Practice 04
Executive search for MEP engineering and commissioning firms.
We recruit the executives, principals and senior engineers who run MEP consulting, commissioning, test-and-balance and fire protection firms. That includes founder-led firms planning a transition and platforms backed by private equity that are building leadership after a deal.
Clients
Who we work with
- MEP consulting engineering firms
- Commissioning providers
- Energy modeling and building performance firms
- Test-and-balance firms
- Fire protection engineering firms
- Engineering platforms backed by private equity
Seats
Leadership roles we search
Executive
- CEO / President
- Integration COO
- Managing Principal / Office Leader
- Market Sector Leader (healthcare, mission critical, higher education)
- Commissioning Practice Leader
- Fire Protection Practice Leader
Functional and technical
- Director of Engineering
- Senior Mechanical Engineer, P.E.
- Senior Electrical Engineer, P.E.
- Lead Commissioning Authority
- Energy Modeling and Building Performance Lead
- Business Development Leader
Spec sheet
What we know, and why it matters in a hire
| Term | Why it matters in a hire |
|---|---|
| ASHRAE Guideline 0 and Standard 202 | Commissioning leaders who start at the Owner's Project Requirements run a process; leaders who start at functional testing run a checklist. |
| Commissioning credentials (CxA, BCxP, CCP) | A credential shows who held the commissioning authority role on paper, and asking who wrote the plans and test scripts shows who did the work. |
| Retro-commissioning and monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) | Existing-building work, especially ongoing monitoring with fault detection, shows whether a candidate can build recurring service revenue instead of chasing one-time closeout projects. |
| Data center commissioning, Levels 1-5 | Someone who has run Level 5 integrated systems testing has staged utility failures under owner scrutiny and schedule pressure, which a resume rarely conveys. |
| P.E. licensure, comity and responsible charge | Active state licenses and real responsible-charge history tell you who can seal drawings in a new office's market without a long wait. |
| Utilization and net multiplier | A principal who can quote their group's utilization and net multiplier from memory is running a business, not just a set of projects. |
| Seller-doer model | Ask which projects in a candidate's backlog they sold themselves, because that answer separates future principals from very good project engineers. |
| Revit and BIM standards | For a Director of Engineering, the real question is who set the Revit templates, families and clash-review routine that keep every office's drawings consistent. |
| AABC, NEBB and TABB certification | Specifications often require certified test-and-balance supervisors, so a leader who lets that certified bench thin out quietly shrinks what the firm can bid. |
| Energy modeling (ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G and calibrated models) | Compliance models prove a design meets code, while modelers who have calibrated models to metered data know where design intent and real buildings diverge. |
| Building performance standards | As cities limit energy use in existing buildings, leaders who tie audits and retro-commissioning to an owner's compliance dates can build a steady service line. |
| Electrification design | Heat pump retrofits often hinge on electrical service capacity, so look for leaders who pull electrical engineers in before schematic design ends. |
Point of view
Three hiring problems we see
Platforms are buying faster than they can integrate
Platforms backed by private equity keep adding MEP and commissioning firms, and the deals often outpace the leadership needed to integrate them. Founders who sold stay for a period, then step back, while the seller-doers who hold the client relationships watch closely. We think the Integration COO and the office leaders under that role decide whether a platform keeps its value.
Mission critical work is repricing electrical talent
Data center programs are pulling senior electrical engineers and experienced commissioning agents toward firms that serve hyperscale and colocation owners. A healthcare or higher education practice competing for the same people needs a better case than salary alone. In our view, that case is a defined seat: a sector to own, a path to principal and work worth putting a name on.
The next principal has to sell, not just seal drawings
As founding principals plan their exits, firms often promote a standout technical engineer into the managing principal seat and hope business development follows. When it doesn't, the firm loses billable capacity and growth at the same time. We test seller-doer evidence directly: work the candidate originated, relationships they own and how they priced it.
Representative search types
Searches we take on
Illustrative of the searches we're built for, not descriptions of past engagements.
-
Illustrative
Commissioning Practice Leader, MEP consulting engineering firm
What this search turns on
- Running commissioning as its own profit center, with pricing and staffing decisions, not as a side service
- A clear answer on independence when the firm is also the engineer of record
- A plan to grow retro-commissioning and monitoring-based work alongside new construction
-
Illustrative
Managing Principal, new office launch
What this search turns on
- Client relationships in the target market, verified through references before an offer
- P.E. licensure in the office's state, or a realistic path to it through comity
- Willingness to sell and do in year one while hiring the first engineers
-
Illustrative
Integration COO, engineering platform backed by private equity
What this search turns on
- Combining project accounting, ERP and utilization reporting across acquired firms
- Credibility with founder-principals who sold and still run their offices
- A first-100-days plan that both the sponsor and the founders can support
How we run searches here
We start with your operating model, not the job description. Before the first candidate call, we learn how work gets sold and what utilization you expect. We also ask who seals drawings in which states, and whether commissioning stands alone or sits inside engineering.
Then we test what a resume hides. We ask engineers which projects they originated, which commissioning plans and test scripts they wrote and how they handled a failed functional test. Licenses and certifications get checked against public records, not taken on faith.
Engineering is a small world, and the people you want are usually busy and well paid. One partner owns every search, start to finish, and sends a written update every Friday. Off-limits terms are agreed in writing before work starts, and on platform searches they name exactly which firms are covered.
Practice lead
Led by Corey Kravitz, Founding Partner.
FAQ
Questions we hear
What does a Commissioning Practice Leader do at an MEP engineering firm?
A Commissioning Practice Leader runs commissioning as a business: pricing, staffing, quality and growth, not only project delivery. The role usually covers new construction under ASHRAE Guideline 0 and Standard 202, plus retro-commissioning and monitoring-based commissioning in existing buildings. Strong candidates have sold commissioning work, built a bench of commissioning authorities and handled independence when the firm is also the engineer of record.
Does an executive at an MEP engineering firm need a P.E. license?
Technical leaders do, and some business leaders do not. Anyone who seals drawings or holds responsible charge needs an active P.E. license in each state where the work sits, so multi-office firms often need several. State firm-licensing rules may also require licensed engineers among certain officers or owners, so check before hiring a CEO who is not an engineer. For an Integration COO or a business development leader, the license helps credibility but is rarely required.
What should a private equity sponsor look for in an Integration COO for an engineering platform?
Look for an operator who has combined acquired engineering firms without losing their key principals. That means standardizing project accounting, utilization and multiplier reporting across offices while leaving client relationships with the people who built them. Engineers do not need the COO to be an engineer, but they do need to trust that person's judgment. Ask candidates how they kept seller-doers in place after past acquisitions.
How long does an executive search for an MEP engineering firm take?
A Greenbriar & Russell search is planned for 10-14 weeks from kickoff to an accepted offer. Senior electrical and commissioning searches can run longer, because those candidates are also being recruited for data center work. Your partner sends a written update every Friday and checks in at 30, 60 and 90 days after the start date.
Discuss your MEP Engineering & Commissioning search
Tell us about the seat. You'll hear from Corey directly within one business day.