Mechanical Engineer - Hydropower

Posted October 15, 2026. Locations: Chattanooga, TN; Cary, NC; Atlanta, GA; Overland Park, KS; Charlotte, NC; Ann Arbor, MI. Full-time, relocation eligible, no visa sponsorship. Requisition 116548.

About the role

At Black & Veatch, a 100% employee-owned company with over 100 years of innovation in sustainable infrastructure, you’ll be part of work that matters—designing, creating, and building the infrastructure communities rely on every day. Safety is built into every decision, and ownership shows up in how we work: we take responsibility for outcomes, follow through on commitments, and share in the long-term success we build together.

In this role you will lead, design, and manage new and upgraded projects on hydropower systems, including hydro turbines (condition assessments, hydraulic evaluations, FEA calculations), dam and water conveyance (radial gates, large valves), generator evaluations and cooling systems, raw water and oil systems, fire protection and HVAC, turbine and generator bearings, compressed air systems, instrumentation support, and crane/hoist systems. You may also perform limited commissioning support, on-site data collection, and inspections of powerhouse and dam-related assets. Projects span concept to completion, offering insight into the influence of initial decisions and the satisfaction of commissioning.

Black & Veatch has delivered hydropower solutions worldwide for more than 40 years, with nearly 500 projects and more than 50,000 megawatts in hydropower design. The team provides full services—from studies and valuations to optimizing existing operations—for facilities ranging from the smallest to the largest in capacity.

Responsibilities

• Continue developing knowledge and provide guidance on design guides, standards, systems, applicable engineering codes, and B&V policies.
• Provide technical guidance to others regarding projects and disciplines.
• Independently apply knowledge and comply with B&V quality program relative to assigned tasks; may be responsible for ensuring compliance.
• Support continuous improvement and change management efforts.
• Prepare a variety of complex engineering deliverables for larger or multiple projects.
• Perform complex research and develop recommendations for equipment and/or materials selection.
• Oversee collection, assimilation, and management of data for engineering work.
• Prepare complex engineering calculations following standard methods and principles.
• Manage assigned budget, schedule, and quality requirements.
• Independently apply advanced engineering techniques and analysis to problems and methods.
• Actively delegate appropriate tasks to lower-level team members to develop depth of project execution staff.
• Review lower-level engineering work or assignments.
• Lead production teams, coordinate multiple discipline activity, and/or serve as the responsible charge for a project.
• Actively coordinate with all internal/external team members on moderately complex projects.
• Assist with identification of key client interests and drivers on low to moderately complex projects; communicate those to the project team and develop approaches to accommodate them.
• Provide support to business development or pursuit activities and may offer other services to clients.
• Serve as a recognized technical specialist, providing consultation and guidance to project teams in a particular practice area.
• Design a complete project of moderately complex scope or support multiple projects on complex technical challenges.
• Actively foster knowledge management and provide mentoring.
• Develop and apply advanced engineering concepts and approaches to unique engineering problems.
• Assist with performance management, mentoring, recognition, and corrective actions; participate in career planning and learning and development.
• Actively mentor lower-level professionals and identify successors to train in the specifics of their role.
• Assist with resource management strategy; may have responsibility for engineering resources for small groups of a single discipline.
• Perform administrative responsibilities including ensuring policies, procedures, and processes are effectively implemented and communicated; ensuring adherence to corporate and division programs; approving timesheets and expense reports.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering from a recognized accredited program (or equivalent experience in engineering work).
• Minimum of 5 years related work experience.
• Ability to complete pre-employment onboarding requirements (criminal/civil background check