Kiewit Corporation

Principal Water Engineer

Kiewit Corporation$160K — $230K *
Energy & Utilities
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Civil/Environmental Engineering required.
  • 15+ years of experience in process development and design in the water market.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) registration preferred.
  • Knowledge of water treatment regulations at federal, state, and local levels.
  • Experience as a design engineering lead on design-build projects preferred.
  • Familiarity with hydraulic simulation software (AFT Fathom, AFT Arrow) or equivalent.

Responsibilities

  • Provide leadership in Municipal Water treatment design and technology selection.
  • Serve as the technical authority for treatment process decisions and design deliverables.
  • Mentor junior engineers and support team development.
  • Establish and maintain Kiewit’s water design standards.
  • Ensure designs are practical and cost-effective during the engineering process.
  • Lead proposals and develop strategies for major water projects.
  • Manage multi-disciplinary design teams to ensure quality across engineering deliverables.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for employees and dependents.
  • Voluntary wellness programs and employee assistance programs.
  • Life insurance and disability benefits.
  • Retirement plans with matching contributions.
  • Generous paid time off.
Full Job Description
Requisition ID: 180554

Job Level: Senior Level

Home District/Group: Kiewit Industrial & Water Engineering

Department: Design Engineering

Market: Water/Wastewater

Employment Type: Full Time

Position Overview

We are looking for a strong leader, with deep expertise in process engineering, treatment optimization for advanced water/wastewater knowledge. As a Principal Water Engineer at Kiewit, you'll be the technical force behind some of the most complex and meaningful water treatment projects in North America. This is a role for a true Municipal Water expert, someone who not only understands advanced treatment technologies, but has the passion and ability to turn them into safe, constructible, cost-effective solutions that work in the real world. At Kiewit, your designs don't stay on paper; they become facilities built by one of the largest and most capable self-perform contractors in the industry.

You'll guide multidisciplinary engineering teams, shape treatment strategies, and serve as the trusted technical voice during pursuits, design development, and project execution. From early process modeling to startup and commissioning, you'll influence every stage of delivery-ensuring quality, innovation, and constructability are embedded into every decision. This is an opportunity to lead with expertise, mentor the next generation of water engineers, and help communities and industries secure reliable, resilient water infrastructure for decades to come.

District Overview

The Kiewit Water Engineering team, which includes process, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation and control, structural, and civil disciplines, is a multi-faceted division of Kiewit with best-in-class technical expertise focused on collaborative Design-Build (progressive and/or fixed price) and EPC delivery models for complex water projects. The team brings project solutions to life across North America in the following areas:
• Water Treatment
• Potable Municipal and Groundwater Desalination
• Advanced Water Reuse
• Groundwater Remediation
• Storm water Recycling
• Industrial Water Treatment
• Wastewater Treatment
• Biosolids Treatment
• Pipelines and Conveyance

Clients are turning to Kiewit during all stages of design-build projects to lead and manage multi-disciplined design teams to work together to improve schedule, track design progress, control costs and minimize risk. We are a high performing team of engineers and designers that leads the water engineering process and collaborates with Kiewit's construction teams to approach construction-driven engineering with a focus on safe, cost effective, and innovative designs, all working to develop the best possible delivery of water facility projects to our clients.

Location

This role can be based in our Lenexa, Kansas, Lone Tree, Colorado, Houston or Dallas/Fort worth offices. We will consider remote options in other locations for uniquely qualified Water Experts.

We do provide relocation assistance to our office locations.

Responsibilities
• Provide technical and engineering leadership for Municipal Water treatment design, which includes selecting and sizing treatment technologies, development and validating of process flow diagrams and mass balances.
• Serve as technical authority as the "go to" expert for treatment process decisions, approve critical design deliverables and technical calculations.
• Mentor Senior and mid-level engineers within the team.
• Establish and enforce Kiewit's water design standards and best practices.
• Ensure designs are constructible, cost effective and aligned with field execution. This includes participating in model reviews, constructability workshops and value engineering, as well as supporting procurement of major equipment packages.
• Lead proposals and pursuits, shaping technical strategy for major water pursuits. Develop process narratives, basis of design documents and proposal content, and support client interviews and presentations.
• Oversee project delivery through managing multi-disciplinary design teams, while ensuring quality control across all engineering deliverables for your project.
• Support permitting, startup, commissioning and operator training
• Communicate/present industry trends, competitive situations or technology/regulatory issues.
• Actively participate in professional organizations. Be a practice leader for Kiewit in the Water market.

