Wastewater Treatment and Effluent Management (WTEM) Business Class Director

About the role

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 part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience.

We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. This role focuses on company-wide development, coordination, monitoring, and improvement of technical competencies for the Wastewater and Effluent Management (WWEM) Business Class. You will lead the direction, coordination, and quality of work for HDR’s Wastewater Treatment program, build relationships across business classes and market sectors, and provide risk management for large-scale, multi-discipline projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide company-wide leadership of technical capabilities within the WWEM business class.
• Build close working relationships and coordinate with related business classes, market sectors, business groups, and operations.
• Lead and participate in technical risk management through process and resource reviews, technical advisory services, and claims prevention.
• Drive quality assurance and control processes; coordinate with the WBG Quality Manager.
• Oversee development and application of technical tools, standards, and techniques to enhance service quality and efficiency.
• Ensure technical staff monitor emerging technologies and assign qualified staff to projects, including effective use of worksharing.
• Develop strategic plans for the business class and provide input on business trends to leadership.
• Lead applied research strategy (e.g., Water Research Foundation) to advance WTEM technical capabilities and translate research into practice.
• Maintain strategic relationships with key university graduate programs to support workforce development and recruiting.
• Facilitate business class teamwork, communication, and work sharing between offices, management, and staff.
• Monitor business class direction, policies, quality assurance, technical tools, and resource allocation.
• Build technical expertise and production capacity through recruitment and training; coordinate strategic hires.
• Support client development and project pursuits by facilitating technical experts.
• Ensure technical experts represent HDR through involvement in industry organizations, presentations, and publications.
• Oversee Practice Groups within the Business Class.
• Facilitate “lessons learned” for project delivery, processes, trends, successes, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Monitor company-wide performance to achieve defined goals and support operational managers in corrective actions.
• Facilitate the PARR process through assignment of Lead Reviewers and review of exemption requests.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering, or closely related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a related field.
• For Business Class leadership roles overseeing technical design, must maintain a professional or Architecture/Engineering registration and have related technical experience.
• Experience in development and management of diverse teams.
• Works cooperatively with other business class directors, operations managers, technical directors, and marketing managers.
• Committed to quality, improvement, and HDR values.
• Active participant in our employee-owned culture.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a Business Class or Professional Services leadership role.
• Experience working cooperatively with other HDR business class directors, operations managers, technical directors, and marketing managers on business class efforts.

Keywords: wastewater treatment, nutrient removal, effluent management, planning, water reclamation.

Location and Travel

The geographic location of this position is non-specific; however, a location with significant HDR presence is preferred. The estimated average travel requirement is 50%, with monthly variations between 0% and 75%.

Pay

The expected compensation range for this position is $178,952–$336,375, depending on skills, experience, education, and geographical location.

Benefits

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, health, performance, and success, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Employee assistance program.
• Paid time away, parental leave, and holidays.
• Retirement savings plan with employer match.
• Employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement.

Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles are eligible for limited benefits.

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust, and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.