Illinois Drainage Lead

WSP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP in Chicago, IL seeks a regional leader for water resources and transportation drainage projects. You will guide design, budgeting, and execution across the Midwest, focusing on IDOT, CDOT, and municipal work to deliver compliant, high-quality solutions.

Ideal candidates bring 15+ years in water resources engineering, an IL PE (multi-state preferred), and proven leadership in complex programs with a track record of profitable project delivery.

Qualifications

• Requires 15+ years of post-education experience in water resources engineering.
• IL professional engineer license preferred; multi-state allowed.
• Expertise in transportation drainage, hydrology, hydraulics, and permitting.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for design, budget, and execution of water resources projects.
• Lead complex programs and manage subcontractors, contracts, and staff.
• Develop business opportunities and client relationships in the Midwest.
• Negotiate contracts, present findings, and guide policy compliance.
• Drive growth and profitability while ensuring safety and quality.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Team management

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering

Tools

HEC-RAS

HEC-HMS

ICPR

XPSWMM

HY-8

AutoCAD Civil 3D

MicroStation/OpenRoads

GIS

Job description

This Opportunity

Provide regional and/or multi-sector leadership for transportation drainage and stormwater engineering projects, primarily supporting Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and other transportation agencies throughout the Midwest region. Serves as a subject matter expert responsible for delivering high-quality water resources and roadway drainage solutions that meet industry and company standards. Leads technical innovation, quality, and compliance efforts while supporting broader water resources opportunities, including floodplain management, stormwater planning, green infrastructure, and municipal water resources projects across the Chicago area.

Your Impact

• Provide proactive and strategic process and people leadership for the design, implementation, and administration of engineering discipline’s project and program involvement within the organization.
• Lead the most complex and largest scale water resources engineering projects within the engineering discipline, ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring internal and external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring satisfactory performance and profitability, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
• Responsible for the pursuit and development of business and the successful execution of work for current and potential infrastructure work within a geography specifically for the large projects within the area.
• Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
• Drive the overall long-term strategy, growth, and pipeline development of Water Resources Engineering work for WSP in the Chicago, IL area and surrounding midwest, with a focus on infrastructure opportunities in all disciplines (planning, design, and strategic consulting and program/construction management).
• Accountable for the profitable performance of the individual projects and the successful completion of the projects within the specified area.
• Develop high-level business contacts and a client base for providing high level water resources engineering services including identifying additional business development opportunities, and cross-selling of other WSP capabilities.
• Drive compliance and accountability-at-all-levels with applicable Federal, State, and Local environment laws, policies and regulatory requirements.
• Lead engineering discipline meetings and continuing educational opportunities for area of responsibility, providing updates and recommendations to staff that ensure all appropriate measures are taken to foster innovation, development, and quality project delivery within the discipline.
• Serve as the engineering discipline’s representative/liaison to a variety of external entities including Federal, State, and Local Agencies, Clients, Subcontractors, industry-related groups, and various government and community entities.
• Provide senior leadership for proposals and project work scopes, pricing, budget, and performance metrics for the engineering discipline.
• Interpret and summarize data, including reports and documents for complex projects and initiatives that result in sound engineering and regulatory conclusions.
• Provide discipline leadership to multi-disciplinary project teams and contribute to providing high level strategic advice to clients.
• Provides performance guidance and leadership to assigned managers and staff.
• Develop high level business contacts and a client base for providing high level water resources engineering and environmental risk assessment services including identifying additional business development opportunities.
• Collaborates with professionals from a variety of disciplines to provide future ready solutions for clients.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, with a focus in Water Resources or closely related discipline.
• 15+ years of relevant post education experience in water resources engineering.
• Engineer license in IL required (multi-state preferred).
• Demonstrated expertise in transportation drainage and water resources engineering, including hydrology and hydraulics analyses, design/build, standard of care, storm sewer and culvert design, detention and stormwater management systems, roadway drainage, floodplain evaluations, and environmental permitting for transportation infrastructure projects
• Advanced proficiency with industry-standard hydrologic and hydraulic modeling software, including HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, ICPR, XPSWMM, HY-8, and related analysis tools, with the ability to develop, review, and defend technical approaches and results.
• Advanced proficiency with AutoCAD Civil 3D, MicroStation/OpenRoads, GIS platforms, and related design and drafting software used to deliver IDOT, CDOT, Tollway, and municipal transportation projects.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant environmental laws, regulations, compliance practices and record-keeping requirements, and the business impact upon the organization.
• Demonstrated ability with establishing, implementing, and managing multiple larger-scale discipline-related programs, documents, projects, and practices for a line(s) of business.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to manage staff, and effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Strategic lateral thinking and strong analytical skills with attention to detail and prioritization of responsibilities in a pressure work environment.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients, and company-wide staff, including those with whom no formal hierarchical relationship exits.
• Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet business needs.
• Advanced knowledge and proficiency with office automation/communication software, technology, math principles, predictive models, and tools used in the corporate environment.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering.