Process & Hydraulic Design Engineer

Innova Water Pty Ltd; Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 135,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Direct technical mentoring

Complete project‑ lifecycle exposure

Early ownership for capable engineers

Significant client and supplier inter­

One work‑from‑home day per week

Profit-related bonus structure

Career progression

Job summary

Innova Water Pty Ltd is seeking a Process & Hydraulic Design Engineer to join our Portside, Brisbane team. You will deliver hands-on process and hydraulic design for water and wastewater projects, producing essential deliverables and coordinating with clients and suppliers.

The role offers growth toward project leadership with opportunities in procurement, commissioning and optimisation across Australia’s east coast.

Qualifications

• Hands-on process design deliverables (PFDs, P&IDs, calculations)
• Ability to apply fundamentals to unfamiliar systems
• Strong technical writing and design documentation

Responsibilities

• Produce PFDs and P&IDs
• Perform mass, flow and chemical balances
• Carry out process and hydraulic calculations
• Size and select equipment
• Prepare equipment schedules and procurement docs
• Develop design reports and Basis of Design
• Create functional descriptions and control philosophies
• Plan commissioning and test procedures

Skills

Process design experience

Hydraulic design

Client communication

Education

Chemical/Process/Environmental engineering degree

Job description

Process & Hydraulic Design Engineer

Water and Wastewater Treatment

Innova Water Pty Ltd

Portside, Brisbane QLD

Indicative salary: $135,000–$155,000 + super

Design complete treatment solutions and see them through to successful operation

If you are already a capable process engineer but feel your current role is becoming too narrow, this may be the opportunity you have been looking for.

Innova Water is a specialist process and hydraulic engineering consultancy delivering water and wastewater infrastructure projects across Australia’s east coast.

We work closely with contractors, councils, utilities and engineering partners to develop practical treatment solutions that can be successfully procured, constructed, commissioned and operated.

Our engineers remain involved throughout the project lifecycle. You will complete process calculations, develop PFDs and P&IDs, select equipment, prepare control documentation, coordinate supporting disciplines and work directly with clients and suppliers. You will also have opportunities to support procurement, construction, commissioning, performance testing and process optimisation.

This is an opportunity to remain technically hands‑on while developing into a complete project engineer and, over time, a project and business leader.

About the Role

This is first and foremost a hands‑on process and hydraulic design position.

From commencement, you will be expected to personally produce the essential deliverables of process engineering, including:

• PFDs and P&IDs

• Mass, flow and chemical balances

• Process and hydraulic calculations

• Equipment sizing and selection

• Equipment, instrument and valve schedules

• Design reports and Basis of Design documents

• Functional descriptions and control philosophies

• Alarm and interlock schedules

• Technical specifications and procurement documentation

• Commissioning plans and procedures

You do not need experience across every treatment technology or equal strength in both water and wastewater.

You may, for example, have strong experience in conventional water treatment, membranes, biological treatment, industrial water, chemical systems or equipment‑package design. What matters is that you already possess sound process‑design fundamentals and can apply them to unfamiliar systems with appropriate support.

During your first 6–12 months, the development focus will be on unfamiliar treatment processes, Australian utility requirements, multidisciplinary coordination and increasingly independent project delivery. It will not be on learning the fundamentals of process‑design documentation.

What You Will Work On

Projects may include:

• Water and wastewater treatment plants

• Recycled‑water facilities

• Pumping stations and hydraulic systems

• Chemical storage and dosing systems

• Filtration and membrane systems

• Biological treatment systems

• Solids‑handling systems

• Treatment‑plant upgrades and process optimisation

Your responsibilities will extend beyond conventional design and may include:

• Concept development and optioneering

• Tender‑stage and early contractor involvement

• Multidisciplinary design coordination

• Equipment evaluation and technical procurement

• Client and supplier engagement

• Construction‑phase technical support

• Commissioning and troubleshooting

• Proof of Performance Testing

• Water‑chemistry testing and process optimisation

About You

You are already capable of developing technical process deliverables, not simply coordinating or reviewing work produced by others.

You can explain the engineering basis behind your calculations and design decisions. You communicate professionally with clients, suppliers, contractors and other disciplines, and you want greater responsibility without moving away from technical engineering.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• A recognised degree in Chemical, Process, Environmental or a closely related engineering discipline

• Approximately 4–10 years of relevant experience, with flexibility for an unusually capable candidate

• Hands‑on process‑design experience in water, wastewater or a sufficiently related process industry

• Personal authorship of PFDs, P&IDs, calculations and design reports

• Experience sizing and selecting process equipment

• Experience preparing functional descriptions, control philosophies or comparable process‑control documentation

• Experience preparing commissioning or execution documentation

• Strong technical writing and document‑development skills

• Effective client, supplier and multidisciplinary communication

• The ability to manage a smaller design package with appropriate review and support

• The ability to work regularly from our Portside office

RPEQ registration, or genuine progress towards registration, will be highly regarded.

Backgrounds We Will Consider

We welcome applications from engineers working in:

• Specialist water and wastewater consultancies

• Multidisciplinary design consultancies

• Treatment‑equipment or package‑plant suppliers

• Water‑infrastructure contractors and D&C organisations

• Water utilities

• Related process industries

Regardless of your current employer, you must be able to demonstrate genuine personal responsibility for technical design.

Supplier candidates whose experience is primarily sales‑based, and construction candidates without substantial design, technical procurement and commissioning involvement, will not suit this position.

Why Join Innova Water?

Become a more complete engineer

You will remain technically hands‑on while developing experience across design, procurement, construction, commissioning, performance testing and optimisation.

Work directly with experienced engineers

You will receive direct technical feedback and mentoring from senior engineers who remain closely involved in project delivery.

Take meaningful ownership

Capable engineers receive direct client exposure and responsibility for complete packages and projects. Your contribution will be visible and will not be constrained by layers of corporate hierarchy.

Build towards project and business leadership

As you demonstrate technical and commercial judgement, you can progress into:

• Independent project delivery

• Multidisciplinary team leadership

• Primary client relationships

• Mentoring developing engineers

• Proposals and business development

• Greater responsibility and remuneration

• Potential future senior leadership or business partnership

These opportunities are earned through sustained performance, contribution and mutual trust.

Perform at a high level without routine overwork

We expect people to work hard, remain engaged and use their time efficiently during normal working hours. We also want our team to switch off properly and maintain a strong personal life outside work.

Tender deadlines, commissioning and critical project events may occasionally require additional effort. Routine late nights and weekend work are not our business model.

Salary and Benefits

Indicative salary: $135,000–$155,000 + super

Salary will reflect demonstrated technical capability, relevant treatment experience and your ability to independently deliver high‑quality process‑engineering work.

A higher package may be considered for an exceptional candidate with particularly strong municipal water or wastewater design capability.

We also offer:

• Direct technical mentoring

• Complete project‑lifecycle exposure

• Early ownership for capable engineers

• Significant client and supplier interaction

• One work‑from‑home day per week once established

• Reasonable flexibility around personal commitments

• A company‑wide profit‑related bonus structure

• Meaningful professional and remuneration progression

Working Rights

Australian citizenship or permanent residency is preferred.

Sponsorship may be considered for an exceptional candidate who is already based in Australia, closely meets the technical requirements and demonstrates a genuine long‑term commitment to building a career here.