Manager, Client Services

Job summary

The Manager, Client Services leads client relationships, project delivery, and team performance for a portfolio of environmental projects. This role provides leadership and coaching to Project Managers while overseeing financial performance, scope intake, and client satisfaction.

Job details

The Manager, Client Services is responsible for leading client relationships, project delivery, and team performance across an assigned portfolio of environmental projects. This role serves as the primary point of contact for portfolio-level client relationships, ensuring a high level of customer service while partnering with the Director of Client Services to develop account strategies for key and repeat clients. The Manager provides day-to-day leadership, coaching, and accountability for Project Managers, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on time, within scope, and in alignment with GEMS’ core values. The role also oversees scope intake and handoffs, change order management, project financial performance, invoicing, accounts receivable, and client satisfaction, while maintaining appropriate oversight of high-risk projects and supporting the team in resolving delivery challenges. Success in this role is measured through portfolio profitability, timely AR and invoicing, client satisfaction, team performance, adherence to core values, and effective people leadership. Client Relationship Ownership • Ensure there is a positive client relationship through all clients within the portfolio, increasingly for clients with multiple awarded projects within the Manager’s segment • Serve as the primary point of contact for portfolio-level conversations with clients • Coordinate with the Director of Client Services on account planning for key repeat clients and action plans Team Leadership & Coaching • Oversee, mentor, and coach subordinate project managers through managing projects, achieving KPIs, and with mindset • Set expectations and track results through monthly 1-on-1 meetings with each direct report • Evaluate effectiveness of communication between PMs and PCs / Technicians People Management & Team Performance • Approve time off requests for direct reports and ensure team capacity to continue executing on portfolio • Own day-to-day people management for the team; escalate policy exceptions to the Director of Client Services • Set clear expectation that are in line with the direction of Director CS and own accountability on team’s project margins, AR payment timeliness, positive client feedback, optimization of invoicing, and upholding all GEMS core values across the team Scope Intake & Handoff • Receive scope, RFPs, and work requests from Sales Team • Clarify contract scope, fees, and terms as well as client signature before execution • Own change order conversations on projects; review with Director of Client Services before submission • Ensure POs cover requested work and ensure budget updated prior to work on any scope Project Delivery • Decide on which scopes to self-perform and which to hand off to subordinates to run. • Run own projects beginning to end • Step in to support PM-led projects as needed • Own client-facing commitments and deadlines on own projects • Monitor customer service and delivery on subordinate projects • Review major deliverables before release on high-risk projects, whether own or PM-led • Flag financial risk early, ie. slow pay, disputed invoices, scope-fee mismatch KPIs • Portfolio margins • Portfolio AR on-time payment • Portfolio client satisfaction / feedback • Portfolio on-time invoicing • Core values adherence, team and individual • Monthly 1-on-1 completion rate with direct reports Hiring Requirements (Skills, Abilities, Traits, Characteristics, Experience, Education & Accomplishments) 5 - 8+ years running environmental or infrastructure consulting projects end-to-end including establishing project scope, budget, schedule, and delivery 3 - 5+ years of direct people management experience, ideally supervising Project Managers or similarly senior technical staff PMP designation preferred, not required — equivalent demonstrated project management experience will be considered in lieu of certification Demonstrated ownership of project margins, not just technical delivery. Experience with budget-to-actual tracking, WIP, and profitability conversations Experience managing change orders and scope negotiations with clients, including pushing back on scope creep AR ownership experience — has chased payment, understands invoicing cadence and aging, and can speak to the cash-flow impact of a slow-pay client Comfortable in commercial conversations with clients — rates, terms, contract review — without needing every interaction brokered by Sales Hands-on delivery experience across GEMS’ core business lines — ECA / Aquatech, Groundwater & Dewatering, Excess Soils, Air Quality, Hazardous Materials, and Settlement Monitoring Working familiarity with Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Environmental Activity and Sector Registry regulatory workflows, or a clear ability to ramp quickly given the client-facing accountability of the role Comfortable reviewing and approving technical deliverables and scope without needing SME-level depth in every discipline — judgment over technical mastery Prior experience serving general contractors in the infrastructure sector is a strong asset, particularly with demanding, high-volume accounts similar to Aquatech Prior experience directly supervising a team of Project Managers or similar technical staff Track record running structured 1-on-1s that translate into real coaching, not just status updates Experience with HR-adjacent duties — approving time off, performance conversations, balancing workload and capacity across a team. This is a new position within the organization. GEMS is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

What you’ll do

The Manager, Client Services leads client relationships, project delivery, and team performance for a portfolio of environmental projects. This role provides leadership and coaching to Project Managers while overseeing financial performance, scope intake, and client satisfaction.

Requirements

Candidates must have 5-8+ years of experience in environmental or infrastructure project management and 3-5+ years of direct people management experience. A PMP designation is preferred, along with demonstrated expertise in budget management, contract negotiations, and accounts receivable.

Listed skills

• Client Relationship Management · Preferred
• Project management · Preferred
• Team Leadership · Preferred
• Budgeting · Preferred
• Accounts receivable · Preferred
• invoicing · Preferred
• Coaching · Preferred
• Contract Negotiation · Preferred
• Regulatory Compliance · Preferred
• Risk Management · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Client Relationship Management
• Project Management
• Team Leadership
• Budgeting
• Financial Performance Tracking
• Change Order Management
• Accounts Receivable
• Invoicing
• Coaching
• Environmental Consulting
• Infrastructure Projects
• Contract Negotiation
• Regulatory Compliance
• Strategic Planning
• Performance Management
• Risk Management
• Account Strategy
• Change Orders
• People Management
• Accountability
• Project Scoping
• Workflow Management
• Project Delivery
• Account Planning
• Air Quality
• Management
• Change Management
• Customer Service
• Client Services
• Communication
• Consulting
• Sales
• Financial Risk
• Settlement
• Groundwater
• Leadership
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Negotiation
• Request For Proposal
• Soil Science
• Team Performance Management
• Balancing (Ledger/Billing)
• Contract Review

Job areas

• Management & Leadership
• Consulting
• Environmental & Sustainability
• Construction
• Customer Service & Support
• Client Services Manager
• Customer Service Manager (General)
• Sales and Marketing Managers
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

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