Senior Water Resources Engineer

About the role

This opportunity is for a Lead Water Resources Engineer based in one of our offices in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Philadelphia, Exton, or Bristol, PA.

Responsibilities

• Perform dam and levee engineering analyses, including dam safety inspections, hydraulic structure evaluations, and regulated impoundment compliance assessments in accordance with state and federal dam safety regulations.
• Conduct hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for dam safety, including incremental and full dam breach analyses, spillway capacity evaluations, and downstream consequence assessments using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS (1D/2D).
• Support dam rehabilitation and modification projects in collaboration with geotechnical and structural teams, including spillway improvements, embankment stability, seepage mitigation, outlet works, and auxiliary structures.
• Prepare and support Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), inundation mapping, and coordination with owners and emergency management agencies.
• Perform instrumentation evaluation, monitoring data review, and dam surveillance planning to support risk-informed decision making.
• Perform stormwater and watershed analyses as supporting elements of dam, levee, and flood-risk management projects.
• Prepare technical reports and presentations that explain findings and recommendations.
• Prepare and implement site Health and Safety Plans (HASPs).
• Interact with regulatory agencies, subcontractors, and clients confidently and professionally.
• Aid in the development and scoping of projects.
• Participate in proposal preparation and marketing activities.
• Collaborate effectively with internal teams to advance technical discussions, support project delivery, and ensure cross-functional coordination.
• Lead and coordinate technical tasks with project team members.
• Maintain and expand technical knowledge in current water resources practices.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Coordinate and manage tasks on cross-functional teams for timely and efficient completion.
• Provide guidance and training to entry-level engineers, fostering their professional growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering or closely related discipline.
• Relevant post-education experience in water resources.
• Licensed Professional Engineer, with ability to acquire additional states 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.
• Proficient ability to coordinate with agency regulators and understand requirements.
• Demonstrated experience supporting dam safety, levee, and hydraulic structure projects, including inspections, safety evaluations, rehabilitation design, and regulatory compliance (stormwater experience considered a complementary skill).
• Experience preparing or supporting dam safety inspections, engineering assessments, designs, construction, or risk-informed evaluations in accordance with State and Federal requirements.
• Perform and review work products developed and prepared by junior staff, including inspections and preparing reports in conformance with state or federal regulatory guidelines.
• Demonstrated experience with flood hydrology, dam monitoring and instrumentation, dam operations, and risk assessment.
• Review and supervise development of the following: hydraulic, geotechnical, and structural design calculations, modeling studies, engineering drawings, reports, project standards and specifications, quantity take-offs, engineering cost estimates, and permit applications for projects involving hydraulic structures.
• Facilitate, direct, and/or perform field visits, site reconnaissance, and/or dam inspection services as dictated by project requirements.
• Ability to make technical computations and calculations involving the application of engineering principles, understanding plans and specifications and making factual comparisons to the appropriate regulations.
• Proficiency with technical writing, office automation, software, technology, math principles, predictive models, spreadsheets, and tools.
• Adept at coordinating technical matters with public and private groups.
• 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/maintenance 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.
• Works toward developing solid client relationships.
• Member of and actively participates in local professional organization(s) including attending meetings / lectures.
• Participate in conference panels, poster sessions, papers or presentations.
• Known and recognized locally or regionally in water resources industry.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering with a focus in Water Resources or closely related discipline.
• 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/maintenance 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.
• Works toward developing solid client relationships.
• Member of and actively participates in local professional organization(s) including attending meetings / lectures.
• Participate in conference panels, poster sessions, papers or presentations.
• Known and recognized locally or regionally in water resources industry.