Senior Operations Specialist (Water)

About the role

HDR is seeking an energetic, hardworking problem solver to become a full-time Senior Operations Specialist to work on both municipal and industrial water treatment facilities. This position will allow you to work on a variety of treatment technologies for multiple treatment plants, providing opportunities to make a meaningful difference in public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience.

Responsibilities

• Support HDR project leaders on water treatment projects requiring input from Operations Specialists.
• Review drawings for operability review and HazOps analysis, focusing on successful operation of various treatment processes.
• Manage operations and maintenance projects with both municipal and industrial clients, including client interfacing, regulatory reporting, and personnel, subcontractor, and maintenance management.
• Develop startup and commissioning plans and host workshops to ensure these plans work for each specific plant.
• Perform startup and commissioning of new water treatment facilities, working closely with contractors and engineers to ensure the new equipment functions correctly before handing it over to the operations and maintenance staff.
• Provide formal and informal training to help clients’ treatment plants operate effectively.
• Test facilities to ensure they meet design capacity requirements post-startup.
• Conduct condition assessments and asset management tasks on water and wastewater facilities, using advanced evaluation tools to gather necessary information and insights.
• Perform operational or maintenance troubleshooting and evaluations on municipal and industrial water facilities.
• Work on a variety of new and innovative projects, contributing to a career path with significant growth potential.
• Travel up to 30-40% of the time, with weekend travel not typically required.

Requirements

• Minimum 10 years field experience in troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation equipment at water treatment facilities and/or resolving water treatment process problems.
• Additional construction experience is a plus.
• A high level water treatment operator license or professional engineering license.
• Experience interpreting engineering plans and specifications.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products and computerized maintenance and management systems.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant in our employee-owned culture.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Microsoft Office product experience.
• General background-related experience.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant in our employee-owned culture.

Skills

• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products.
• Understanding of water treatment processes and equipment.

Benefits

At HDR, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Short and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• An employee assistance program.
• Paid time off.
• Parental leave.
• Paid holidays.
• A retirement savings plan with employer match.
• Tuition reimbursement.

Pay

The expected compensation range for this position is $71,960 - 128,500, depending on skills, experience, education, and geographical location.

Schedule

This position is full-time and requires regular business hours.

Business Class

This role falls under the WW Treatment and Effluent Management industry.

Employee Status

This is a regular, full-time position.

Job Posting Date

The job posting is set to expire on December 31, 2025.

Equal Opportunity Employer

HDR is committed to the principles of employment equity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.