Description GEI is seeking an experienced and recognized Hydrology and Hydraulics Practice Leader to lead and grow our H&H practice in California and support projects throughout the United States.
This position combines technical leadership, staff development, client engagement, business development, and project delivery. The successful candidate will work within GEI's seller-doer model, serving as a trusted technical advisor to clients while building a high-performing team and expanding GEI's capabilities in flood risk management, water resources planning, climate resilience, and hydraulic infrastructure.
The Practice Leader will collaborate across GEI's offices and technical disciplines to pursue and deliver complex, high-value projects for State, federal, and local agency clients.
Essential Responsibilities & Duties - Provide strategic and technical leadership for GEI's hydrology and hydraulics practice.
- Establish a clear vision and growth strategy for the practice based on client needs, market opportunities, and GEI's broader water resources capabilities.
- Serve as a senior technical advisor and subject-matter expert on complex hydrologic and hydraulic studies, designs, and programs.
- Lead, review, and provide quality assurance for hydrologic, hydraulic, floodplain, reservoir operations, and water resources modeling.
- Guide the application of numerical models and analytical methods, including HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, HEC-ResSim, and other industry-standard modeling platforms.
- Lead technical evaluations involving flood risk management, climate change, extreme storm events, watershed hydrology, riverine and urban flooding, dam and spillway hydraulics, levees, channels, culverts, pump stations, and other hydraulic structures.
- Support the planning, analysis, and design of resilient water resources and flood management infrastructure.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with current and prospective clients, regulatory agencies, teaming partners, and industry leaders.
- Identify and pursue strategic business opportunities that expand GEI's H&H portfolio and strengthen long-term client relationships.
- Lead or support the preparation of proposals, scopes of work, fee estimates, technical approaches, presentations, and interviews.
- Serve as a project manager, principal-in-charge, or technical lead for selected projects and programs.
- Support successful project delivery by maintaining high standards for technical quality, schedule, budget, client service, and risk management.
- Recruit, mentor, and develop H&H professionals at all career levels.
- Establish consistent technical practices, quality-control procedures, modeling standards, and documentation expectations across the practice.
- Promote collaboration and effective sharing of staff and technical resources among offices, disciplines, and project teams.
- Support succession planning and create meaningful career-development opportunities for emerging technical and project leaders.
- Represent GEI at professional organizations, technical conferences, industry events, and client forums.
Experience Requirements - Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in civil engineering, hydrology, hydraulics, flood management, or a closely related water resources field.
- Demonstrated experience leading technically complex and multidisciplinary water resources projects.
- Proven success developing client relationships, securing new work, and growing a technical practice or service area.
- Experience leading and developing technical staff and building collaborative, high-performing teams.
- Strong knowledge of California water resources, flood management institutions, regulatory requirements, and public agency clients is highly desirable.
Education and Licensure Requirements - Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Master's degree with an emphasis in hydrology, hydraulics, or water resources engineering is preferred.
- Current registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in California, or the ability to obtain California registration within an agreed-upon period.
Minimum Qualifications - Recognized technical expertise in hydrology, hydraulics, flood risk management, or related water resources disciplines.
- Advanced knowledge of hydrologic and hydraulic modeling methods and industry-standard software, including HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS. Experience with HEC-ResSim and other one-dimensional, two-dimensional, watershed, reservoir operations, or flood forecasting models is desirable.
- Experience with the analysis and design of rivers, floodplains, levees, dams, spillways, channels, culverts, pump stations, and other hydraulic systems.
- Understanding of climate change analysis, extreme event hydrology, risk-informed decision-making, and resilient infrastructure planning is desirable.
- Familiarity with GIS, terrain data, remote sensing, CAD, and model-data management applications.
- Strong business development, client management, negotiation, and proposal-development capabilities.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to explain complex technical issues clearly to clients, regulators, community members, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Demonstrated commitment to technical excellence, quality management, staff development, collaboration, and client service.
- Ability to balance leadership, business development, project delivery, and technical responsibilities.
- Ability and willingness to travel periodically for client meetings, project activities, conferences, and collaboration with other GEI offices.
- Valid driver's license required.
Preferred Qualifications - Established relationships with California water resources and flood management agencies.
- Experience supporting or leading projects for organizations such as the California Department of Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, local flood control agencies, water districts, and municipalities.
- Experience with state and federal floodplain management, dam safety, levee safety, and water infrastructure programs.
- Active participation and leadership in relevant professional and technical organizations.
- Record of technical publications, conference presentations, industry guidance, or other recognized contributions to the H&H profession.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS WORK ENVIRONMENT
Functional Demands:
Sedentary
X
Light
Medium
Other
Activity Level Throughout Workday (check one per row)
Physical Activity Requirements Occasional (0-35% of day) Frequent (33-66% of day) Continuous (67-100% of day) Not Applicable Sitting
X
Standing
X
Walking
X
Climbing
X
Lifting (floor to waist level) (in pounds)
X
Lifting (waist level and above) (in pounds)
X
Carrying objects
X
Push/pull
X
Twisting
X
Bending
X
Reaching forward
X
Reaching overhead
X
Squat/kneel/crawl
X
Wrist position deviation
X
Pinching/fine motor skills
X
Keyboard use/repetitive motion
X
Taste or smell (taste=never)
X
Talk or hear
X
Accurate 20/40 Very Accurate 20/20 Not Applicable Near Vision
X
Far Vision
X
Yes No Not Applicable Color Discrimination
X
Sensory Requirements Minimal Moderate Accurate Not Applicable Depth perception
X
Hearing
X
Environment Requirements Occupational Exposure Risk Potential Reasonably Anticipated Not Anticipated Blood borne pathogens
X
Chemical
X
Airborne communicable diseases
X
Extreme temperatures
X
Radiation
X
Uneven surfaces or elevations
X
Extreme noise levels
X
Dust/particulate matter
X
Other (exposure risks): Usual workday hours :
8
X
10
12
Other work hours
