NW Business Development Leader-Aviation

ESA seeks a dynamic and experienced Business Development Leader to join our leadership team in the Northwest region. This role will provide strategic leadership for our Airports Market in the Northwest and support ESA’s national growth. The ideal candidate will have a blend of client and business development skills, project management expertise, and a passion for driving market growth. This position will be based out of our Seattle office. 

Who You Are

• You are a confident, approachable leader with 15 or more years of relevant professional experience who thrives on building long-term relationships with clients and colleagues.
• You value people and enjoy providing strategic advice and technical support to clients and professional mentorship to colleagues.
• You are a recognized expert in the aviation industry and have experience working on a variety of environmental projects in the aviation sector in the Pacific Northwest. You are highly skilled at implementing FAA and state regulatory guidance, preparing environmental documents; and effectively working with the FAA and Airport Sponsors on project implementation strategies. You are a creative problem solver that can adapt quickly to changes or challenges and identify a constructive path forward.
• You seek out ways to make meaningful contributions to the careers of others through staff supervision or participation in mentoring and training programs. You enjoy leading, mentoring, and growing staff by working collaboratively with them, clients, and interdisciplinary teams to help them deliver projects on time and within budget.
• You are a collaborative communicator, who maintains high standards and sets a respectful, positive example for others. You have prepared business, strategic or capture plans, and have comprehensive knowledge of project management, financial management, and industry best practices.
• You are committed to diversity and inclusion and recognize that our differences contribute to our success.
• You hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree in environmental, engineering, aviation or a related field.

What You Will Do for ESA

• Serve as the Northwest Region market sub lead, collaborating with the Market Leader (ML) and Business Group Directors (BGDs) to develop a regional growth strategy.
• Lead business development efforts to secure new projects, expand the client base, and build long-term partnerships.
• Cultivate and maintain strong client relationships with airport operators, public agencies, teaming partners, and private developers.
• Collaborate with marketing and proposal teams to create compelling proposals and presentations.
• Actively participate in the Airports Senior Manager team and Airports Market Development Team to advance regional and national market initiatives.
• Promote industry leadership through conference speaking opportunities, articles, and blogs.
• Identify and recruit key staff to support market growth.
• Serve as the key client manager and strategic advisor on regulatory/permitting/NEPA compliance for regional and national clients.
• Manage and support regional and national Airports projects, leveraging resources effectively.
• Ensure proactive project management, risk management, and quality control principles are implemented to optimize client service and project performance.
• Mentor and train staff to build client service and business development capacity.
• Coordinate with ESA’s senior NEPA practitioners to share expertise and elevate ESA’s NEPA profile.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, equity, diversity, inclusion, and continual learning.
• Leverage biological services experience to support non-aviation key client projects and initiatives.

What’s Special About ESA

Joining ESA means becoming part of a close-knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places.

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you AND your family), annual allocations of company shares through our ESOP, a 401(k) plan with company match, annual performance-based bonuses, and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few.

We also provide specific programs whether you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee-owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.

Who We Are 

We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients. 

In accordance with ESA’s duty and responsibility to provide and maintain a safe workplace that is free of known hazards and to minimize the exposure to potential hazards, any employee who works from an ESA office or conducts any other in-person ESA work-related activity is required to submit their proof of vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and accommodation in states which this applies. 

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D)