Lead Surface Water Engineer

WSP USA; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 110,700 - 188,200; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking a Senior Surface Water Engineer to join our Denver office on South Colorado Boulevard. This role focuses on local drainage and stormwater design while supporting project management across transportation, municipal, and flood risk projects.

You will mentor junior staff, lead hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, and collaborate with Denver-area agencies to deliver compliant, resilient surface water solutions.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7–10 years of professional experience; 2+ years in a Project Engineer role.
• PE license in Colorado or able to obtain within 6 months.
• Experience with FEMA flood studies and floodplain analysis.

Responsibilities

• Oversee multi-disciplinary teams on mid-level projects with budgets and schedules.
• Mentor junior staff in drainage design and hydrologic modeling.
• Support FEMA RiskMAP projects across Colorado counties.
• Lead project management tasks: scope, schedules, budgets, QA/QC.
• Provide technical oversight of hydrologic/hydraulic analyses and design deliverables.
• Collaborate with municipalities and agencies in Denver area.

Skills

PM experience

Surface water analysis

Hydrologic methods (TR-55, HEC-HMS)

Hydraulic models (HEC-RAS, SRH-2D)

FEMA floodplain analysis

Mile High Flood District familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering

Colorado PE license

Tools

Bentley CAD

Autodesk CAD

ArcGIS

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a Senior Surface Water Engineer to join our Denver (South Colorado Boulevard) office. This role is intended for an engineer with strong local drainage and stormwater design experience who can also support project management across a diverse portfolio of transportation, municipal, and flood risk management projects.

The position will support WSP’s Denver-based surface water engineering team through project management activities including scope development, schedule and budget tracking, client engagement, and QA/QC, while remaining technically engaged in hydrologic and hydraulic analysis and design.

This role also provides mentorship and technical guidance to junior staff working on stormwater engineering and complex municipal drainage projects. The Senior Surface Water Engineer will support junior engineers in developing designs for stormwater master planning, stormwater management facilities, culverts, hydrology, open channel and bridge hydraulics, floodplain modeling and mapping, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and river, stream, and habitat restoration projects.

Your Impact

• Oversee and monitor multi-disciplinary teams to execute mid-level projects including budgets, tracking hours and expenses, task completion, permit applications, compliance documentation, and regulatory and technical analysis memos.
• Help manage submittals, review cycles, and internal coordination to maintain predictable delivery.
• Manage projects in the FEMA RiskMAP program in counties across Colorado.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers through technical coaching, project reviews, and hands‑on guidance in drainage design, hydrologic analysis, hydraulic modeling, and stormwater engineering.
• Support staff growth by sharing best practices, reviewing technical work products, and providing training on hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools, design standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Foster a collaborative learning environment that promotes technical excellence, professional development, and knowledge sharing across the surface water practice.
• Lead and support MHFD and other Denver-area drainage and stormwater design, including roadway drainage, culvert and bridge hydraulics, outfalls, and urban stormwater systems.
• Perform and review hydrologic and hydraulic analyses using industry-standard tools and local/regional methods.
• Provide technical oversight and QA/QC for modeling and design deliverables.
• Maintain and grow working relationships with Denver-area municipalities, agencies, and regional stakeholders.
• Participate in client meetings, agency coordination calls, and technical discussions.
• Support proposal development and business development efforts through technical input and local knowledge.
• Provide day-to-day technical guidance and informal mentorship to junior engineers.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field from an accredited university.
• 7-10 years of applicable professional experience, including a minimum of 2 years in a Project Engineer (or equivalent) role supporting private and/or public infrastructure projects.
• Colorado Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain licensure within 6 months.
• Experience and familiarity with the Mile High Flood District
• Experience supporting project management tasks such as scope development, coordination, schedules, and budgets.
• Working knowledge of FEMA flood studies, floodplain analysis and hazards analysis.
• Proficient understanding of and experience with surface water analysis, hydrologic methodologies/models (TR-55, HEC-HMS, etc.), hydraulic models (HEC-RAS, HEC-RAS-2D, SRH-2D, etc.)
• Use computer-aided design (CADD) software to develop design plans. Use of Bentley, Autodesk, and ArcGIS software is expected.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Colorado drainage and stormwater design practices.
• Familiarity working with municipalities, transportation agencies, or local stakeholders in the Denver metro area.

WSP Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary (Colorado only): $110,700 - $188,200

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position within the state of Colorado, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.