Executive Search Success Story: Building the Operations, Engineering, and Finance Leadership Team for a Regional Water Authority Facing PFAS Compliance and a $2B Capital Program

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a large regional water and wastewater authority serving 2.4 million people with the operations, water and wastewater, engineering, and finance leadership required to meet PFAS and nutrient regulations, deliver a $2B capital program, and replace a retiring generation of senior managers.

The Challenge

A regional water authority faced new PFAS maximum contaminant levels requiring advanced treatment at six plants, tightening nutrient limits on wastewater discharges, aging infrastructure driving a $2B capital program, and the retirement of its chief operating officer, both operations directors, chief engineer, and finance director within eighteen months. The authority had never run a capital program of this size, its succession bench was thin, public-sector compensation constrained recruiting, and the board required leaders able to deliver compliance and the program without unacceptable rate increases. Executive leadership and the board identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the authority:

• PFAS compliance deadlines requiring advanced treatment at six water plants
• Tightening nutrient limits requiring wastewater process upgrades and resource recovery investment
• A $2B capital program larger than any the authority had delivered
• Retirement of five senior leaders within eighteen months with no ready successors
• Public-sector compensation and governance constraints on recruiting
• Board and ratepayer pressure to deliver compliance without unacceptable rate increases

Recognizing that compliance and the capital program required proven utility leadership, the Executive Director and board engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Chief Operating Officer, Director of Water Treatment & Distribution, Director of Wastewater Treatment & Resource Recovery, Chief Engineer & Capital Program Director, and Chief Financial Officer. The authority required an executive search partner with deep water utility expertise and experience recruiting into public-sector governance.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Water & Wastewater Treatment Focus

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice serving water and wastewater organizations, including public authorities, investor-owned utilities, and contract operators, with a clear understanding of regulatory compliance, treatment operations, capital program delivery, and utility finance.

Public Utility Recruiting Experience

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting senior leaders into public authorities and municipal utilities, with a clear understanding of board governance, compensation structures, public process, and the candidates who thrive in public service.

Succession and Multi-Role Execution

Our team specializes in running coordinated succession searches in parallel, ensuring leaders are selected as a complementary unit and seated before retirements create gaps.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Succession & Program Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the Executive Director, board, and retiring leaders to review compliance requirements, the capital program, financial plans, retirement timing, and governance constraints, defining five leadership profiles sequenced to retirement dates and program milestones.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting operations, water, wastewater, engineering, and finance leaders at public water authorities, investor-owned utilities, engineering firms, and contract operations companies who had led documented compliance programs and large capital programs. Over 390 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of delivering PFAS and advanced treatment projects, meeting nutrient limits through process optimization and resource recovery, managing billion-dollar capital programs, and financing utility investment through rate cases, bonds, and state and federal funding. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented compliance and program plans to the Executive Director and board through a public-process-compliant selection, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified compliance, program, and financial outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 390+ water utility, engineering, and public finance executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning operations, water, wastewater, engineering, and finance within eight months.
• Delivered PFAS treatment at six plants ahead of regulatory deadlines.
• Delivered the first $600M of a $2B capital program on schedule and 4% under budget.
• Secured $450M in state and federal funding and held rate increases below the board’s ceiling.
• Completed succession for five senior roles and earned a credit rating upgrade.