What are the responsibilities and job description for the Project Executive - Land Planning Market position at Gresham Smith?
Our Land Planning market follows a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates the combined expertise of civil engineers, landscape architects, planners, and surveyors. We excel at projects both large and small in scale—whether it’s creating site plans for a development, designing public spaces and bike/pedestrian paths, or incorporating green, low-impact features that help improve a community’s quality of life. We invite you to join us!
We are seeking a visionary and entrepreneurial Project Executive to lead and expand our Civil and Landscape Architecture practice. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of our land planning services, foster long-lasting client relationships, and build a comprehensive portfolio of impactful projects across our national footprint.
The successful candidate will lead with a growth mindset, guide high-performing multidisciplinary teams, and drive market strategy through deep industry connections and a people-first approach.
Responsibilities:
Culture & Team Excellence
- Lead and mentor high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.
- Communicate consistently with direct reports, peers, market leadership, and internal clients to ensure alignment and transparency.
- Actively participate in professional organizations and community engagement initiatives to build industry presence.
- Model and reinforce Gresham Smith’s core values of integrity, teamwork, respect, and commitment in every client and team interaction.
- Support workforce development and individual growth through coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback.
Project Success
- Lead strategic and technical efforts across a broad portfolio of land planning projects, including master-planned communities, commercial developments, urban infill, campus design, parks, streetscapes, and high-performance green infrastructure.
- Ensure consistent, high-quality deliverables in alignment with firm-wide practice standards and client expectations.
- Lead internal staffing and resource planning to align with project demands and long-term business goals.
- Encourage innovation, cross-collaboration, and resiliency in project delivery.
Business Strategy & Client Success
- Identify and pursue strategic business development opportunities in Middle Tennessee and surrounding regions, with flexibility to support broader geographic pursuits.
- Build, manage, and deepen relationships with public and private sector clients - developers, municipalities, and institutions - to drive repeat business.
- Lead contract negotiations, establish project fees, and ensure financial success aligned with market and firmwide profitability goals.
- Collaborate across internal markets to leverage multi-disciplinary strengths.
- Advise project teams from concept to completion, ensuring successful outcomes based on schedule, budget, client satisfaction, and quality metrics.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, or related discipline.
- 10 years of industry experience, including leadership of land planning projects and teams.
- Proven track record of client relationship development and successful business strategy execution.
- Professional licensure or certification preferred (PE, PLA, AICP, or similar).
- Passion for leadership and mentoring, with the ability to engage effectively across diverse personalities and communication styles to build strong, collaborative relationships.
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate. Everyone is invited to apply.
Gresham Smith will not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, headhunters, contract recruiters, search firms, or employment agencies. An executed GRESHAM PLACEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT (PSA) is required prior to any payment obligation for either a referral or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously executed PSA, GRESHAM SMITH explicitly reserves the right to recruit and hire those candidate(s) at its discretion, and without any financial obligation whatsoever to the recruiter or agency. Any such unsolicited resume or candidate contact information, including those submitted directly to GRESHAM SMITH’S hiring managers or any other employee, shall become the property of GRESHAM SMITH upon receipt.