North America Sector Leader - Biosolids

The North America Sector Leader (SL) is a key part of Water’s business leadership, guiding the technical practice of a key area of service to the water industry. Our Sector Leaders direct our work with technical rigor, an innovative spirit, and a vision for solving the world’s greatest water challenges. In this leadership role, you can apply your passion for technical excellence and innovation, lead and develop top talent, and lend your voice to our collaborative leadership culture that empowers our people to redefine what’s possible.  

Stantec’s Biosolids sector focuses on delivering innovative, sustainable, and regulatory-compliant solutions for the management, treatment, and beneficial reuse of biosolids while helping clients manage risk and uncertainty. Leveraging deep expertise in engineering, environmental science, and resource recovery, the team partners with municipalities, utilities, contractors, and private operators to transform wastewater residuals into valuable resources.

Our approach integrates advanced treatment technologies—such as anaerobic digestion with thermal hydrolysis, thermal drying, and gasification—with circular water economy principles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource recovery, and minimize environmental impact. From strategic planning and feasibility studies to collaborative delivery, detailed design, construction support, and operational optimization, Stantec provides end-to-end services tailored to each client’s needs.

By combining technical excellence with a commitment to community and environmental stewardship, Stantec helps clients turn complex biosolids challenges into opportunities for renewable energy generation, soil enhancement, and long-term sustainability with practical solutions.

Sector Leaders leverage their knowledge of industry drivers and trends to strategically grow our technical capabilities and differentiate Stantec among our peers.  

Sector Leaders lead a community of practice that fosters knowledge transfer, encourages innovation, and connects subject matter experts to pursuits and projects that inspire our people and transform the industry.  

The Sector Leader helps recruit exceptional team members and cultivates the development of up-and-coming experts and leaders in their field. The Sector Leader also supports business development and growth by engaging directly with key clients in North America and beyond, creating technical differentiators for our pursuits, and establishing a strong industry brand and presence.  

The Sector Leader is responsible for elevating Stantec's brand and thought leadership in the industry by participating in marquee professional conferences, publishing technical papers, conducting webinars and podcasts, cultivating partnerships with academia, and acting as an ambassador for Stantec.  

The Sector Leader reports to the Water Growth Business Leader (GL) and regularly collaborates with Regional Business Leaders (RBL), Regional Growth Leaders (RGL), Delivery Center and Regional Delivery Leaders (DL/RDL), Regional Sector Leaders (RSL), the Innovation Leader, and account managers to grow the capability and capacity of their sector across all regions in North America.  

PRIMARY FOCUS AREAS  

Community of Practice – Lead and develop a community of practice that is invigorated to share knowledge and leverage subject matter experts to position, win, deliver, and innovate in the sector. Attract and recruit top talent to Stantec and proactively develop our team within the sector through mentorship, coaching and career development.  

Strategy and Brand – Maintain knowledge of sector-related industry drivers and trends, regulations, and technologies across North America and globally. Use this knowledge to (1) identify and prioritize opportunities to support our clients with emerging challenges; (2) strategically grow our technical capabilities and people resources to meet client needs; and (3) foster a strong industry brand that differentiates Stantec among our peers. Implement branding strategies to promote Stantec and the sector in the industry; take on leadership roles in national and international professional organizations; and manage effective conference participation within the sector by our practitioners to maximize Stantec’s brand presence.  

Delivering Excellence – Recruit and retain a distributed team of exceptional sector professionals, across all career levels and geographies. Connect sector practitioners with project managers and delivery experts across applicable disciplines to plan and deliver thoughtful, high quality, innovative, and practical solutions. Work with Delivery leaders and Water’s Innovation Leader to support the development of digital delivery tools, innovative approaches, and new technologies.  

Positioning and Pursuit – Collaborate with regional growth leaders and account managers to (1) develop relationships with key clients and increase client awareness of our capabilities, (2) connect internal subject matter experts and project technical leads to strategic pursuits, and (3) develop winning technical approaches, and (4) identify new project opportunities related to priority sector growth areas. 

Key qualifications and experience typical of the Sector Leader role include the following:

• Ability to lead and inspire teams with a strong commitment to meeting goals and upholding Stantec’s values: we put people first; we are better together; we do what is right; and we are driven to achieve
• Experienced and visible industry leader in delivering complex biosolids projects who is knowledgeable of sector technical strategies. Technical proficiency recognized as being at the highest level of technical skills within their field, a thought leader with practical experience.
• Thinks strategically and proactively about the range of market, business, and/or economic issues likely to impact the sector. Develops strategies to get in front of market trends and capitalize on opportunities to grow our capabilities within the sector.
• Champions new ideas and initiatives and creates an environment that supports innovation. Leads the development and implementation of emerging technologies and approaches within the sector.
• Skilled in collaborating with other technical disciplines to bring added value to projects.  
• Located in North America (United States or Canada)  
• Ability to travel throughout North America and globally.  

Education and Experience

• 20 years of experience leading technical delivery of biosolids and wastewater treatment projects, or an equivalent combination of education (e.g., advanced degree) and experience.
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering, or a related field, from an accredited institution. Master’s or PhD degree, preferred.
• Professional licensure or willing to obtain licensure within one year in state of residency. 

Communities everywhere share the need for clean water. And as they work to meet that need, they’re facing new, more complex challenges every day. Our water professionals collaborate to contribute innovative ideas, guided by scientific rigor and a vision for sustainable growth. Every day, we’re helping communities improve, reuse, and protect our world’s most precious resource.

Join our team to deliver transformational projects that will benefit future generations. Grow with us, H2O+U.