Senior Technical Manager, Water Resources Engineering

WSP USA; City of Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Global mobility

Mentoring

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Senior/Principal Water Resource Engineer to lead surface water design and flood modelling across Australia. You will provide technical leadership, mentor engineers and help grow client relationships while coordinating multidisciplinary projects from concept to delivery.

Applicants should have a Civil/Environmental Engineering degree with senior consulting experience and proficiency in 1D/2D modelling tools, GIS and Australian water frameworks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering.
• Senior/Principal level consulting experience with surface water.
• Experience with 1D/2D flood modelling and stormwater design.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary projects and mentor staff.
• Knowledge of Queensland/Australian water frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver surface water assessments, drainage strategies and design solutions for projects across Australia.
• Provide technical leadership in hydrological and hydraulic modelling, including 1D/2D flood modelling and water management studies.
• Support strategic work winning by identifying opportunities and building client relationships.
• Manage multidisciplinary projects from planning to delivery with focus on quality and client satisfaction.
• Prepare, review and approve reports, proposals and design documentation for submissions.
• Mentor engineers and modellers and support career development.
• Contribute to technical excellence, innovation and flood resilience.

Skills

Surface water design

Flood modelling

Hydraulic modelling

Geospatial analysis

Client engagement

Project delivery

Mentoring

Team leadership

Regulatory knowledge

CPEng aware

Education

Civil/Environmental Eng degree

Tools

RORB

XP-RAFTS

AWBM

DRAINS

TUFLOW

HEC-RAS

XP-SWMM/STORM

Job description

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?

At WSP, you can access our global scale, work on landmark projects and collaborate with some of the brightest minds in your field. You’ll be encouraged to explore new ideas, embrace innovation and grow your career in a culture that values diversity and inclusion.

This role will see you contribute as a senior technical and project leader, helping to strengthen WSP’s surface water capability, support strategic project delivery, and grow our pipeline of work across Queensland and nationally.

Our Geo-Environment (GEE) team is solving some of Australia’s biggest challenges across the built and natural environments. We are looking for experienced Senior and Principal Water Resource Engineers who can provide technical expertise in surface water design, flood modelling, drainage, dams-related studies, water management and climate resilience, while also contributing to work winning, strategic client relationships, mentoring and the delivery of high-quality outcomes across dynamic, multicultural and multidisciplinary teams. This role will also be central to strengthening the GEE National Surface Water Team’s support to the broader GEE business, the wider Earth and Environment teams.

As a Senior to Principal Water Resource Engineer, you'll:

• Lead and deliver surface water assessments, drainage strategies and design solutions for projects in the waste management, mining, renewable energy, transport, infrastructure and industrial development sectors across Australia.

• Provide technical leadership in hydrological and hydraulic modelling, including 1D and 2D flood modelling, flood risk assessment, stormwater infrastructure design and water management studies.

• Support strategic work winning by identifying opportunities, building client relationships, preparing proposals and contributing to successful pursuits across surface water and geo-environmental services.

• Manage and coordinate multidisciplinary projects from planning and environmental assessment through to concept, detailed design and delivery, with a strong focus on quality, commercial outcomes and client satisfaction.

• Prepare, review and approve high-quality technical reports, proposals, design documentation and assessment packages for internal, client and regulator-facing submissions.

• Mentor, coach and develop engineers and modellers, sharing technical knowledge and supporting career development within a collaborative national team.

• Contribute to technical excellence, innovation and future-ready thinking in flood resilience, climate change adaptation, sustainable drainage and integrated water management.

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, ideally with a postgraduate qualification in water resource management.

• Strong consulting experience at Senior or Principal level, with a demonstrated track record in surface water engineering, project delivery, client engagement and technical leadership.

• Recognised expertise in surface water design, drainage design, flood studies, flood modelling, floodplain management, stormwater management and water quality assessment.

• Proficiency in hydrologic and hydraulic modelling tools such as RORB, XP-RAFTS, AWBM, DRAINS, TUFLOW, HEC-RAS and XP-SWMM/STORM, with GIS capability using ArcGIS, QGIS or similar platforms.

• Experience in civil and stormwater infrastructure design, including concept design, detailed design, construction support and interface with civil, geotechnical and environmental teams.

• Strong industry exposure across sectors such as infrastructure, mining, renewables, waste management, industrial development and government projects.

• Proven ability to contribute to work winning, including proposal preparation, bid strategy, scope development, fee estimation, client presentations and pursuit coordination.

• Ability to provide technical reviews, guide modelling and design approaches, and support risk-based decision‑making for complex surface water and flood risk projects.

• Experience mentoring engineers, supporting technical capability development and contributing to a positive, inclusive and knowledge‑sharing team culture.

• Comfortable working across multicultural, dynamic and geographically distributed teams, including collaboration with national and global specialists.

• Working knowledge of Queensland and Australian water management frameworks, floodplain management guidance, drainage standards, environmental assessment processes and regulator expectations.

• Experience in erosion and sediment control, dam break assessment, consequence category assessment, water balance modelling using GoldSim or similar tools, and CPEng or equivalent professional recognition will be highly regarded.

Why WSP?

Joining WSP means becoming part of a global team driven by purpose and innovation.

• Work on impactful projects that shape safer, healthier workplaces
• Be part of a collaborative and inclusive culture
• Access strong career development pathways and mentoring
• Enjoy flexible work arrangements and wellbeing initiatives
• Benefit from global mobility and learning opportunities

Discover more on our https://www.wsp.com/en-au/careers/why-joinus/employeebenefits page.