New

Area Water and Wastewater Utility Planning Lead

HDR, Inc.
life insurance, parental leave, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement
United States, California, San Diego
Oct 01, 2026
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:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story' Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world. We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. 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. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people's lives. This isn't just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy. In the role of Area Water and Wastewater Utility Planning Lead, we'll count on you to: Management Responsibilities Plan, lead and manage Utility Planning projects, working with teams on various utility infrastructure planning and utility management service-related projects for federal, state and local agencies. Responsible for all aspects of large multidiscipline projects or medium-sized projects with high degree of technical complexity, involving a large project staff Deliver technical products that meet client expectations. Responsible for workload, financial performance, schedule and quality aspects of the projects. Prepare or oversee preparation of technical reports and master planning studies. Primary tasks may include: developing and calibrating water, wastewater, recycled water and storm water hydraulic models, performing GIS data analysis, developing maps and figures, alternatives analysis, system water quality, energy and operations optimization and rehabilitation studies, and developing capital improvement recommendations and plans. Responsible for local and regional utility planning business development, including generating leads, preparing proposals, and leading interviews for new work. Support Regional Water Business Group marketing team in strategic efforts to grow Utility Planning and Utility Management Services programs in the region. Mentor, coach, and train junior staff to improve utility planning-related technical competencies in the region. Implement effective quality assurance and quality control reviews. Participate in local and national professional organization(s) and internal practice groups. Participate in practice and professional discipline groups, project teams and activities to continually improve standards and best practices. Technical Responsibilities Mentor, coach, and train junior staff to improve utility planning-related technical competencies in the region. Implement effective quality assurance and quality control reviews. Participate in local and national professional organization(s) and internal practice groups. Participate in practice and professional discipline groups, project teams and activities to continually improve standards and best practices. Provide local leadership of infrastructure planning, modeling, identification of capital improvements, and distribution/collection system operational optimization technical capabilities within the Utility Planning practice area in support of the regional and area Utility Planning leads client development leads. Serve as client manager and project manager on utility planning projects. Build local technical expertise and production capacity through recruitment and training. Participate in support of client development and project pursuits. Facilitate lessons learned for project delivery, processes, trends, successes, strengths and weaknesses. Identifies technical market trends in the local markets. Works with local Water Business Group marketing staff to develop a strategy to capture key types of projects. Works with Water Business Group Marketing Managers to identify and screen key clients with high probability pursuits that align with the Utility Planning strengths and the business trends in the area. #LI-JF1 Keywords: Area Water and Wastewater Utility Planning Lead, master planning, utility master planning, hydraulic modeling, and utility management services Preferred Qualifications A Master's degree is desired. Experienced in technical writing for report preparation. Demonstrates willingness to learn and grow skills into new areas. Self-motivated, able to work independently and with a project team to completion of a task or project. Strong communication, technical writing, organizational, and time management skills. Actively engaged in professional or industry associations to enhance HDR technical expertise and brand Bachelor's degree in a professional, engineering or related field. Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience. Long-term interest in utility master planning, hydraulic modeling, and utility management services is important. 10 years or more water and/or wastewater utility experience or related engineering work. Experienced in development and management of diverse teams. Experience working for a public, municipal, or investor owned water and/or wastewater utility, public works department, engineering consulting firm with project management experience with utility planning and/or management, master planning, hydraulic modeling, general plan or municipal planning, and integrated water resource planning related services for water, sewer, recycled water, and stormwater utilities. Hands on working knowledge in a majority of the following technical areas: Water, Sewer, and stormwater utility master planning, hydraulic modeling (steady state, EPS, and dynamic), water demand and sewer flow generation forecasting, land use planning, water conservation and demand management practices, integrated and conjunctive use water resource planning, water and wastewater regulatory compliance and technical support, sustainability in the water and wastewater utility fields, water distribution and sewer collection system O&M programs, GIS and database management, and knowledge of utility rates and finance issues. Committed to quality, improvement and HDR values Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience experienced in development and management of diverse teams Works cooperatively with other area business class leaders, operations managers, technical directors and marketing managers on business class efforts Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in related field or an equivalent combination of education and related professional experience 10 years related experience A minimum of 5 years of project management experience Familiar with Microsoft Office, estimating and scheduling software, project management software Must have the ability to interact with various design teams, have excellent organizational, project management and communication (both written and verbal) skills An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must 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 Commitment As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day. 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. We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) {Pay Transparency }: $137,000 - $196,000 Primary Location : United States-California-San Diego Other Locations : United States-California-Irvine, United States-California-Los Angeles, United States-California-Long Beach Industry : Water Schedule : Full-time Employee Status : Regular BusinessClass : Utility Management Services Job Posting : Oct 1, 2026