Lead Project Engineer - Water Treatment

Kelly Services; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 235,000; Part time

Job summary

Kelly Services in Bellevue, WA (with Minnetonka, MN and Richmond, VA openings) is seeking a Lead Project Engineer for water treatment projects. You will lead a cross-functional engineering team and own the delivery of multidisciplinary designs from concept through commissioning.

Responsibilities include coordinating internal and external activities, reviewing engineering deliverables, managing budgets and schedules, and serving as the primary technical liaison to customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an accredited engineering discipline.
• At least five years of project experience in engineering or a related field.
• Experience with industrial processes and systems engineering, preferably in water treatment, oil and gas, chemical processing, or power.

Responsibilities

• Own and ensure completion of all engineering deliverables, including PDs, diagrams, drawings, datasheets, layouts, and control architectures.
• Coordinate internal and external engineering activities using standard project-management tools and tracking systems.
• Coordinate technical requirements with suppliers and ensure timely information flow for fabrication and reviews.
• Provide vendor management support by monitoring progress and confirming alignment with project expectations.
• Serve as a technical customer liaison, manage expectations, and maintain strong customer relationships.
• Manage project team resources and identify development needs to ensure successful execution.
• Promote collaboration and establish meeting rhythms with clear action plans and measurable outcomes.
• Act as primary representative of the engineering organization on projects.

Education

Bachelor's degree in an accredited engineering discipline

Job description

Title: Lead Project Engineer - Water Treatment
Location: Bellevue, WA (also available in Minnetonka, MN and Richmond, VA)
Position Type: Contract 6-12+ months (potential for extension)
Salary: $160K-$235K

Job Summary

The Lead Engineer is responsible for delivering multidisciplinary engineering work to customers for custom municipal and industrial treatment systems. This person determines the resources required and guides a cross-functional engineering team to ensure designs are accurate, submissions are completed on time, and work remains within budget. The Lead Engineer, Project Manager, and Sourcing Project Leader make up the project leadership team. Together, they support the project, deliver the solution sold to the customer, manage the project from start to finish, and prepare and maintain important project reports.

Key Characteristics

• Ability to lead a multidisciplinary engineering team supporting a portfolio of projects with approximately 1,000 engineering hours per month, equivalent to about eight full-time engineers.
• Familiarity with project execution from the sales phase through project closeout, including supporting proposal activities through technical reviews and labor estimates.
• Ability to direct and monitor an engineering project team consisting of Process, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, and Controls engineers, along with project-support functions such as Document Control, Sourcing, and Finance.
• Responsibility for coordinating the delivery of all engineering work on assigned projects. Although the Lead Engineer must have a strong engineering background, success in the role also requires the ability to build teams, communicate a clear vision, and delegate responsibilities.
• Ability to facilitate project-team meetings, coordinate deliverables, and resolve team conflicts when necessary.
• Thoughtful, collaborative, and creative approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to manage multiple changing priorities with professionalism and sound judgment.
• Serves as the primary representative of the engineering organization.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Own and ensure completion of all engineering deliverables. This includes confirming that project deliverables receive the appropriate level of review through formal review processes, such as E-Table, as well as functional reviews conducted by peer engineers and Technical Domain Leaders with relevant expertise. Deliverables may include, but are not limited to, Process and Instrumentation Diagrams, equipment drawings, datasheets, plant and piping layouts, instrumentation and controls architecture, and design specifications.
• Coordinate all internal and external engineering activities across project functions using standard project-management tools, including project schedules, master document lists, rolling action-item lists, risk and opportunity registers, change orders, engineering project reports, and similar tracking tools.
• Ensure that vendors and suppliers receive technical reviews related to selection and fabrication, involving the appropriate project-team members.
• Coordinate technical requirements with suppliers and ensure the project team provides vendors with the required information according to schedule.
• Support Sourcing with vendor management by monitoring supplier progress and confirming that vendors are meeting project expectations.
• Serve as a technical customer liaison by responding to and resolving technical questions, managing expectations, and maintaining strong customer relationships.
• Bring in appropriate project-team members or technical specialists when needed to support relationships with key customer contacts.
• Manage the project team’s resource budget and identify competency or development needs that may affect successful project execution.
• Promote collaboration across the project team so activities are properly coordinated and engineering performance is optimized.
• Establish project-team meeting rhythms and communication practices that produce clear action plans and measurable outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent planning, organization, and time-management skills.
• Clear, concise communication and presentation abilities.
• Strong meeting-facilitation skills, including setting clear objectives and developing action plans.
• Collaborative team approach and the ability to exercise sound judgment in changing circumstances.

Education & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in an accredited engineering discipline.
• At least five years of project experience in engineering or a related field.

Preferred

• Experience with industrial processes and systems engineering, preferably in water treatment, oil and gas, chemical processing, or power.
• Experience working under EPC-Engineering, Procurement, and Construction-contracts.
• Professional Engineer license or the ability to obtain one within one year.
• French, Spanish, or Mandarin language skills may be beneficial.

Working Conditions

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 10-20% of the time.