Closing a long-standing vacancy with a critical senior hire for Lamp Rynearson

A long-standing Senior Project Manager vacancy remained unfilled due to limited specialist wastewater talent in the region.

At a glance

Lamp Rynearson is a U.S.-based civil engineering and consulting firm delivering services across civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and infrastructure planning and design.

Their portfolio spans complex projects including transportation systems, water and wastewater infrastructure, urban development, airports, and public facilities, serving government agencies, utilities, developers, and commercial clients nationwide.

The brief

Lamp Rynearson had been searching for a Senior Project Manager with wastewater expertise for their Kansas City office for several years without success.

After exhausting internal hiring efforts, they partnered with our specialist civil infrastructure recruitment team to execute a focused, strategic search aimed at securing hard-to-find senior talent.

The challenge

The role required a Senior Project Manager with 10–15 years of specialized wastewater experience – a niche skill set within an already limited regional market.

The challenge was multi-layered:

A highly constrained local talent pool, particularly at the senior level
A requirement for three days per week in-office, limiting geographic flexibility
In a candidate-driven market, senior professionals had multiple opportunities, requiring a highly compelling and well-positioned role to attract interest

Even where suitable candidates existed, they needed a clearly defined and differentiated opportunity to consider making a transition.

It became evident that the challenge extended beyond sourcing – it was about market positioning. The opportunity, as initially presented, was not resonating with the level of candidate required. A more strategic, insight-led approach was needed to reframe the role and unlock access to the right talent.

Our approach

Led by Bailey, our specialist consultant, the engagement combined strong market insight with a results-driven approach:

Reframing the Opportunity

Redefined the job description to distinguish true non-negotiables from flexible requirements
Positioned the role to better align with what senior engineers value – impact, project scope, and career trajectory

Targeted Headhunting Strategy

Leveraged our deep network within the wastewater and civil infrastructure sector
Engaged talent through personalized, consultative outreach that clearly articulated the value of the opportunity

Quality Over Quantity

Delivered a highly curated shortlist, fully vetted for technical fit, cultural alignment, and motivation

Process Management & Candidate Experience

Worked closely with Lamp Rynearson’s HR team to streamline scheduling, communication, and feedback loops
Managed the process end-to-end, reducing administrative burden on the hiring team
Maintained strong engagement with candidates throughout, especially critical over the holiday period

Market Advisory

Provided guidance on salary benchmarking and offer positioning ensuring the right candidate was secured quickly and confidently.

Outcome

Following the initial briefing in December 2025, Bailey identified and engaged a standout candidate within the first few weeks of the search.

The process moved at pace, with a first interview secured by mid-December and final-stage interviews completed in early January. Despite the challenges of the holiday period, Bailey maintained close candidate engagement throughout, ensuring momentum was not lost over the Christmas break.

The candidate accepted the offer shortly thereafter and successfully joined Lamp Rynearson in February, bringing a long-standing vacancy to a close with an exceptional hire.

“My company recently worked with Bailey to place a hard to fill role that had been open for years. We would highly recommend him based on our recent experience partnering with him. He was truly exceptional to work with from start to finish. Throughout the entire process, he was incredibly responsive, kind, and always open to conversation whenever we needed support or clarity.

One of the qualities that stood out most was his proactive communication. I never had to reach out to ask for updates or information—he consistently stayed ahead of every detail and ensured I had everything I needed. His follow-up was reliable, timely, and thoughtful, making the recruitment process smooth and stress-free.

Even after our immediate work together wrapped up, he maintained a positive professional relationship, which speaks volumes about his character and commitment.” – HR Coordinator, Lamp Rynearson

“Bailey was great to work with, highly recommended! This is my first time working with a recruiter, but after this experience I wonder why I even tried to go it alone in the past. Bailey had excellent proactive communication (despite a time difference), was open to other options I was looking into besides the initially targeted employer (who I ended up signing on with), and coordinated well with the rest of his team throughout the hiring process.” – Senior Project Manager, Lamp Rynearson