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. The role focuses on dam safety, levee, and hydraulic structure projects with our Earth & Environment Team.

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.
• Assist in developing schedules and objectives for the project and for field staff.
• 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.