About McElhanney
Based in Western Canada for over 110 years, McElhanney offers innovative and practical engineering, surveying, mapping, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services. As a 100% employee-owned and operated firm, with over 1,500 staff members in 31 locations, we are proud to offer qualified staff with shareholding options in our company. At McElhanney, we work in teams to build strong connections with our staff, clients, and local communities. Our employees enjoy working here because of our varied projects, high levels of autonomy, opportunities for career development, excellent total compensation and benefits package, and collaborating with a team of great professionals.
The Opportunity
McElhanney is seeking an experienced and entrepreneurial Business Lead to identify new opportunities, develop meaningful client relationships, and drive profitable growth of our Line Locating & Ground Disturbance Services business across Alberta.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead the business development efforts for a specialized and growing service line within one of Western Canada's most respected employee-owned consulting firms. Leveraging your industry knowledge, professional network, and business development expertise, you will identify new opportunities, build lasting client relationships, and generate a consistent backlog of work that supports the continued growth of the business.
Working closely with the Red Deer Operations Leader, and regional leadership, you will expand our presence across Alberta by developing strategic client partnerships, strengthening existing relationships, and positioning our line locating and ground disturbance services with both new and existing clients. You will also play a key role in identifying opportunities to grow the service line by collaborating with branches across the company and promoting our capabilities as part of integrated multidisciplinary client solutions.
Our Red Deer branch provides a variety of services including Utility Locating, Survey, Once Call and Ground Disturbance Services for clients including Upstream Oil and Gas.
The successful candidate will be a relationship-focused professional who enjoys opening new doors, understanding client challenges, and creating consistent demand for our services and value through trusted partnerships. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on building business, influencing growth, and making a meaningful contribution to the long-term success of both the service line and the broader organization.
This position is aligned with our Red Deer branch; however, candidates may be based anywhere in Alberta, provided they are able to travel regularly throughout the province to support client engagement, business development activities.
What You’ll do
- Develop and execute a business development strategy to grow McElhanney's Line Locating
& Ground Disturbance Services for Red Deer and across Alberta.
- Generate a consistent and sustainable backlog of profitable work through proactive client engagement, market development, and relationship management.
- Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities while strengthening existing client relationships across the utility, energy, municipal, construction, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and infrastructure sectors.
- Lead the full business development lifecycle, including prospecting, relationship management, proposal development, negotiations, contract award, and ongoing account growth.
- Position McElhanney as a trusted partner by understanding client needs, delivering value-based solutions, and maintaining a strong presence through regular client engagement and industry networking.
- Maintain an active sales pipeline, providing accurate forecasting, market intelligence, and reporting to support business planning and growth.
- Drive the growth of Line Locating & Ground Disturbance Services by identifying and pursuing cross-selling opportunities across McElhanney's branches, business units, and existing client relationships.
- Build strong internal partnerships with Branch Managers, Division Managers, Project Managers, and technical teams across McElhanney, to promote the service line, identify multidisciplinary opportunities, and ensure seamless transition of awarded work to operational teams.
- Monitor market trends, emerging projects, industry developments, and competitor activity to identify opportunities, that strengthen McElhanney's market position and support long-term business growth.
What You’ll Bring
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive business development, sales, or account management experience with a demonstrated history of generating new business and growing revenue within utility locating, ground disturbance, utilities, construction, engineering consulting, geomatics, infrastructure, industrial services, or related industries.
- Existing relationships within Alberta's utility, construction, municipal, energy, telecommunications, or infrastructure markets.
- Knowledge of the Red Deer and Central Alberta market is considered a strong asset.
- Proven ability to develop new client relationships while expanding existing accounts.
- Demonstrated success managing the full business development cycle from opportunity identification through contract award.
- Strong understanding of consultative selling, strategic account management, and long-term relationship development.
- Excellent networking, communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
- Strong commercial and business acumen with an understanding of profitability, market growth, and sustainable revenue generation.
- Self-motivated, entrepreneurial, and comfortable working independently while collaborating across multiple teams.
- Ability to identify client challenges and develop value-based service solutions.
- Willingness to travel throughout Alberta.
What Can We Offer You?
The salary range for this position is 97,000-130,000 per annum along with the opportunity to participate in our generous Performance Bonus Plan and to become a shareholder in our proud employee-owned company.
McElhanney offers fair compensation that is commensurate with the individual’s education, experience, skills, and professional qualifications. The posted base salary/wage range is representative of the required level of qualifications and experience for the position as noted in the job posting. The salary offered will be based on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate.
In addition to a competitive salary based on experience, we also offer:
- Flexible work hours to accommodate your lifestyle
- Great benefits, including extended health and dental coverage, healthcare spending account, and RRSP matching.
- Relocation assistance if applicable
- Maternity leave top-up and parental leave top-up
- Employee and Family assistance program, which offers 24/7 support for all employees and their families either online or over the phone
- Continuous support for your professional development and growth
Application Instructions
Please include the following with your application:
1. An updated resume relevant to the position.
2. A cover letter that includes:
- Your motivation for applying for this role and what attracts you to McElhanney.
- Examples of how you have successfully developed new business, built long-term client relationships, and generated sustainable revenue growth.
- How your experience, industry network, and business development approach would help expand McElhanney's Line Locating & Ground Disturbance Services business across Alberta.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
At McElhanney, our unwavering commitment lies in cultivating a culture that aligns with our core values and fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion. We celebrate the collective achievements of a team rich in expertise, experiences, and perspectives, and welcome applications from individuals of diverse ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, aboriginal statuses, various age groups, and those with disabilities. Requests for accommodations can be made at any stage of the selection process. If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements outlined. We’re interested in getting to know you and explore the unique contributions you can bring to McElhanney!
If this is the opportunity for you, apply now or visit www.mcelhanney.com/careers to learn more. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Learn more about our recognition here: McElhanney Requalifies as a Gold Standard Best Managed Company!
Visit us on Glassdoor to learn more about our employee experience.
Our Purpose: Amaze our clients. Care for our communities. Empower our people.
McElhanney is aware of activities where individuals have received fraudulent job offers. Please be advised that McElhanney will not ask applicants for any form of monetary exchange at any point in the recruitment process. To learn more visit: www.mcelhanney.com/careers/fraud-warning. The disclosure of your information in accordance with this Policy and applicable law, including to third party service providers may result in your personal information being transferred outside of Canada, including to the United States. Such transferred personal information may be subject to the laws of these other countries and the laws of other countries regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information may be different from the laws of Canada.
