clients or new clients. What You Bring: •Minimum of 15+ years of experience in construction materials testing, with at least 5 years in leadership or management role. •Hands-on fluency with construction materials testing and special inspection scopes — you've been in the field, you know what it takes, and your team will respect you for it. •Relevant certifications, current or prior — ACI, NICET, Caltrans ICC, AWS/CWI, or ASNT credentials are a big plus. •Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Proven track record in operational management and business development in the A/E industry. •Strong understanding of industry standards and regulations related to construction materials testing. •Ability to create, implement, and execute a strategic growth plan. •Experience managing lab accreditation programs (AASHTO, USACE, AMRL, DSA, OSHPD) •Familiarity with Verdantas end markets: buildings, power, infrastructure, transportation, and government. Salary Range: $190,000-$225,000 Benefits:

• Flexible Work Environment
• Paid Parental Leave
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Paid Time Off + Holidays Verdantas strives to develop new ways to increase diversity awareness within our organization. We recruit and reward our employees based on capability and performance — regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion, or physical ability. For us, it is imperative to build balanced teams from all walks of life and we believe that a diverse workforce is a stronger workforce. Verdantas is an EOE race/color/religion/sex/sexual orientation/gender identity/national origin/disability/vet