Chief Engineering and Science Officer

Metro Water Recovery

Denver (CO)

On-site

USD 180,000 - 260,000

Full time

4 days ago

Be an early applicant

A complete application in a minute

Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Retirement

Leave Time

Additional Voluntary Benefits

Job summary

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO seeks a Chief Engineering and Science Officer to guide engineering, environmental services, and long-term capital planning for the region's wastewater plants. You will lead cross‑functional teams, set strategic directions, and ensure regulatory compliance while partnering with the CEO and Board.

This executive role demands cutting‑edge technical expertise, strong leadership, and the ability to drive organizational strategy in a complex utility environment.

Qualifications

Master's degree in engineering or related field; PE in Colorado.
Six years of progressive management or leadership experience in the water/wastewater industry.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for Metro Water Recovery’s engineering, planning, and environmental services.
Oversee strategy, forecasting, and capital planning for current and future projects.
Report to the CEO and collaborate with the Board and executive leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Change management

Mentoring employees

Team building

Board communications

People leadership

Education

Master's degree in engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) in Colorado

6+ years of management experience in water/wastewater

Job description

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO - a nationally recognized leader among clean water utilities, provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services for more than 2 million people in the Denver Metro area.

At Metro, we help you be your best so we can do our best. You will join a team that offers stability, flexibility, and the opportunity to make a difference. We take pride in being part of an industry-leading team who serves the community by protecting the region’s health and environment.

Description

As our Chief Engineering and Science Officer, you will play a pivotal role the future of two industry-leading wastewater treatment plants serving the Denver metropolitan area. You will provide strategic leadership for Metro Water Recovery’s engineering, comprehensive planning, and environmental services functions, guiding critical infrastructure investments, long‑term capital planning, and environmental compliance strategies that support the region’s continued growth. You will lead talented teams, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and help ensure Metro remains at the forefront of engineering excellence, environmental stewardship, and sustainable utility planning. As a key member of Metro’s Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO, you will influence organizational strategy, regularly engage with the Board of Directors, and represent Metro within the clean water industry. This is an exceptional opportunity to combine technical expertise, strategic vision, and executive leadership to make a lasting impact on Metro, the communities we serve, and the future of water recovery in the region.

Position Overview

Responsible for the strategic management and oversight of all engineering, planning, and environmental service operations of Metro Water Recovery. Key responsibilities include aligning technical, environmental compliance, capital planning, and capital expenditure strategies with the organizational goals and direction of Metro. Oversee the strategy, forecasting, planning, and overall day‑to‑day performance of the Comprehensive Planning, Environmental Services and Engineering departments. Reports to the CEO.

Examples of Duties

Planning And Strategy

Participates in the Executive Leadership Team of Metro to establish Metro’s overall vision, mission, values, beliefs, and strategic goals. Develop cascading goals for the different departments that tie directly to the strategic needs of Metro. Provide long‑term objectives to drive efficiencies, information sharing, and cross‑functional teams.
Leads Metro’s capital planning and budgeting to keep annual capital expenditures aligned with the organization’s long‑term financial stability.
Work with CEO to forecast, plan, prepare, and monitor the strategic and operational needs of the engineering, planning, and environmental service operations at Metro.
Works with executive leadership to create multiple year budgets and projections that align with Board of Director spending directives.
Communicates long‑term strategic directions that contribute to industry‑leading outcomes benefiting Metro's communities and the region.

Management of Engineering, Compliance, and Planning Projects and Initiatives

Provide oversight and management of Metro’s engineering, planning, and environmental services efforts in alignment with Metro’s strategic plan and local, state, and federal regulations.
Develop policies and procedures as needed to address regulation changes and organizational needs.
Responsible for the overall strategy and planning of future capital projects required for continued operations in the future. Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure resources are in place for future projects.

