Lead Plumbing Engineer - Buildings

WSP in the U.S.; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 103,500 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

WSP in the U.S. is seeking a full-time Lead Plumbing Engineer for their Kansas City, MO office. The role involves leading the design and delivery of plumbing systems across various sectors including healthcare and commercial projects.

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's Degree in Plumbing or Mechanical Engineering along with 7-10 years of experience. Strong leadership and communication skills are essential. A comprehensive benefits package is provided, and salary ranges from $103,500 to $140,000.

Qualifications

• 7 to 10 years of relevant experience in plumbing or mechanical design.
• Ability to plan and conduct inspections on construction aspects.
• Proficient in technical writing and design software.

Responsibilities

• Lead plumbing system design for various building projects.
• Oversee project work, ensuring compliance with codes and standards.
• Manage multi-discipline coordination with other engineering teams.

Skills

Plumbing design

Leadership

Communication

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Plumbing or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Bluebeam

Job description

Overview

Join our Property & Buildings Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client's objectives and solves their challenges. WSP is initiating a search for a full-time Lead Plumbing Engineer for our Kansas City, MO office. You will lead the planning, design, and delivery of building plumbing systems across healthcare, higher education, laboratory, mission‑critical, and commercial projects in the public and private sector. You’ll own technical direction, coordinate across disciplines, guide quality, and mentor designers, while engaging directly with clients, partners, and contractors. This position is best suited for an engineer who is seeking an opportunity to work within a team‑focused local office, for a large world‑wide engineering firm that is focused on career development, mentoring and employee satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead plumbing system design for buildings: steer the design for domestic water, sanitary waste, vent, storm, natural gas, fire suppression and protection, specialty lab & medical gases. Oversee and monitor junior engineers, technicians, and/or other professionals to execute project work on multiple concurrent projects, including tracking design budget hours and expenses, monitoring task completion, overseeing technical calculations, schematics, and project documentation, including regulatory and technical analyses.
• Conduct on-site observations of existing and proposed building site conditions, equipment, resources, infrastructure, and current usage. Provide junior engineers with guidance on collecting, compiling, and analyzing data from the physical work site, surveys, legacy blueprints, schematics, data, technical drawings, and reports.
• Develop design deliverables: apply high‑level plumbing engineering techniques to identify improvements for various building projects. Prepare calculations, equipment sizing, engineering reports, design narratives; develop design from conceptual phase through construction documents and implementation plans.
• Manage multi‑discipline coordination with mechanical, electrical, fire protection, architectural, and civil teams; integrate design with BIM workflows (Revit/AutoCAD).
• Own quality: ensure compliance with codes and standards (IPC/UPC, NFPA) and firm design standards. Coordinate, review and approve design plans, ensuring compliance with applicable codes and regulations. Stamp/seal deliverables as appropriate.
• Support construction administration: respond to RFIs, review submittals and shop drawings, attend site visits, and verify installation against plans and specifications.
• Adhere to Safety and Ethics: develop and follow site Health and Safety Plans (HASPs); adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies.
• Grow and Learn: stay current in engineering techniques and practices; maintain credentials and advance in the field; share knowledge and collaborate with the team.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

What You’ll Bring – Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural/Building Systems, Plumbing, or Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 7 to 10 years of relevant post‑graduate experience in engineering with prior plumbing or mechanical design experience related to buildings.
• A portfolio spanning at least two of the following sectors: healthcare, higher education, mission‑critical/data center, laboratory, process or advanced manufacturing, or commercial real estate.
• Experience with building planning, design, and construction management; involvement in renovation, expansion, rehabilitation, or new design projects.
• Ability to plan and conduct inspections and investigations on construction and design aspects of facilities, applying applicable regulations and policies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead project designs, coordinate with architects and engineers, guide junior designers, and communicate clearly with clients and field teams. Strong interpersonal and communication skills; works independently with minimal oversight and provides leadership with adherence to QA/QC.
• Proficiency in technical writing, office software, load calculations, design software (Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam), and related tools.
• Knowledge of plumbing and mechanical engineering and construction laws, codes, regulations, and record‑keeping requirements. Deep knowledge of IPC/UPC, NFPA standards, and local authority requirements.
• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving skills to apply technical knowledge to analyses and design decisions.
• Proven commitment to workplace safety and adherence to WSP health, safety, and harassment policies.
• Ability to work on a schedule that may extend beyond a typical workday or workweek.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project needs.
• Candidates must reside in or relocate to the Kansas City area; this is not a fully remote position. Regular in‑office days are part of the schedule.

Preferred Qualifications

• ASPE Certification in Plumbing Design (CPD)
• Professional Engineer License, with ability to seek comity in Kansas and Missouri within 6 months of hire
• LEED AP Certification
• Master’s Degree in Engineering

Benefits and Compensation

WSP provides a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; retirement savings; paid time off, parental leave, and bereavement/voting/naturalization leave. Salary range: $103,500 – $140,000.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, a global engineering and professional services firm. We design solutions in buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets with 15,000+ employees in over 300 offices in the U.S.

Notice to Third Party Agencies

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing services. Unsolicited resumes will become the property of WSP.