Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer - Water Dams

Klohn Crippen Berger Consultoria Ltda; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work opportunities

Annual performance and salary review

Vacation policy aligned to experience

Paid OT and sick days

Flexible benefits including RRSP

ESG initiatives support

Job summary

Klohn Crippen Berger is seeking a Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer in Vancouver, BC, to lead design of large hydro dams and related structures. The role emphasizes CFD-driven analysis, dam safety reviews, and cross-disciplinary coordination with geotechnical and civil teams.

Hybrid work with 3+ days in the Vancouver office, and opportunities for professional development and client engagement. 10–15 years of hydrotechnical experience and strong CFD skills are required.

Qualifications

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in British Columbia or eligible to register
• Master's or PhD in Hydrotechnical or Civil Engineering
• 10-15 years of hydrotechnical experience with CFD delivery
• Proficiency with CFD tools such as Flow 3D
• Experience leading transient hydraulic and CFD analyses
• Business development experience
• Strong design capabilities in dams from feasibility to detailed design
• Experience with large conventional hydro and pump storage (50-100 MW)
• Interface with geotechnical/civil-structural/mechanical design aspects
• Strong interpersonal and client-facing skills
• Project and client management track record
• English report writing skills
• Construction site experience
• Experience performing dam safety reviews and inspections
• Capable of managing $1 Million+ projects

Responsibilities

• Leading and collaborating with diverse teams from design through construction support
• Acting as a technical resource within project teams
• Providing progress reports to Clients and senior management
• Attending site visits to complement design activities
• Leading dam safety reviews
• Communicating with clients professionally
• Ensuring quality management across projects and suggesting improvements
• Engaging in business and professional development activities
• Developing and mentoring younger team members

Skills

CFD expertise

Leadership

Project management

Client management

English communication

Education

Master's or PhD in Hydrotechnical or Civil Engineering

Tools

Flow 3D

Job description

Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer - Water Dams

Vancouver, BC

What makes us stand out?

KCB is an employee-owned mid-size consultancy with a reputation that exceeds our size. Our tag line "Down to Earth / Up to the Challenge" says a lot about who we are. Our staff are inquisitive, curious, and dedicated to solving complex problems. Our size allows us to draw on colleagues across the globe just as easily as if they were across the hall. We also advocate for continued professional development and encourage this by hosting a range of internal and external training sessions and encouraging staff to participate in conferences. In broad terms we think KCB's differentiators are our:

• size - large enough to win intriguing projects, small enough for the President and CEO to know you by name.
• creative perspectives that come through diverse and inclusive teams.
• access to some of the sectors' leading talent.
• international reputation for technical excellence, where everyone maintains a technical focus.
• appetite to tackle problems with unique complexities.

KCB's growing Power and Transportation Group is seeking a Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer with a strong background in the design of large hydro and water control dams and appurtenant structures and a broad knowledge of other related disciplines, including dam safety reviews and condition assessments.Site experience for hydro projects (domestically and internationally) is preferred.

KCB's growing Power and Transportation Group is seeking an experienced Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer with strong computational fluid dynamics (CFD) expertise to lead complex water and hydraulic structure projects. In this role, you will lead hydrodynamic modeling, fluid‑structure interaction studies, transient analysis and advanced numerical simulations that guide the planning, design, and assessment of water infrastructure.

This is a hybrid position working mostly in our Vancouver office for a minimum of 3 days a week.

What you would engage in:

• Leading and collaborating with diverse teams of discipline engineers, designers, and drafters from conceptual design through preliminary and final design and construction support.
• Acting as a technical resource within the project team(s).
• Providing progress reports to Clients and to senior management at regular intervals
• Attending site visits, gathering information as required to complement the related design activities.
• Leading dam safety reviews, either as a discipline or overall lead.
• Communicating and collaborating with clients in a professional manner.
• Complying with company-established quality management systems throughout a project and suggesting/implementing improvements as appropriate.
• Business and professional development activities such as conference attendance and training.
• Developing and mentoring younger members of the project teams.

What we require:

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in British Columbia or be eligible to register.
• Master's or PhD degree in Hydrotechnical or Civil Engineering.
• 10-15 years of hydrotechnical experience with significant CFD delivery in consulting or owner/operator settings.
• Proficiency with CFD tools such as Flow 3D.
• Experience leading and conducting transient hydraulic and CFD analyses
• Business development experience e.g., writing, and leading proposals.
• Strong technical knowledge and design capabilities in civil engineering, specifically related to dams, from feasibility to detailed design.
• Have large conventional hydro and pump storage experience (i.e., over 50-100 MW).
• Ability to interface with other disciplines and understand the geotechnical, civil-structural, and mechanical design aspects and drawings of a project.
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and with Clients.
• Proven record of project management and client management.
• Effective verbal and written communications skills in English, with demonstrated competent report writing skills.
• Construction site experience.
• Experience performing dam safety reviews and inspections.
• The capability to manage $1Million+ projects.

Nice to Have:

• Professional registrations in other provinces and the US would be an asset.
• French or Spanish proficiency would be an asset.
• Experience in hydrology would be an asset.

The salary for this position is $120,000 to $180,000 per year. The salary is based on applicable experience, education, and skill level.

Along with continued career development, KCB offers:

• Hybrid work opportunities
• Annual performance and salary review
• Vacation policy that aligns to your experience
• Paid OT, and sick days
• Flexible benefits, including RRSP, social, and mental well-being initiatives
• Dedication to World Economic Forum's "Four Pillars" of Environment Social Governance framework, Governance, People, Planet and Prosperity

We are a global mid-size organization committed to developing a respectful workplace founded on the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We strive to be a workplace where our employees, clients, and the communities in the regions we operate, feel valued and are treated equitable. We respect the uniqueness that makes you, you. We encourage applications from all qualified career seekers, regardless of gender, sex, religion, or nationality. To learn more about projects you could be a part of check out Projects - KCB (klohn.com) and our Careers page for more details.

#LP1