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Principal | Mechanical or Electrical Engineering​

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Location: Bay Area/South Bay/Peninsula region in California, to support ColeBreit Engineering’s California offices in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Napa, CA. 

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Are You Ready to Help Lead and Grow an Engineering Firm?

ColeBreit has built a strong foundation, and we believe our next chapter depends on the depth and quality of our leadership. We are adding an experienced Principal who can strengthen client relationships, grow our Northern California portfolio, and develop capable teams through strong project leadership. 

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As a Principal at ColeBreit Engineering, you will help lead the firm through quarterly Principal meetings and serve in the Project Executive (PX) seat. Your primary responsibility will be retaining and growing an assigned portfolio of ColeBreit clients and ensuring successful project outcomes. You will oversee technical quality, project performance, financial outcomes, and risk, while helping project managers and discipline leads grow their capabilities. You will also build relationships with prospective clients and pursue new work in partnership with our Business Development team. 

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This role balances engaged project oversight with proactive client and business development. You will work across disciplines and offices, partnering with project managers who lead day-to-day delivery and Team Leads who manage and develop their discipline teams. You will inherit a strong platform, but not a finished one: an established team and client base, with room to strengthen how we work and help shape what comes next. We are looking for a leader who wants to strengthen what works, help solve what does not, and build lasting relationships and leadership depth at ColeBreit and within our industry. 

 

​Do you -

 

LEAD CLIENTS AND PROJECTS WITH SOUND JUDGEMENT

You can see the full picture, anticipate issues, set clear expectations, and guide clients and project teams through complex decisions. You balance technical quality, client needs, project economics, and risk without losing sight of what successful project delivery requires. 

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BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST

You invest in client relationships beyond the work immediately in front of you. You understand what matters to clients, identify opportunities to help them, and build trust that leads to long-term partnerships.

 

​DEVELOP PEOPLE AND CREATE LEADERSHIP DEPTH

You give people meaningful responsibility, set clear expectations, provide candid feedback, and help others grow. You know that strong leadership is not about doing everything yourself. It is about building capable teams that can deliver excellent work without unnecessary dependence on any one person.

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RAISE THE STANDARD

You bring strong technical judgment, follow through on commitments, and address problems directly. You are willing to challenge existing practices, improve how work gets done, and help turn good ideas into consistent execution.

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LEAD WITH LOW EGO AND HIGH ACCOUNTABILITY

You collaborate openly, listen well, and put the success of the client, team, and company ahead of personal ownership or recognition. You take responsibility for the things within your control, communicate candidly, and help solve problems rather than working around them.  

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WHAT SUCCESS COULD LOOK LIKE

Within the first 90 days: 

  • Develop a strong understanding of ColeBreit's vision, values, EOS operating structure, project delivery standards, and leadership expectations. 

  • Build trusted relationships with ColeBreit's Principals, Project Executives, discipline leaders, project managers, and technical teams. 

  • Learn our Northern California client base, active projects, target markets, and business development pipeline. 

  • Develop a clear understanding of the Project Executive seat and its accountability for client satisfaction, project performance, financial results, and risk. 

  • Assume Project Executive responsibility for an initial portfolio of clients and projects during the first 90 days, with a coordinated handoff of client relationships and project oversight. 

3-6 months:

  • Demonstrate effective ownership of the assigned client and project portfolio, with established client relationships, clear team expectations, and active oversight of project performance. 

  • Establish regular communication with clients outside immediate project needs and develop a clear understanding of their businesses, priorities, and upcoming opportunities. 

  • Guide project managers and technical teams by establishing clear expectations, monitoring project performance, and addressing issues before they become larger problems. 

  • Provide senior judgment related to scope, fees, contracts, staffing, technical quality, project risk, and client strategy. 

  • In partnership with the Business Development team, establish a focused client development plan that prioritizes retention and growth of assigned accounts and identifies new-client pursuits. 

  • Contribute actively to Project Executive meetings, quarterly Principal meetings in Bend, EOS priorities, and company-level decisions. 

6-12 months:  

  • Demonstrate accountability for the overall performance of an established portfolio of clients and projects. 

  • Strengthen existing client relationships and create opportunities for repeat and cross-disciplinary work. 

  • Expand ColeBreit's presence and reputation within targeted Northern California markets. 

  • Contribute to a healthy pipeline of well-aligned opportunities and successful project pursuits. 

  • Improve project financial performance, client satisfaction, and risk management across the assigned portfolio. 

  • Build leadership depth by helping project managers and technical leaders take on greater responsibility. 

  • Make a measurable contribution to ColeBreit's strategic priorities and long-term resilience. 

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EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: 

  • Bachelor's Degree in mechanical or electrical engineering or related field (as appropriate for position).  

  • PE registration in the State of California (or another state with the ability to obtain registration in California).  

  • 15+ years of experience in MEP consulting engineering.  

  • Proven track record of technical leadership in large-scale engineering projects.   

  • 5+ years of experience leading project teams and mentoring others, including demonstrated ability to delegate effectively and develop others’ judgment.   

  • Strong understanding of building codes, regulations, and industry standards.   

  • Demonstrated success overseeing multidisciplinary project portfolios, including client relationships, financial performance, and risk. 

  • Excellent organizational and time management skills and the ability to prioritize in a changing environment.  

  • Must be organized, flexible, independent, and self-motivated, enthusiastic, dependable, detail oriented.  

  • Ability to foster a collaborative work environment and lead team efforts by promoting cooperation, commitment, and accountability within the team to achieve short- and long-range team goals in line with the company's mission, vision, and values.   

  • Ability to develop and maintain appropriate relationships with superiors, peers, colleagues, clients, and vendors.  

  • Proficient written and verbal communication skills, including accurate grammar and business correspondence knowledge.   

  • Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 

  • Proven record of team leadership. 

  • Demonstrated success retaining and growing client relationships and winning new work in the AEC industry. 

  • Willingness to use and assist in creating business enabling AI tools.  

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COMPANY BENEFITS INCLUDE: 

  • The compensation range is $180,000 - $230,000 annually, commensurate with experience, qualifications, market relationships, and the scope of leadership responsibility.

  • Health: Medical, Dental, Vision | Gym stipend 

  • Well-Being: Hybrid work policy for in-office team members | 5 weeks of PTO | Paid holidays + additional holiday week by year end 

  • Financial Wellness: Safe Harbor 401(k) with employer matching | Student loan repayment | Dependent care FSA matching | Profit-sharing opportunities | Cell phone stipend 

  • For the right long-term leader, this position may also provide a path to future ownership in ColeBreit. 

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WHO WE ARE: 

ColeBreit is a woman-owned MEP engineering firm serving clients across the West Coast. Since 2013, we have built a multidisciplinary team and a strong portfolio of civic, healthcare, K-12, multifamily, and luxury residential work. 

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We combine the opportunity and personal influence of a smaller firm with the systems, resources, and client relationships of an established company. We use EOS to create clarity around our priorities, roles, accountability, and execution. Our growth is deliberate, and we are working toward a company that becomes more resilient and capable as it grows. 

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As a Principal, you will have a voice in ColeBreit’s direction through quarterly Principal meetings and the opportunity to make a visible difference through the clients, projects, and people you help succeed. We want someone who takes pride in excellent engineering, builds relationships that last, and helps others become capable of taking on more.

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Our Core Values: Driven to Perform. Want to Grow. Team First (No Jerks Allowed).   

What sets ColeBreit apart is our people-first culture and commitment to creating a supportive, team-oriented workplace:  

Team-First Approach | Client-Focused Leadership | Community and Connection | Work-Life Balance | Growth Opportunities 

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