Dams, Levees, Civil Works Team Lead

HDR; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Dams, Levees and Civil Works (DLCW) Leader to guide dam, levee, civil works and flood risk management projects in Kentucky and Tennessee, reporting to the DLCW Business Class Lead.

You will plan and direct the DLCW team, mentor junior staff, build client relations, participate in project development, and prepare contract documents while coordinating with hydrology, hydraulics, structural, geology, geotechnical, civil, mechanical, CADD and GIS.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required and PE license preferred.
• At least 10 years of experience in dam, levee, civil works or flood risk management.
• Proficiency with MS Office, GIS, and CADD tools.
• Experience with GeoStudio/Ensoft and Bentley geotechnical data tools.
• Knowledge of advanced numerical modeling (FD, FE, DEM) and Bentley/PLAXIS/Itasca software.
• Active participation in professional associations and a commitment to HDR's employee-owned culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the DLCW team to direct, control, and ensure quality of dam, levee, civil works, and flood risk projects in Kentucky and Tennessee.
• Plan and direct project work and coordinate with inter-related disciplines (hydrology, hydraulics, structural, geology, geotechnical, GIS).
• Build and maintain client relations, participate in project development, and prepare contract documents.
• Mentor junior staff across disciplines.
• Coordinate with HDR regional and corporate technical leads and advisors.

Skills

Project leadership

Client relationship management

Mentoring staff

Numerical modeling knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

MS Office

GIS

CADD

GeoStudio/Ensoft

Bentley gINT/OpenGround/LeapFrog

Finite Difference/Finite Element/Discrete Element modeling

Bentley PLAXIS/Itasca FLAC

Job description

In the role of Dams, Levees and Civil Works (DLCW) Leader, we'll count on you to:

Primary Responsibilities

• The team lead within the Dams, Levees, and Civil Works (DLCW) is responsible for assisting the DLCW Business Class Lead with the direction, control, and quality of work for dam, levee, civil works, and flood risk management projects in Kentucky and Tennessee.
• The duties of the lead include planning and directing the DLCW team within Kentucky/Tennessee.
• The position will support the DLCW Business Class Lead in building and maintaining client relations, participating in project development, and contract document preparation.
• The lead will mentor junior-level staff across a variety of disciplines.
• The position will assist in coordinating projects with inter-related disciplines such as hydrology, hydraulics, structural, geology, geotechnical, civil, mechanical, CADD, and GIS.
• The lead will also assist the DLCW Business Class Lead with coordination with HDR’s other regional and corporate business class technical leads and advisors.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active engagement in professional or industry associations to enhance HDR's technical expertise and brand.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• 10 years of experience.
• Professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered (e.g., Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license).
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications, GIS, and CADD.
• Experience with GeoStudio/Ensoft slope stability, settlement, seepage, and deep foundation response software.
• Experience with Bentley suite of geotechnical data management and visualization software (gINT/OpenGround/LeapFrog).
• Knowledge of advanced numerical modeling techniques such as Finite Difference, Finite Element, and Discrete Element, and commercial software for advanced numerical modeling (Bentley, PLAXIS, Itasca FLAC).
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

Primary Location: United States-Kentucky-Lexington
Other Locations: United States-Kentucky-Louisville, United States-Tennessee-Brentwood, United States-Tennessee-Chattanooga, United States-Tennessee-Nashville
Industry: Water
Schedule: Full-time
Employee Status: Regular
Business Class: Dams Levees Civil Works
Job Posting: Jul 7, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.