North Central Hydropower Practice Leader

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world? Watch Our Story. Each role at HDR makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better.

We believe electricity powers modern life. As part of our Power sector, you’ll help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted, and delivered as global energy demands grow. From massive data centers to modernizing transmission systems, our industry-recognized engineers and scientists have been at the forefront of grid transformation for over a century. You’ll work side-by-side with these experts and contribute to reliable, resilient, and sustainable power systems, helping communities thrive and industries expand. This is a chance to drive infrastructure forward, power innovation, and leave your mark on our energy future.

About the role

HDR has an opening for a North Central Regional Hydropower Practice Leader to join our Hydropower Practice, anticipated to be located within HDR’s Minnesota/Wisconsin or Nebraska/Iowa areas. This position drives growth and executes new work by leveraging industry relationships and technical expertise in collaboration with HDR’s business development and execution teams. The role includes supervisory responsibilities and requires a combination of project execution, business development, and strategic planning with a geographic focus on HDR’s North Central Region, including significant involvement in national hydropower pursuits and projects such as pumped storage hydropower.

Responsibilities

• Lead or partner with HDR staff in planning and executing existing and new hydropower projects.
• Provide technical expertise in areas such as FERC regulatory, dam safety, civil, spillways, fish passage, hydraulics, H&H, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering, hydropower development studies and design, CFD modeling, hydro operations optimization, feasibility and conceptual design, economic studies, and water/energy nexus planning.
• Support hydropower client management, marketing, and strategic planning activities.
• Collaborate with local, regional, and national hydropower practice leadership to identify and develop new growth opportunities.
• Engage with industry groups such as the Midwest Hydro Users Group and National Hydropower Association to increase HDR’s brand recognition in the North Central region.
• Manage technical and operational activities of the North-Central hydropower section, serving as a project manager and/or task/discipline lead on key projects.
• Participate in key hydropower projects nationwide.
• Prepare and review project budgets for the hydropower section and track budget status.
• Schedule and coordinate work performed by and for the hydropower section.
• Establish work priorities and project assignments for hydropower staff.
• Monitor scope of work and scope changes.
• Facilitate coordination with other discipline groups.
• Conduct interviews for new staff and provide mentoring.
• Establish employee goals and conduct performance reviews.
• Schedule and conduct hydropower section meetings to discuss productivity, workload, and quality control.
• Advance staff skill levels through training, education, and experience.
• Coordinate with hydropower section managers in other locations to review workload, project status, and staffing requirements.
• Prepare and/or review hydropower scopes of work, budgets, and estimates for proposals.
• Monitor changes in codes, regulations, and client standards.
• Perform or arrange quality control reviews of hydropower deliverables.
• Maintain and establish client relations, and engage in marketing and client development activities.
• Maintain industry engagement through events and conferences.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering (or a closely related field).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in hydropower, dam, hydraulic structures, or related engineering.
• Maintains a professional or Engineering registration and has related technical experience.
• Experience in development and management of diverse teams.
• Works cooperatively with other business class regional directors, operations managers, technical directors, and marketing managers.
• Committed to quality, improvement, and HDR values.
• Active participation in our employee-owned culture.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with conventional and pumped storage hydropower and associated features and hydraulic structures.
• Ability to travel.
• Ability to become licensed as a PE in other U.S. states’ jurisdictions through NCEES or similar.
• Recognized leader within the hydropower industry, with a comprehensive understanding of engineering and regulatory disciplines, and how hydropower integrates into the changing energy generation landscape.
• Established relationships with existing and potential North Central clients and other hydropower clients/owners nationally.
• Solid business development skills and demonstrated ability to relate well to internal and external clients.
• Demonstrated professional services operations experience, including team leadership and ability to sell programs and services.
• Strong understanding of successful project execution, including quality management and client satisfaction.
• Business acumen skills and ability to collaborate internally and navigate within a matrix organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Minimum 15 years of hydropower, dam, hydraulic structures, or related engineering experience.
• Experience with drawings related to hydropower or similar projects.
• Strong communication, listening, and mentoring skills.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments.
• Good leadership and organizational skills.
• Experience in design calculations, studies, specifications, and preparation of construction documents.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package promoting employee ownership, health, performance, and success, including medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, and an employee assistance program.
• Paid time away, parental leave, and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings plan with employer match.
• Employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement.

Pay

The expected compensation range for this position depends on skills, experience, education, and geographical location:

• Minnesota: $168,095 - $240,135
• Illinois: $176,099 - $251,570
• Colorado: $176,099 - $251,570

Schedule

Full-time, regular position.

Locations

• United States-Minnesota-Saint Louis Park
• United States-Iowa-Des Moines
• United States-Nebraska-Omaha
• United States-Colorado-Denver
• United States-Wisconsin-Madison
• United States-Michigan-Ann Arbor
• United States-Illinois-Chicago

HDR is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, arrest, or conviction records.