Technical Leadership and Expertise

Work with the executive team to forecast, plan, prepare, and monitor the strategic and operational needs with regard to the operational efficiency of the organization.
Represents Metro at industry conferences and stakeholder meetings.
Maintain awareness of both internal and external areas of concern, such as industry development, improved best practices, safety needs, productivity levels, interactions with connector organizations, and political issues that might impact Metro.
Ensure compliance with the regulations and organizational policies. Closely follows applicable federal, state, and local regulations to ensure Metro’s compliance.
Responsible for maintaining and promoting a safe working environment. Ensure employees complete all required training on time, maintain compliance with organizational requirements, and follow all safety protocols. Ensures employees maintain required certifications.

Strategic Reporting and Collaboration

Report and share information with the Board of Directors to ensure they are kept fully informed on progress in the Comprehensive Planning, Environmental Services and Engineering departments. Participate in Committee Meetings as required.
Collaborate with the executive leadership team to track success metrics and key performance indicators as well as management of the annual department budgets.
Supports Metro’s Critical Incident Response Plan.

Leadership and Team Development

Oversee the leadership of the Comprehensive Planning, Environmental Services and Engineering departments to ensure alignment with the strategic direction of Metro. Develop and direct the management of these departments to ensure the alignment of strategic and operational planning, coordination to maximize resources, and focus on achieving Metro strategic and operational goals.
Responsible for ensuring Comprehensive Planning, Environmental Services, and Engineering Departments are appropriately staffed and managed. Responsible for overseeing the growth, development, and engagement of employees. Participates in the employee selection process and evaluates the performance and skill level of employees.

Qualifications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge Of

Basic treatment processes of a water/wastewater treatment plant.
Leadership principles
Clean water and energy management best practices
Engineering principles and best practices
Capital project delivery best practices
Utility planning best practices
Asset management best practices
Budget management including capital projects
Business management practices
General office processes and procedures
MS Office software

Skilled at

Leadership and change management
Interactions with staff, Board of Directors and the Public.
Active and empathic listening skills
Establishing strategic goals, tying their implementation to execution
Presenting technical information to a diverse audience that includes board members, Metro staff, and the community
Mentoring employees
Providing supervision to supervisors and managers.
Project management
Leveraging diverse modes of communication to optimize the effective exchange of ideas and information
Utilizing technology to seek and share resources and information
Managing disagreements, de‑escalating conflict and negotiating win‑win solutions
Team building and team management
Direct supervisory responsibilities including candidate selection, coaching, performance management and enforcing procedures

Ability to

Identify problems, craft effective solutions, act decisively and demonstrate good judgement
Direct, persuade and motivate others
Assist with the development of a strategic vision for the organization
Maintain emotional control under ambiguous and stressful circumstances
Think creatively and form new perspectives
Drive initiatives from inception to conclusion
Supervise assigned staff
Work collaboratively across Metro departments to accomplish strategic objectives
Perform effectively in a collaborative team environment with others
Think and act strategically in an organizational "Big Picture" context

Education

Master's degree or equivalent in engineering or related field. Registered as a Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado. Six years of progressive management or leadership experience in the water/wastewater industry.

Working Conditions

Working on a variety of floor surfaces including tile, carpet, sidewalks; Work in parking lots; Uneven Surfaces; Slippery surfaces; Wet surfaces; Lighting conditions including natural light, fluorescent, head lamps, incandescent, and overhead lighting; Inside environment; Outside environment; Vibration due to vehicle driving.

Body Position Demands

Reaching in front; Standing; Walking; Balancing; Object handling; Typing; Simple hand grasping; Driving a vehicle; Sitting; Climbing stairs; Stooping; Kneeling; Crouching; Fine hand coordination; Firm hand grasping.

Physical Demands

Max Weight Lifted: 40 lbs. Max Weight Carried: 20lbs Max Force Pushed: 3 lbs Max Force Pulled: 3 lbs

Sensory Requirements

Wide field of view; Perception - Spatial; Olfactory (Smelling); Vision - Near; Far, Depth perception; Color discrimination; Perception - Form; Feeling without seeing; Speaking; Hearing

Equal Opportunity Employment

Metro Water Recovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applicants for employment with Metro Water Recovery must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

Benefits