Instrumentation & Controls Design Lead

hdr; United States; On-site; USD 121,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR Building Engineering Services Group seeks an Instrumentation & Controls Design Lead in the greater Denver area to direct I&C design for water and wastewater clients. You will supervise engineers and technicians, coordinate multi-project workloads, and serve as Engineer of Record for SCADA/I&C construction documents.

You’ll lead design through master planning, feasibility, concept, detailed for-construction, and construction-phase services, with PLC/SCADA integration working alongside OT

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 7 years experience designing I&C systems for water and wastewater.
• Professional registration, license or certification may be required based on role.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments.
• Good leadership and organizational skills.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of professionals and technicians in developing Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) designs for water, wastewater, and other clients using industrial control systems.
• Supervise workload management, annual performance reviews, and training and technical mentorship.
• Coordinate team workload and manage schedules across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate across geographical regions to support workshare and leverage subject matter expertise.
• Lead production of I&C and industrial control projects through the full project lifecycle, including master planning and feasibility studies, conceptual design, detailed for-construction design, and construction-phase services.
• Serve as Engineer of Record in responsible charge for development of biddable and technically accurate SCADA / I&C construction documents including P&IDs, network architecture diagrams, control panel layouts and wiring diagrams, installation details, loop drawings, and technical specifications
• Write and edit instrumentation and controls systems specifications, and select instruments, equipment and monitoring/control devices.
• Work closely with the Systems Integration/Operational Technology team on projects that include PLC programming and SCADA configuration to provide smooth transition from initial design to final field implementation.
• Conduct QA/QC on the work of other I&C Project Engineers, I&C Project Coordinators or I&C technicians.
• Function as Project Manager on selected I&C projects
• Participate in marketing and business development activities with internal and external clients.
• Perform other duties as needed

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Multitasking

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Instrumentation & Controls Design Lead – (196624)
At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

We believe building engineering is more than systems and structures, it’s about powering progress and enabling innovation. As part of HDR’s Building Engineering Services Group, you’ll help design the critical infrastructure that supports the digital age and shapes the spaces where people work, connect, and thrive. From high-performance data centers driving the future of AI to dynamic commercial environments, your work will directly support technological advancement, sustainability, and human experience. We bring together mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineering experts to solve complex design challenges with precision, creativity, and collaboration. Whether you’re optimizing energy efficiency, integrating resilient systems, or engineering the backbone of next-generation facilities, your contributions will help define the future of the built environment. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead innovation, engineer impact, and build a legacy of excellence.

Watch Our Story:’ https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story‘

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

Come join the fast-growing Building Engineering Services Group at HDR. The Building Engineering Services Group (BES) provides industry leading mechanical, electrical, control system, plumbing, site civil, structural, and specialty design services for a wide variety of buildings that include public, municipal, private, and government project types. Projects are a balance of local as well as across the region and the globe. With a team of experienced staff in specific market areas such as Healthcare, Datacenters, Science and Technology, Commercial Real Estate, Finance, Hospitality, Industrial, Municipal, Manufacturing, Transportation, and Federal facilities; we provide engineering excellence for our clients.

We are searching for an Instrumentation & Controls Design Lead in the greater Denver, Colorado area.

In the role of Instrumentation & Controls Design Lead, we’ll count on you to:

• Lead a team of professionals and technicians in developing Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) designs for water, wastewater, and other clients using industrial control systems.
• Supervise a team of professionals and technicians, including workload management, annual performance reviews, and training and technical mentorship.
• Coordinate team workload and manage schedules across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate across geographical regions to support workshare and leverage subject matter expertise.
• Lead production of I&C and industrial control projects through the full project lifecycle, including master planning and feasibility studies, conceptual design, detailed for-construction design, and construction-phase services.
• Serve as Engineer of Record in responsible charge for development of biddable and technically accurate SCADA / I&C construction documents including P&IDs, network architecture diagrams, control panel layouts and wiring diagrams, installation details, loop drawings, and technical specifications
• Write and edit instrumentation and controls systems specifications, and select instruments, equipment and monitoring/control devices.
• Work closely with the Systems Integration/Operational Technology team on projects that include PLC programming and SCADA configuration to provide smooth transition from initial design to final field implementation.
• Conduct QA/QC on the work of other I&C Project Engineers, I&C Project Coordinators or I&C technicians.
• Function as Project Manager on selected I&C projects
• Participate in marketing and business development activities with internal and external clients.
• Perform other duties as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Supervisory experience, and leading and managing teams of technical personnel on design projects.
• Minimum of 10 years experience designing I&C Systems for water and wastewater systems using industrial control platforms.
• Knowledge of automation hardware including but not limited to Allen-Bradley, Emerson, Foxboro, Modicon, Siemens, and GE.
• Knowledge of automation software including but not limited to Wonderware, iFix, FacotryTalk, VTScada, Ignition
• Previous work experience with an A&E/Consulting Engineering firm
• Previous work experience in the Colorado municipal water/wastewater industry.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• A minimum of 7 years experience
• Professional registration, license or certification may be required based on role
• Strong communication and listening skills
• Ability to handle multiple assignments
• Good leadership and organizational skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other’s life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ , People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.
We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Colorado: $120,967.00 – $172,810.00

Primary Location

: United States-Colorado-Denver

Industry

: Building Engineering

Schedule

: Full-time

Employee Status

: Regular
BusinessClass: Control Systems and OT Cybersecurity

Job Posting

: Oct 2, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity.

We are an Affi

We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.