Drinking Water Process Technical Expert

About the role

Founded in 1919, KJ has always looked to the future. With a talented team of professionals and a culture of continuous improvement, we deliver exceptional engineering and environmental consulting services today, with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Using new advanced analytics, technology, and tools, KJ improves designs, reduces risk, and finds better ways to deliver projects. KJ is at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions for clients, including green infrastructure design, strategies to reduce energy use and environmental impacts, and award-winning water reuse projects. We are known for our dedication to industry-leading client service and tailored solutions.

What You’ll Do

• Provide technical leadership, strategic guidance, and client-facing support for complex water quality and treatment initiatives.
• Provide technical expertise: Serve as a technical expert for municipal drinking water treatment, water reuse, and advanced water purification, including treatment process evaluation and selection, preliminary engineering studies, and operations optimization.
• Support business development: Support client service managers and business development activities through technical consultation, client meetings, project interviews, and strategic pursuits.
• Lead pursuits and technical approaches: Contribute to project pursuits by developing innovative treatment approaches, technical strategies, and scope recommendations.
• Lead preliminary design: Advise preliminary process design, including basis of design reports and preliminary engineering drawings and specifications for complex water projects.
• Review technical deliverables: Guide development and provide quality control review of process flow diagrams, design criteria, and process and instrumentation diagrams.
• Optimize facility performance: Evaluate treatment performance and identify opportunities to improve operations at existing facilities.
• Engage the industry: Actively participate in water-focused professional organizations; submit abstracts and present technical material at conferences.
• Collaborate on research: Work with Applied Research Group staff on water quality and water treatment processes research.
• Support private sector work: Team up with private sector water treatment staff to support and participate in industrial water quality and water treatment process projects.

What Makes This Role Different

• Firmwide technical influence: Serve as a trusted technical expert supporting clients and project teams across the firm.
• Solve complex water challenges: Apply your expertise to advanced treatment, reuse, purification, and optimization projects with meaningful community impact.
• Mentorship and knowledge-sharing: Help develop mid-level staff by sharing expertise in water quality, treatment processes, regulations, and practical project delivery.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related scientific discipline required.
• Experience: 15+ years of experience in drinking water treatment engineering.
• Licensure: Professional Engineer (PE) license required; license in one or multiple states preferred, including CA, CO, FL, HI, OR, TX, VA, and WA.

Pay

Salary range for this position is anticipated to be $150,000 to $200,000 and may vary based upon education, experience, qualifications, licensure/certifications and geographic location.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance;
• A health savings account;
• A 401(k);
• Bonus programs;
• Tuition reimbursement;
• Employee ownership opportunity;
• Professional registration support;
• Business travel assistance;
• Competitive paid time off and holidays;
• An employee assistance program;
• Additional programs that support your wellbeing and professional growth.