Drinking Water Process Engineer

Kennedy Jenks Consultants; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Employee ownership opportunity

Professional registration support

Job summary

Kennedy Jenks Consultants is seeking a Drinking Water Process Engineer in California to support treatment, reuse, and advanced purification projects for local and national clients. You will apply technical knowledge to complex water challenges, assist with project delivery, and collaborate with experienced engineers and multidisciplinary teams.

You will evaluate treatment approaches, prepare technical deliverables, support facility planning, and advance sustainable water solutions for Kennedy

Qualifications

• Education: BS or MS in Civil, Environmental, Chemical Engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years in drinking water treatment engineering.
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) or Professional Engineer (PE) license in California; PE preferred or ability to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate municipal drinking water treatment, reuse, and advanced purification processes; assess, select, and optimize design.
• Support pursuits and project delivery with project teams and client service managers.
• Contribute to feasibility studies, facility planning, pilot testing, and related evaluations; collaborate with Applied Research Group on water quality research.
• Collaborate with municipal and private sector staff on water quality and treatment process improvement projects.
• Prepare basis of design reports, drawings, specifications, PFDs, and P&IDs.
• Identify opportunities to enhance treatment operations, efficiency, and reliability at facilities.
• Mentor junior staff and work with senior engineers on technical solutions.

Skills

Water treatment engineering

Process design

Collaboration

Mentoring

Client communication

Education

BS/MS in Civil, Environmental, or Chemical Eng.

Job description

Drinking Water Process Engineer

Kennedy Jenks is seeking a Drinking Water Process Engineer in California to support treatment, reuse, and advanced purification projects for clients across local and national markets.

In this role, you will apply technical knowledge to complex water challenges, support project delivery, and collaborate with experienced engineers and multidisciplinary teams.

You’ll help evaluate treatment approaches, prepare technical deliverables, support facility planning, and advance sustainable water solutions for Kennedy Jenks clients.

What You’ll Do

• Evaluate treatment approaches: Assess municipal drinking water treatment, water reuse, and advanced purification processes, including evaluation, selection, engineering studies, and operations optimization.
• Support pursuits and delivery: Partner with project teams and client service managers during pursuits, interviews, technical discussions, and project execution, including contributions to treatment process innovations, technical approaches, and scope development.
• Advance planning, studies, and research: Contribute to feasibility studies, facility planning, pilot testing, and related technical evaluations, and collaborate with the Applied Research Group on water quality and treatment research.
• Support municipal and industrial treatment work: Collaborate with municipal and private sector water treatment staff on projects related to water quality, industrial water treatment, and treatment process improvement.
• Prepare technical deliverables: Develop basis of design reports, preliminary and detailed engineering drawings, specifications, process flow diagrams, and process instrumentation diagrams.
• Improve facility performance: Identify opportunities to enhance treatment operations, efficiency, and reliability at existing facilities.
• Collaborate and mentor: Work with senior engineers on technical solutions and provide guidance to less experienced staff.

What Makes This Role Different

• Meaningful impact: Contribute to projects that help communities deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable water solutions.
• Varied experience: Work on local and national projects that expose you to a range of treatment challenges, client needs, and technical solutions.
• Opportunities to grow: Build your technical depth, take on increasing responsibility, and collaborate with experienced engineers who support your development.

What You Bring

• Relevant experience: Background in drinking water treatment engineering, including process design, system optimization, or operational evaluation.
• Functional expertise: Knowledge of municipal treatment, reuse, advanced purification, process evaluation, and engineering studies.
• Stakeholder communication: Ability to communicate clearly with clients, project managers, client service managers, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Industry engagement: Active participation in water-focused professional organizations, with the ability to submit abstracts and confidently present technical material at regional and national conferences.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving: Ability to evaluate alternatives and develop practical engineering recommendations.
• Technical documentation: Experience preparing basis of design reports, engineering drawings, specifications, process flow diagrams, and process instrumentation diagrams.
• Writing and collaboration: Strong writing, analytical thinking, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Work style: Collaborative, curious, and growth-oriented, with a willingness to mentor others.

Qualifications

• Education: BS or MS in Civil, Environmental, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in drinking water treatment engineering.
• Certifications or licenses: Engineer-in-Training (EIT) or Professional Engineer (PE) license in California; PE preferred or ability to obtain.

Kennedy Jenks supports a healthy work-life balance and utilizes a hybrid model of home and office work, with a minimum of two days per week in the office. This approach empowers our people to thrive, collaborate, and do their best work.

Salary

Salary range for this position is expected to be between $120,000 and $210,000, and may vary based upon education, experience, qualifications, licensure/certifications, and geographic location.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance; a health savings account; a 401(k); bonus programs; tuition reimbursement; employee ownership opportunity; professional registration support; business travel assistance; competitive paid time off and holidays; an employee assistance program; and additional programs that support your wellbeing and professional growth.

Kennedy Jenks is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship status, genetics, protected veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.