Architecture, Engineering & Construction

Top-notch talent who can proactively adapt quickly to transformative changes in the AEC sector and tackle challenges due to the rapid rise of digital technologies is mandatory.

At TRANSEARCH, we specialize in bringing together our vast network of connections to help attract the best talent for your organization, someone who has all the capabilities, knowledge, and skills to overcome any challenge and deliver solid results.

Recent Placements

Corporate Development Executive Leader, Concrete Contractor

Director of Risk Management, Electrical Infrastructure Contractor

Vice President, Environmental Consultant

CHRO, Consulting and Engineering Firm

Director, Working Buildings, Environmental Consultant

Meet Our Experts

CHRIS SWAN

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Chris Swan, Global Practice Leader for Construction, Design, Technology, and the Environment is one of the top search professionals in the areas of general contracting, environmental consulting/services, systems integration, cyber-security, digitization, and new technologies.

With 30 years of executive search experience in the industry, Chris leads Board and C-Suite level assignments and understands what it takes to Get It Right and attract candidates that others cannot.

 

SUPERPOWERS

  • Architecture, Engineering & Construction
  • Digital and Connectivity
  • Environmental & Sustainability
  • Industry and Manufacturing
  • Life Sciences
  • Private Equity, Venture Capital and Financial Services

Solutions

TRANSEARCH is a global executive search firm that helps organizations find world-class leaders to maximize performance and achieve their boldest ambitions.

Search

Identify, hire, and integrate top talent to build the right team.

Development

Unlock your leaders' full potential and support organizational agility.

Board Services

Rapidly adapt to changing governance and board effectiveness.

Assessments

Gain the insights you need to develop high-performing teams.

Make Better Hiring Decisions

Orxestra®

The Orxestra® tools provide a unique perspective on culture, performance, leadership, and team ‘fit’, and help new leaders integrate quickly and successfully.

Hogan Assessments

With Hogan Assessments, you can be sure that you are hiring candidates that are a good fit for your company culture and will excel in their roles.

TRANSEARCH CLIENTS

AECOM
AHI Roofing
Alliant Energy
ALSTOM
APTIM
Areva
ARUP
Ben Hur Construction Co.
Bilfinger
BSI
Bureau Veritas
CBRE
CDM Smith
Chastain & Associates LLC
Cisco
Clean Harbors
Downes Construction Company LLC
CH2M
EORM
ERM
Flad Architects
Fluor
Earth Tech
Global Energy Services
Golder
Gresham Smith
Gresham, Smith and Partners
Gilbane
Haley & Aldrich
Haskell
Hatch
Hubbell
GRW
Intertek
ITT
Jacobs
Jedson Engineering
KBR Building Group
Intertek - PSI USA
Luckett & Farley
M + W Group
Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch
Mazzetti
Lafarge Roofing
Mona Electric Group
ms consultants inc
Natgun
MC Dean
PSI
Road Safe
S&C Electric Company
Pro Logis
Shaw
SNC Lavalin
Sebesta Blomberg
Suffolk
Stafford King Wiese Architects
SunEdison
Suzlon
Tetra Tech
The Hagerman Group
Trinity Consultants
The Louis Berger Group
Twin Metals Minnesota
TYLin
URS
Vanderweil
Vulcan Industrial Contractors
Vulcan Materials Company
W.E. O'Neil Construction
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
White Oak Group
Worley Parsons
WSP Environmental Strategies
Whiting-Turner
WSP USA INC.
Oak Hill Capital
New Mountain Capital
Alberici
Systra
Metropolis Holdings
Lithko
Qualus
Prime AE

What People Say

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“Nic is an amazing recruiter! He was a champion for me during my career transition, helping connect me to an amazing opportunity within the renewable energy space. Careful attention to detail, an energetic follow-through, and a willingness to listen made a real difference for me in navigating the interview and offer process.
Adding that personal touch, it felt that Nic and his team were always interested in helping me accomplish my personal goals rather than just fill an open position. I would recommend working with Nic for any company looking to fill a position and any professional looking to take the next step of their career.”

Robin Gray
Chief Technology Officer
Soltage, LLC
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“John and his team were a pleasure to work with, and most importantly, we were able to attract a top-tier candidate that fully met our requirements.”

Joan Hutchinson
Managing Director, Off-take Advisory
Marathon Capital
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“TRANSEARCH has been a trusted business partner for Golder over the years. Chris recruited me for Golder as the company’s first external CEO. Since then, he has helped fill a number of key executive positions for the company and two external director positions on our board. Chris is thorough and has a deep understanding of our business and culture. He is brutally honest and has consistently looked out for the best interest of our company. I strongly recommend him and TRANSEARCH.”

Hisham Mahmoud
CEO
Golder Associates
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“I have worked with Nicole for over ten years, first as a recruit and then as a client. The biggest differentiator for Nicole is that she works to not only understand the job that she needs to fill, but also the culture and leadership that the role will fit into. Understanding the culture makes sure that the client, as well as the recruit, are successful. Nicole also understands the business and how the roles she is helping with will support that business. Nicole is thorough, professional, and engaging on a personal level. Overall – a great resource to have in your corner.”

