Power Project Engineer (Hydropower Civil)

HDR, Inc.; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 93,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Short and long-term disability

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Paid time away

Parental leave

Retirement savings plan with employer?

Employee referral bonus

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Power Project Engineer (Civil Engineer) to deliver civil design, analyses, and evaluations for hydropower, dam safety, and power delivery projects across Northern California and the West Region.

You will mentor junior engineers, manage scope, budget, schedule, and client coordination, and collaborate with HDR's national Hydropower and Power network to drive modernization and grid resilience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience in Power Market Sector project execution.
• Experience with civil design software: PLS CAD, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, AutoPipe, Revit.

Responsibilities

• Lead civil design for hydropower and dam infrastructure from planning through construction.
• Deliver civil/structural studies, analyses, calculations, specifications and design packages.
• Design and evaluate powerhouses, dams, spillways, waterways, penstocks, foundations, and related facilities.
• Coordinate civil interfaces across structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, hydraulic, and environmental disciplines.
• Prepare and review drawings, calculations, reports, specifications, bid packages, and construction deliverables.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, staffing, and client coordination for multidisciplinary projects.
• Mentor engineers through technical guidance, design reviews and field experience.
• Collaborate with HDR's Hydropower network to access expertise and deliver projects nationwide.

Skills

Project management

Mentoring

Client coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

PLS CAD

AutoCAD

Plant 3D

AutoPipe

Revit

Job description

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?

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.

We believe electricity powers modern life. As part of our Power sector, you'll help shape how electricity is generated, transmitted and delivered as global energy demands grow. From massive data centers to modernizing transmission systems, our industry-recognized engineers and scientists have been at the forefront of grid transformation for more than a century. You'll work side-by-side with these experts and contribute to reliable, resilient and sustainable power systems, helping communities thrive and industries expand. This isn't just a job, it's a chance to drive infrastructure forward, power innovation and leave your mark on our energy future.

HDR is seeking a Power Project Engineer (Civil, PE) who will be an integral member of our growing multidisciplinary Power team delivering civil engineering design, analysis, and evaluations for hydropower, dam safety, power delivery, grid reliability, renewable energy, and infrastructure modernization projects throughout Northern California and the West Region.

The civil engineer will perform and coordinate technical studies, design development, engineering evaluations, calculations, specifications, and construction support while collaborating across disciplines to deliver practical, high-quality solutions for Power clients.

As experience and responsibilities grow, the position will take on project management roles, including managing scope, budget, schedule, quality, staffing, risk, and client communication for multidisciplinary assignments.

The role will also mentor early-career engineers through technical guidance, work planning, design reviews, quality oversight, and day-to-day coaching while supporting a collaborative and engaged team environment.

In the role of Power Project Engineer (Civil Engineer), we'll count on you to:

• Serve as a key project participant leading civil design for hydropower and dam infrastructure from planning through construction.
• Deliver civil and structural studies, assessments, analyses, calculations, specifications, and design packages.
• Design and evaluate powerhouses, dams, spillways, waterways, penstocks, foundations, and related facilities.
• Lead site visits, inspections, design workshops, and constructability reviews with clients and project teams.
• Coordinate civil interfaces across structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, hydraulic, and environmental disciplines.
• Prepare and review drawings, calculations, reports, specifications, bid packages, and construction deliverables.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, staffing, and client coordination for multidisciplinary projects.
• Mentor early-career engineers through technical guidance, design reviews, and field experience.
• Collaborate with HDR's national Hydropower and Power network to access expertise and deliver projects nationwide.
• Expand into pumped storage, power generation, power delivery, grid reliability, renewables, and modernization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in civil, structural, water resources, or a related field.
• Approximately 7 years of progressive experience including utilities and Power-sector projects involving utilities, hydropower, dams, water conveyance, and related infrastructure.
• Consulting experience leading civil design, technical reviews, fieldwork, and construction support.
• Experience managing project scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, staffing, and clients.
• Experience mentoring engineers and collaborating with regional and national technical teams.

#LI-MO1

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Previous experience in project execution within the Power Market Sector.
• Computer skills in Microsoft Office as well as standard Power Market Sector design software. (examples include PLS CAD, AutoCAD, Plant 3D, AutoPipe, and Revit)
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture

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
• tuition reimbursement

The expected compensation range for this position is $93,380.00 - $133,400.00 annually depending upon skills, experience, education and geographical location.

Primary Location: United States-California-Sacramento

Other Locations: United States-California-Folsom

Industry: Power

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Hydropower Engineering

Job Posting: Sep 14, 2026