Job Description

As a principal-level technical leader, you will provide senior technical direction, project leadership, and quality oversight for complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects, with particular emphasis on advanced process engineering, process modeling, digital solutions, and technical innovation. This role guides multidisciplinary teams through planning, design, implementation, startup, and optimization; advances design quality and constructability; mentors technical staff; and serves as a trusted advisor to clients, project managers, discipline leaders, and delivery leadership. A key aspect of the role is to help advance the industry's future technical needs by championing development and deployment of advanced technical tools, AI-enabled tools, digital twins, analytical models, and scalable workflows that improve quality, efficiency, risk management, and project delivery. The role requires demonstrated expertise in wastewater process engineering, process modeling and analysis, technical leadership, and practical implementation of engineered solutions.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Advance innovation, standardization, cross-training, and development of advanced technical tools, AI-enabled tools, digital twins, analytical models, and scalable workflows; serve as a technical resource across the North American Water practice to strengthen capability across teams and business centers.
• Serve as principal technical advisor and senior reviewer for complex water and wastewater treatment projects, with emphasis on advanced process engineering, process modeling, optimization, and digital decision support.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams through planning, design, permitting, procurement, implementation, startup, commissioning, and optimization.
• Provide senior technical direction for wastewater treatment processes and facilities, including biological treatment, resource recovery, process intensification, energy efficiency, and related process/mechanical systems.
• Lead QA/QC, constructability, biddability, operability, maintainability, and risk reviews for designs, specifications, reports, construction documents, and contractor submittals.
• Translate advanced technical analyses, process models, research findings, and emerging technologies into practical design and operational guidance that improves quality, reduces risk, and supports successful project delivery.
• Advise project managers and technical leads on scope, staffing, budget, schedule, delivery strategy, risk mitigation, and project execution.
• Coordinate with clients, agencies, contractors, vendors, technology partners, universities, subconsultants, and internal delivery teams to resolve complex technical issues and advance innovative solutions.
• Lead or support construction, startup, and commissioning activities, including field issue resolution, technical review, operational troubleshooting, and implementation of advanced process solutions.
• Develop and review technical memoranda, design criteria, specifications, modeling studies, digital workflows, equipment procurement documents, construction-phase documentation, and senior-level reports. Mentor engineers and technical leads in process engineering, modeling, digital tools, technical judgment, and disciplined project delivery.
• Support business development, client account management, proposal strategy, interviews, and pursuit positioning with senior technical credibility.
• Target utilization 60% to 65%

Qualifications

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Recognized senior-level expertise in municipal wastewater treatment and process engineering, including process modeling, optimization, design coordination, and implementation of complex treatment solutions.
• Advanced knowledge of wastewater treatment processes and facilities, biological treatment, resource recovery, process equipment, process modeling, digital decision-support systems, and related process/mechanical infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to provide independent technical judgment and strategic direction on highly complex projects with limited technical oversight.
• Strong understanding of the full project lifecycle, from planning and conceptual design through detailed design, implementation, startup, commissioning, optimization, and operational support.
• Experience in QA/QC, model and analytical review, value analysis, risk assessment, technical document review, and resolution of complex design or field issues.
• Ability to translate research, modeling, data analysis, and field experience into practical design and operational guidance that improves performance, operability, maintainability, safety, and lifecycle outcomes.
• Proven ability to lead, influence, and mentor multidisciplinary teams, technical discipline groups, project managers, and emerging technical staff.
• Strong client-consulting skills, including the ability to serve as a senior point of contact, trusted advisor, and technical representative with owners, agencies, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparation and review of executive summaries, technical memoranda, design reports, specifications, construction correspondence, and decision documents.
• Demonstrated leadership in strengthening technical standards, advanced tools, delivery workflows, staff capability, knowledge transfer, succession planning, and cross-business-center coordination.

Education and Experience

Bachelor's or master's degree in Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of technical education and extensive related experience may be considered. Licensed Professional Engineer preferred.

Minimum of 15 to 20+ years of progressively responsible experience in water, wastewater, municipal infrastructure, process modeling, digital solutions, or related consulting services. Principal-level candidates will typically demonstrate broad technical leadership, client advisory experience, QA/QC leadership, advanced process/modeling expertise, and proven influence across projects, teams, and business centers.

Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time. Field work may include site visits, construction observations, contractor coordination meetings, and exposure to active construction environments and inclement weather.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee, and other duties, responsibilities, and activities may be assigned or changed at any time with or without notice.