Nishat Ahmed
Vice President, Quality
M.C. Dean, Inc.
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“From the moment Nicole reached out to me to the day I received my offer letter with my new company, she was with me every step of the way. Nicole has a very professional, confident, and reassuring demeanor, which are critical skills of any successful recruiter. She helped coordinate everything for me and answered all of my questions, and I could tell she was an advocate on my behalf with my hiring company. I enjoyed talking with her and, more importantly, trusting her with the process. This has been a big life change for me, but she certainly made it all possible and I am very grateful to have been lucky enough to work with someone very knowledgeable of this process and the real impact it has on her clients. If you are ever in need of finding a qualified candidate or getting connected to a potential new employer, I would highly recommend Nicole.”

Greg Swan
Director Of Quality Assurance - OCONUS
M.C. Dean, Inc.
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“I appreciate your TRANSEARCH support in the process. I think you collectively did a great job in taking time to see what I was looking for in my next role, assessing my skill sets and preparing me for interview. I also think you presented my experience well and helped the communication lead to successful outcome for us all.”

Gabriel Goffman
Manager
Paragon Energy Capital
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“Working with Nicole and the TRANSEARCH team was perfect throughout the interview and evaluation process. They presented me a fantastic opportunity that was well-aligned with my background and strengths. They efficiently gathered the information they needed to present those strengths to their client and actively facilitated the engagement. TRANSEARCH produced results for me, and I’m excited about my new job and the opportunities in front of me!”

Scott Stafford
Program Manager
M.C. Dean, Inc.
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“My experience with TRANSEARCH was great. There was excellent communication throughout the entire process and I felt well prepared going into the interviews with all of their advice and instructions. Not only were they very professional, but also added a personal touch which I do not typically experience with recruiters. I would definitely use them again.”

Quincy Hilliard
Senior Manager, Risk Management
Osaka Gas
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“TRANSEARCH International is the best executive search firm in the AEC industry. I have worked with Chris Swan for nearly two decades, first as a candidate, and more recently as a repeat customer. The team is fun to work with, but most important in my view is that they are trustworthy and 100% dependable. When they say they will, they deliver on time.”

Douglas Dayton
President
American Concrete Pipe Association
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“From the first phone call to the one that extended me an offer I was treated like I was the only candidate. Nicole Brown was always upfront with me and very thorough. Being a hiring manager and now a President for an organization, the candidate experience is #1. I couldn’t have asked for a better candidate experience. Nicole’s approach was in which to educate, coach and ask — educate me on the role and expectations — coached me through hurdles and potential barriers — asked me questions every time we were on the phone, because she cared about the process. I would recommend Nicole and the team at TRANSEARCH USA to any company looking to bring on a completely well rounded group that will exceed your expectations from the first phone call.”

Kyle Frye
President
Synthetic MR

Frequently Asked Questions

The FAQs are designed to provide you with quick, clear, and comprehensive answers to some of the most common questions. Our aim is to ensure that your experience with TRANSEARCH is as smooth and efficient as possible.

If you aren’t finding the answer you are looking for, please reach out to our team.

How do we evaluate candidates for their ability to drive transformation in AEC organizations?

Experience that is proactive, innovative, and successful tells our team that a candidate may have something unique to offer our client. Often, we spend many hours listening to the why. Why did you take a position? What was your objective? Why did you decide to leave? What did you accomplish? Was that what you were trying to achieve? How did you achieve your success, and what are you most proud of?

When delivered at the right time and in the right context, all of these questions can help us sort out the candidates who fit in with those who don’t. Our objective conversation is a low-risk environment that makes us effective at uncovering difference-makers in the AEC industry. The industry is converging, and safety, followed by client results, is the highest standard to be achieved in the market.

How can recruitment efforts be tailored to entice executives possessing a proven track record of delivering exceptional results amidst industry complexities?

The AEC industry is full of people who are inherently careful, smart, and committed to exceptional project results. Our candidates have years of experience ensuring that their reputation precedes them, and are careful to protect it at every stage.
TRANSEARCH has decades of experience protecting the reputations of its candidates and clients.

We seek out the best candidates from the right companies, not the best candidates available on the open market today. This distinction makes a real difference to our clients and candidates. It can help organizations stay fresh and help individuals find optimal fits for their talents, passions, and personalities.

What can you do to entice those executives with a proven track record of delivering exceptional results that we aren’t able to accomplish?

Most successful people in the AEC industry (The Built Environment) are focused on delivering great solutions to customers. Starting with the truth is a significant first step. Integrity and honesty go a long way in an industry with a retention rate twice as long as the economic average (about 7+ years/3.9 years).

One of the ways that TRANSEARCH does this is by building a story based on the Best Reasons Why Top Employees Stay at the company. Of course, people immediately think of direct compensation and benefits, but often, the true reasons need to be discovered in an interactive process we call “Why Do You Stay.” The TRANSEARCH holistic approach allows us to leverage learnings across the life of our relationship with our clients, which often extends for decades.

What innovative approaches can be adopted to attract and retain executive leaders who demonstrate a deep grasp of AEC-specific regulations, technological advancements, and sustainable practices?

The world of AEC is changing rapidly. It used to be that technological changes hit every couple of years. Today, change can be counted in months, so the demand to move quickly and keep up with faster implementation cycles is part of the competitive landscape. TRANSEARCH works as hard as you to keep up with the innovation cycle, and we share as much of what we learn with our client partners.

Ready to Take Action?

Please schedule a quick chat with our experts to see if we can start helping your organization.

Through proprietary innovation, world-class industry experts, and an unparalleled global network, we will find the right leader for your business – someone who will seamlessly integrate and be successful from day one.