Water Resources Engineer

SONDA Recruitment; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

A Melbourne-based Victorian water consultancy is seeking a water resources engineer to lead stormwater and surface water projects for land development and councils. You’ll own referrals, engage with clients, and apply MUSIC modelling, TUFLOW, and 12D in integrated drainage design.

You’ll contribute to GIS-based tools, develop strategic management plans, and write reports for councils, developers, and referral authorities.

Qualifications

• Experience in Victoria's water resources and stormwater sector.
• Consultancy experience with public and private clients.
• Fluency with Melbourne Water processes and drainage schemes.
• Proficient with MUSIC, TUFLOW, and 12D.
• Ability to write clearly and advise confidently.
• Interest in the bigger picture of water management.

Responsibilities

• Lead stormwater and surface water projects from concept to construction.
• Own Melbourne Water referrals, drainage overlay processes, and council flood strategy engagements.
• Apply MUSIC modelling, TUFLOW hydraulic analysis, and integrated drainage design.
• Develop GIS-based tools and perform spatial analysis.
• Create strategic stormwater management plans for councils and developers.
• Write clear, concise project reports.

Skills

Client communication

Strategic thinking

Written reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

MUSIC modelling

TUFLOW

12D

GIS software

Job description

You're a water resources engineer now, working with a known consulting firm. Why move?

You know your way around a Melbourne Water referral. You can run a MUSIC model in your sleep and you've steered enough council flood strategies to know where they tend to fall apart.

Your current role stopped stretching you a while ago; and you've been waiting for that to change. It won't. But this will.

This is a Victorian water consultancy that thinks differently about their place in the industry. State and National Stormwater Australia Excellence Award winners in 2024, clients across Melbourne Water, City of Melbourne, plentiful local authorities, and some of Victoria's most active private developers.

A team that is small by design, serious about craft, and interested in doing work that matters beyond the spreadsheet.

The work

• Lead stormwater and surface water management projects across land development and local government; concept through to construction
• Own Melbourne Water referrals, drainage overlay processes, and council flood strategy engagements; not just the technical output, but the client relationship around it
• Apply MUSIC modelling, TUFLOW hydraulic analysis, and integrated drainage design
• Contribute to GIS-based tool development and spatial analysis
• Develop strategic stormwater management plans and integrated water management advice for councils, developers, and referral authorities
• Write reports (you know it!)

Why you'll like it here

• Inner Melbourne CBD; hybrid flexibility that gives you your mornings, your evenings, and your sanity
• Deep thinking over volume
• No politics, no noise; a tight group of skilled people - here because they want to be
• Great people leaders; empathetic and inspiring humans

What you'll bring

• Experience in Victoria's water resources and stormwater sector
• Proven consultancy experience across public and private clients; land development, council strategy, or both
• Fluency in Melbourne Water processes, council flood frameworks, and drainage scheme design
• Strong technical capability across MUSIC, TUFLOW, and 12D
• The ability to write with precision, advise with confidence, and bring calm to a client conversation heading sideways
• An appetite for the bigger picture

Why now?

Because the right move rarely announces itself loudly. This one is worth a conversation.