Principal Hydraulic Engineer

KBR, Inc.; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Industry leading salaries

20 Days annual leave

Flexible work arrangements

Salary packaging and novated leases

Paid professional membership fees

Life/Health insurance discounts

Employee stock purchase plans

Paid parental leave

Personal career development plans

Growth and promotion opportunities

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Principal Hydraulic Engineer in Australia to lead hydraulic building services design for Defence facilities, from concept through construction. You will mentor engineers, manage technical delivery, and build client relationships across multidisciplinary teams.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in hydraulic systems, water management, and complex infrastructure, with Baseline Security Clearance or ability to obtain one. Chartered status is preferred.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience delivering hydraulic building services projects, preferably in Defence.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary project teams and manage technical delivery.
• Strong knowledge of hydraulic building services, water management, and Defence requirements.
• Experience with complex site-wide hydraulic networks and resilient infrastructure.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and project management skills.
• Baseline Security Clearance, or ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Hydraulic, Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Chartered Engineer (CPEng) or ability to obtain chartership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of hydraulic building services solutions across Defence and secure infrastructure projects, from concept through to detailed design and construction support.
• Provide technical leadership for hydraulic systems including potable water, sanitary drainage, trade waste, stormwater, rainwater harvesting, fire services interfaces, and specialist hydraulic infrastructure required for Defence facilities.
• Act as the lead hydraulic discipline engineer on major multidisciplinary projects, ensuring technical excellence, quality, and compliance with Defence requirements, Australian Standards, NCC requirements, and relevant project specifications.
• Manage hydraulic project deliverables, resources, budgets, and programme requirements to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Defence clients, project stakeholders, contractors, and external consultants.
• Prepare and review technical reports, specifications, calculations, design documentation, and engineering assessments.
• Mentor and support engineers, designers, and graduates, fostering technical development and engineering best practice.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, and other specialist disciplines to deliver integrated and practical engineering solutions.

Skills

Hydraulic design

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Civil/ Hydraulic/ Mechanical Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer (CPEng) or equivalent

Job description

Title:

Principal Hydraulic Engineer

Who we are?

KBR’s Infrastructure Solutions business employs over 1,400 people across Australia. Our strong project delivery record, industry reputation and trusted partnerships have driven significant growth, creating outstanding career development and project opportunities for our people.

We’re known for our collaborative “One Team” culture and our commitment to working closely with clients and construction partners to achieve exceptional results. Our open, inclusive environment ensures people are valued, supported and able to thrive. By joining KBR, you become part of a team that works together, shares common values and is united in delivering great outcomes.

We are seeking an experienced Principal Hydraulic Engineer to provide technical leadership and deliver innovative hydraulic building services solutions across a diverse portfolio of AUKUS-related infrastructure projects. As a senior member of our Building Services team, you will lead the design and delivery of hydraulic systems for complex Defence facilities, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams from concept development through to construction and commissioning.

This role combines technical excellence, project leadership, and client engagement, requiring a strong understanding of hydraulic building services systems, Defence project requirements, and the delivery of complex infrastructure projects. You will play a key role in mentoring engineers, ensuring high-quality project outcomes, and building trusted relationships with both internal and external clients and key stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of hydraulic building services solutions across Defence and secure infrastructure projects, from concept through to detailed design and construction support.
• Provide technical leadership for hydraulic systems including potable water, sanitary drainage, trade waste, stormwater, rainwater harvesting, fire services interfaces, and specialist hydraulic infrastructure required for Defence facilities.
• Act as the lead hydraulic discipline engineer on major multidisciplinary projects, ensuring technical excellence, quality, and compliance with Defence requirements, Australian Standards, NCC requirements, and relevant project specifications.
• Manage hydraulic project deliverables, resources, budgets, and programme requirements to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Defence clients, project stakeholders, contractors, and external consultants.
• Prepare and review technical reports, specifications, calculations, design documentation, and engineering assessments.
• Mentor and support engineers, designers, and graduates, fostering technical development and engineering best practice.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, and other specialist disciplines to deliver integrated and practical engineering solutions.

Ideal Experience

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in hydraulic building services design, a passion for solving complex engineering challenges, and experience delivering projects within Defence, government, or other mission‑critical environments.

• Extensive experience delivering hydraulic building services projects within ideally the Defence market, however we would also consider experience across government, infrastructure, transport, health, education, or other complex built environment sectors.
• Proven experience working within multidisciplinary project teams and managing technical delivery on large‑scale projects.
• Strong knowledge of hydraulic building services systems, water management principles, and Defence infrastructure requirements.
• Experience delivering projects involving complex site‑wide hydraulic networks, resilient infrastructure, water conservation initiatives, and technically challenging operational environments.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and project management skills.
• Ideally holds a Baseline Security Clearance, or has the ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Hydraulic, Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent relevant engineering qualification).
• Chartered Engineer (CPEng) or the ability to obtain chartership.

Why KBR?

https://kbr.foleon.com/is-australia/who-we-are/who-we-are

This position gives you the opportunity to continue KBR’s success in delivering major Defence, Transport and Infrastructure projects.

At KBR, we value you – here’s how.

While our people are busy delivering leading science, technology, and engineering solutions, we’re committed to providing them with a supportive, trusting environment and benefits that enable them to thrive and continue doing what they do best.

Benefits include:

• Industry leading salaries reviewed annually.
• 20 Days of annual leave per year + the ability to accrue an additional 8 hours every 4 weeks (33 days in total)
• Flexible work arrangements (start/finish times, WFH, Flex time)
• Salary packaging and novated leases
• Paid professional membership fees
• Life/Health insurance discounts
• Employee stock purchase plans
• Paid parental leave
• Personal career development plans
• Growth and promotion opportunities

Our people are the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to creating work environments in which every member of our team of teams feels safe, supported, respected, trusted and valued, and where each person is given opportunities to belong, connect and grow.

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