Qualifications

Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Chemical, Mechanical, or Civil/Environmental Engineering or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 15 years' experience in process development, conceptual and detailed design with a background in the municipal and/or Industrial water market.
• Professional Engineer (PE) registration preferred
• Understanding of federal, state and local regulations and requirements related to water characterization, treatment and discharge
• Experience as process design engineering lead on design-build projects is preferred
• Must be willing and available to accommodate intermittent travel (20-30% maximum expected) if located at one of our main office facilities. If working remotely, travel may be up to 50% but would be scheduled travel.
• Preferred experience utilizing AFT Fathom or AFT Arrow hydraulic simulation software (or equivalent) and/or experience with process modeling and simulation software applications such as Biowin, GPS-X, Hysys and/or Aspen, WatPro, AqMB, SIMBA etc. #LI-JB1

Other Titles: Water Expert, Lead Water Engineer, Senior Water Engineer, Lead Water/Wastewater Engineer, Senior Process Engineer - Water Treatment, Principal Water/Wastewater Engineer, Principal Process Engineer, Water/Wastewater Tecnical Lead, Design Lead - Water Treatment, Discipline Lead - Water/Wastewater,

Other Requirements:
• Regular, reliable attendance
• Work productively and meet deadlines timely
• Communicate and interact effectively and professionally with supervisors, employees, and others individually or in a team environment
• Perform work safely and effectively. Understand and follow oral and written instructions, including warning signs, equipment use, and other policies.
• Work during normal operating hours to organize and complete work within given deadlines. Work overtime and weekends as required.

Base Compensation: $160,000 - $230,000
(Actual compensation is subject to variation due to such factors as education, experience, skillset, and/or location)

This posting will be active from: 08/13/2026 - 12/08/2026

We offer our fulltime staff employees a comprehensive benefits package that's among the best in our industry, including top-tier medical, dental and vision plans covering eligible employees and dependents, voluntary wellness and employee assistance programs, life insurance, disability, retirement plans with matching, and generous paid time off.

About Kiewit Corporation

Kiewit Corporation is an employee-owned Fortune 500 contractor based in Omaha, Nebraska. Privately held, it is one of the largest contractors in the world. Recent projects have included several bridge retrofittings in the San Francisco Bay Area, Interstate H-3 project in Hawaii, and building the world's largest geodesic dome at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. Along with significant mining and off-shore operations, the company also contracts small grading (dirt moving) projects for residential or commercial development.

Kiewit Corporation Careers

Join the dynamic team at Kiewit Corporation, a leader in engineering and construction, where innovation meets expertise. At Kiewit, we offer more than just job opportunities; we provide a platform for professional growth and a chance to be part of a culture that values diversity, leadership, and continuous improvement.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career with Kiewit and be part of a team that’s redefining the industry. Our projects range from building infrastructure that connects communities to engineering energy solutions that power cities. At Kiewit, every job is a chance to learn, explore, and contribute to some of the most challenging and rewarding projects.

Why Kiewit?

- **Innovative Projects:** Lead and collaborate on groundbreaking projects that redefine the boundaries of engineering and construction. - **Growth and Development:** Advance your career with Kiewit’s robust training programs, from hands-on workshops to leadership development and diversity training. - **Unmatched Benefits:** Enjoy comprehensive benefits that support not only your professional life but also your personal well-being and financial health. - **Dynamic Culture:** Thrive in an environment that fosters teamwork, innovation, and a commitment to excellence.

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Learn more about Kiewit Corporation
Size
22,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1884

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