Director of Operations, Structural Forensics & Investigations (Licensed PE)

Department: Forensics

Location: The Colony, TX (hybrid)

Lerch Bates is seeking an entrepreneurial, technically accomplished Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) to lead and grow our Structural Forensics practice.

This is a unique opportunity for a hands-on leader who enjoys solving complex structural failures, investigating building performance issues, mentoring technical professionals, and helping clients understand and address some of their most challenging building and infrastructure problems.

As Director of Operations, you will provide both the business leadership and technical direction for a growing team of forensic consultants and engineers. You will oversee project delivery, team development, client relationships, operational performance, and strategic growth while remaining actively engaged in forensic investigations, failure analysis, expert consulting, rehabilitation recommendations, and litigation support projects.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with proven leadership capability, strong client relationship skills, and a passion for developing both people and business opportunities.

About Lerch Bates:

Lerch Bates (LB) is a global technical consulting firm focused on improving how buildings perform for owners, designers, and the people who use them every day. For more than 75 years we’ve partnered on some of the world’s most complex and high-profile projects. Today we provide Total Building Performance expertise that integrates Building Science and Building Flow into a unified delivery model.

Our work spans design, construction, investigation, repair, rehabilitation, management, and modernization with one consistent goal: helping clients make confident, well-informed decisions in an increasingly complex built environment.

We are 100% employee-owned through our ESOP. That means when the company succeeds, our employee-owners share in that success. It's more than a retirement benefit—it's an ownership mindset backed by the opportunity to build long-term financial value while helping shape the future of the company. 

What You’ll Do:

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed in this position. They are not intended to prescribe or restrict the assignments that management may make.

Technical Leadership & Forensic Consulting

• Lead complex forensic investigations involving structural failures, construction defects, building movement, settlement, water intrusion impacts, storm damage, material deterioration, and other building performance issues.
• Direct field investigations, condition assessments, failure analyses, and root-cause evaluations.
• Review structural designs, construction documents, field observations, testing results, and investigative findings.
• Develop technical conclusions, repair recommendations, rehabilitation strategies, and corrective action plans.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor on high-profile and technically complex projects.
• Provide technical review of forensic reports, engineering analyses, and expert opinions.
• Support litigation matters, insurance investigations, dispute resolution efforts, and expert witness services when required.
• Remain actively involved in project execution and technical consulting activities.

Business Development & Client Relationships

• Serve as a trusted advisor to building owners, attorneys, insurers, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, and other industry stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain long-term client relationships through exceptional service and technical expertise.
• Identify opportunities to expand services and support additional client needs.
• Participate in networking, business development, industry involvement, and client engagement activities.
• Lead client presentations, project interviews, and technical discussions.
• Support proposal development and pursuit strategies for new opportunities.

Strategy & Practice Growth

• Help shape the strategic direction and continued growth of the Structural Forensics practice.
• Monitor market trends, industry developments, regulatory changes, and emerging risks that may impact clients and business opportunities.
• Participate in annual business planning, including growth initiatives, staffing plans, training programs, and revenue objectives.
• Support forecasting, business performance tracking, and operational planning.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, profitability, and client service.

Operations & Project Delivery

• Oversee project execution across a diverse portfolio of forensic consulting engagements.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Coordinate team workloads to achieve utilization, revenue, and performance objectives.
• Maintain quality standards across all technical deliverables.
• Review project documentation to ensure consistency, technical accuracy, and client satisfaction.
• Monitor project financial performance, including forecasting, backlog management, invoicing, and revenue tracking.
• Support proposal development through technical expertise, project planning, and staffing recommendations.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of forensic engineers, consultants, and technical professionals.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance discussions, and career development planning.
• Provide coaching on forensic investigations, client management, project leadership, and technical consulting.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning efforts.
• Serve as a role model and trusted resource for team members.

What You’ll Bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 10 years of experience in forensic engineering, structural engineering, failure analysis, rehabilitation consulting, building investigations, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing client relationships.
• Strong knowledge of structural systems, building construction, engineering principles, and construction practices.
• Experience conducting structural investigations, condition assessments, failure analyses, and developing repair recommendations.
• Proven leadership experience with responsibility for team development, project delivery, business operations, and strategic planning.
• Strong financial, project management, and operational planning capabilities.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with clients, colleagues, and industry stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Structural Engineer (SE) license.
• Experience serving as an expert witness or supporting litigation matters.
• Experience with insurance investigations, property loss assessments, and construction defect claims.
• Experience mentoring and developing technical professionals.
• Established industry relationships and business development experience.
• Additional professional certifications relevant to forensic engineering or structural consulting.

Why Work with Lerch Bates?

• Competitive base salary of $140,000 - $165,000 per year, based on experience, qualifications, and location
• Annual performance-based bonus opportunity, with target incentive levels varying by position and based on individual and company performance.
• 100% Employee-Owned ESOP (company-funded retirement benefit that allows eligible employees to share in the company's long-term success)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off (starting at 17 days annually)
• 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) with 6% employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement
• Employee assistance and wellness programs

Become an Employee-Owner

One of the biggest advantages of working at Lerch Bates is that we are 100% employee-owned through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Unlike many companies that offer only a salary and retirement plan, eligible employees receive company-funded ESOP shares at no cost to them as part of their long-term retirement benefits.

As Lerch Bates grows, employee-owners share in the company's success. For many employees, the ESOP becomes one of the most valuable financial benefits of their career by helping build meaningful long-term wealth in addition to their salary and traditional 401(k).

When you join Lerch Bates, you are not just building better buildings. You also have the opportunity to build your financial future alongside the company's success.

Core Values

Ownership • Community • Integrity • Respect • Optimism

Working Environment:

This position is performed in a combination of office, remote, client, and field environments. Regular travel to project sites is required and may include commercial buildings, occupied facilities, active construction sites, industrial locations, rooftops, and other environments where building evaluations, testing, or construction observations are performed. Work may occur indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, climb stairs and ladders, and navigate active construction sites and existing buildings. Employees may be required to access rooftops, traverse uneven terrain, work at elevated heights, and enter confined or restricted spaces as project conditions require. Frequent use of computers, keyboards, measuring equipment, and handheld devices is required.

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of equipment and materials weighing up to 40 pounds may be required. Employees must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, gloves, safety footwear, hearing protection, and fall protection when applicable.

Travel by automobile and occasional air travel may be required.

Mental Demands:

This position requires strong analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills. Employees must be able to interpret construction documents, building codes, technical specifications, engineering data, and field observations while exercising sound professional judgment.

The role requires managing multiple projects, balancing competing priorities, meeting deadlines, and adapting to changing project conditions. Effective written and verbal communication, technical report writing, client presentations, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and attention to detail are essential.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check and drug test. The drug test includes screening for marijuana, regardless of state or local laws permitting its use. A conditional offer of employment will be rescinded if a candidate fails either the background check or the drug test. This requirement is mandated by federal regulations applicable to our government contracting obligations.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Salary : $140,000 - $165,000