Process Engineer I - (26-PE-812000-090)

District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is seeking an entry-level Process Engineer I to support process testing, field activities, and engineering analyses for central administration operations in Washington, DC.

The role offers exposure to a full range of process engineering tasks, supervised guidance, and opportunities to develop professional skills within a public utility environment. Works primarily in-person with the Process Engineering team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering or related field.
• Zero to one year of experience in water and sewer utility or industrial environment preferred.
• Ability to produce coherent, well organized written material.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate work with higher level engineers.
• Conduct field tests and support laboratory tests.
• Prepare designs and estimates for proposed changes under supervision.
• Review consultant designs and contractor submittals under supervision.
• Prepare reports and related correspondence.

Skills

Technical writing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelors in Environmental Engineering

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Teams

Outlook

Job description

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties, locations, and responsibilities performed by incumbent(s) in this job. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties in this description, and incumbent(s) may be required to perform work‑related tasks other than those specifically listed in this description. This job description is not a “contract” between the employee and the Authority. The job duties and essential functions may be changed at the discretion of the General Manager.

General

Job Title: Process Engineer I

Job Code: P0223

Supervises Directly: No

New or Revised: Revised

Regular or At-Will: Regular

Date Last Revised: 1/27/2026

Exempt or Non-Exempt: Exempt

Compensation Approval Signature:

Union/ Non-Union: Union

Department Name and Division: Process Engineering-Central Administration

Operations

Salary Schedule: District Service (DS)

Cost Center Code: 812000

Grade: DS11

Essential Position: Yes

Reports To: Manager, Process Engineering

EEO Code: Professionals

Work Format: In-Person

Who We Are & What We Do:

At DC Water, we provide more than 700,000 District of Columbia residents and 24.6 million annual visitors with essential water, wastewater, and stormwater services. DC Water also provides wholesale wastewater treatment services for 1.8 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. We aspire to be known for superior service, ingenuity, and stewardship to advance the health and well‑being of our diverse workforce and communities. To achieve this vision, we commit to our shared mission every day—exceeding expectations by providing high quality water services in a safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient manner.

Role Description:

This is the entry level for professional work. The Process Engineer I, perform assignments designed to develop professional work knowledge and abilities, requiring application of standard techniques, procedures, and criteria in carrying out a sequence of related engineering tasks. Limited exercise of judgment is required on details of work and in making preliminary selections and adaptations of engineering alternatives.

The supervisor or seasoned Process Engineer II screens assignments for unusual or difficult problems and selects procedures to be applied on non-routine work. Receives close supervision on new aspects of assignments.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for coordinating work with higher level engineers.
• Conducts extensive process testing in the field, runs supporting laboratory tests, and maintains field analyzers in support of process engineering.
• Prepares engineering and planning studies, designs and estimates for proposed changes in existing facilities under the supervision of a higher-level engineer. Assists in performing detailed analysis to identify inadequacies, ambiguities, errors, and potential problems.
• Provides limited coverage of the Central Control Room operations and refers any problems to the supervisor or higher-level engineer.
• Develop long and short-term programs for the construction or repair of process facilities in DC Water.
• Under the direct supervision of a higher-level engineer, assists in reviewing consultant designs and contractor submittals.
• Assists in preparing change orders for consultants and construction contracts.
• Performs other in-office and field entry-level civil engineering tasks as needed.
• Prepares reports and related correspondence.
• Complies with applicable safety rules and regulations.
• Performs other related duties and projects as assigned at the discretion of the Manager, Process Engineering.

Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A

Key Working Relationships: Interacts with co-workers in the department and throughout the Authority.

Skills & Qualifications:

The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability necessary for an individual to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable amounts of training are provided.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Required Experience:

Knowledge of engineering practices and principles.

Minimum Education Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering or other related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university and zero (0) to one (1) year of experience preferably in a water and sewer utility or industrial environment.

Required Skills

• Skill in producing coherent, well organized, written material.
• Utilizes a personal computer and maintains a working knowledge of applicable software programs (e.g., MS Word, Excel, Teams Outlook

Required Licenses & Certifications

N/A

Required Languages

English

Physical Requirements

Subjecttoindoorand/or outdoorenvironmentalconditionsthatincludeexposure toextremecoldand/orhottemperatures.

Subjecttonoise and tohazardsfromavariety ofphysicalconditions.

Subjecttoatmosphericconditionsthat affecttherespiratorysystemorskinsuchasfumes,odors, dust,mists, gases,or poor ventilation, or to exposure to oils or other chemicals on constructionsites and at plant locations.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

Preferred Experience:

N/A

Preferred Education Requirements

An Engineering EIT License is preferred.

Preferred Skills

N/A

* The work environment characteristics described in the physical requirements section of the required skills & qualifications table are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities.

Your Experience at DC Water

At DC Water, our people make us an industry leader. Join a group of thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers focused on protecting life’s most precious resource in the nation’s capital.

• Take pride in your work. We provide an essential service and do work that matters. A career at DC Water is an exciting opportunity to help improve the environment and make a lasting difference for the community.
• Connect to a strong culture. Everything we do is grounded in our shared values—accountability, trust, teamwork, customer focus, safety, and wellbeing.
• Be your true self. We are an inclusive organization that embraces diversity, and we recognize and celebrate employees’ individuality and unique contributions.
• Build your skills and career path. We are committed to developing a future‑ready workforce by helping our employees develop skills for the jobs of tomorrow.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.

We maintain a drug‑free workplace and perform pre‑employment substance abuse testing.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against “qualified individuals with disabilities.”

If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to

perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please

email [e-mail].