Lead Water Resources Engineer
About the role
This Opportunity WSP is seeking a Lead Water Resources Engineer for our Philadelphia, Exton, or Bristol, PA offices to support a growing portfolio of dam safety, levee, and hydraulic structure projects within our Earth & Environment Team. This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who wants to remain technically hands-on while also leading projects and teams.
Responsibilities
Deliver technically complex dam safety and hydraulic structure projects
Serve as a Project Manager or Task Leader on select assignments
Coordinate engineers, field staff, and specialists across disciplines
Support client relationships and proposal efforts
Contribute to the long-term growth of WSP’s dam safety and water resources practice
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering or closely related discipline
7-10 years of relevant experience
Relevant post-education experience in water resources
Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with ability to obtain additional state licensure as needed
Well-developed knowledge of dam safety and hydraulic structure engineering, including flood hydrology, spillway hydraulics, dam breach analysis, floodplain delineation, risk analysis, and watershed-scale hydrologic modeling
Working knowledge of stormwater management, drainage, erosion and sediment control, and watershed studies
Experience supporting dam safety, levee, and hydraulic structure projects (inspections, evaluations, rehabilitation design, and regulatory compliance)
Ability to perform and review technical calculations, modeling, and reports prepared by junior staff
Proficiency with hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools such as HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, TR-55, HydroCAD, PCSWMM, GIS, and CAD
Strong technical writing, communication, and coordination skills
Specialized expertise in dam safety engineering, including inspections, breach analysis, spillway design, embankment dams, levees, risk analysis and related hydraulic structures
Familiarity with 3D analysis such as CFD or Flow3D for dam analyses
Experience with State or Federal (FERC/USACE/NRCS) dam safety inspection programs, including periodic inspections and owner dam safety program support
Experience supporting dam rehabilitation, modification, or removal projects, including preparation of engineering reports and design documentation
Familiarity with risk-informed dam safety concepts, consequence classification, and surveillance/monitoring programs
Familiarity with semi-quantitative and quantitative risk analyses
Regulatory knowledge with USACE, FEMA, FERC, USBR, and other local, state, and federal agencies and regulators
Project management experience
Willingness to travel occasionally based on project needs