Project Engineer - Water/Wastewater Utility (Hamilton, NJ)

The Planet Group; Hamilton (NJ); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Aqua NJ is seeking a Project Engineer II to support the Engineering & Construction Team and oversee water and wastewater capital projects from planning through design and initial construction bidding. You will coordinate with operations, public officials, and developers to develop cost-effective solutions that meet compliance and growth needs.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Engineering, a PE license within 12 months, and 4+ years of relevant experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering is required.
• Registered Professional Engineer in NJ or able to obtain within 12 months.
• 4+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience in water, wastewater and buried utilities.
• Valid NJ Driver’s License.

Responsibilities

• Plan engineering projects in multiple divisions.
• Design water and sewer improvement projects (tanks, boosters, lift stations, WTP/WWTP).
• Coordinate with hydraulics team to evaluate system-wide challenges.
• Submit permits and approvals and obtain necessary endorsements.
• Oversee construction projects including bidding, scheduling, and cost estimation.
• Manage easements and property descriptions; supervise surveys/legal records.
• Manage project financials: work orders, POs, invoicing.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, accounting, and customer service.
• Review water main extension plans for compliance with Aqua NJ standards.
• Assist with other tasks or projects as assigned.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Team player

Multitasking

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you looking for a fantastic career at Aqua? We have a great opportunity for a Project Engineer under the direction of the Engineering Manager.

The Project Engineer II position Manages assists the State Engineering Manager and State President to manage the Engineering & Construction Team and overall State Capital Budget. The position will manage personnel responsible for water and wastewater capital projects, from planning through design, and initial construction bidding and award, as well as manage projects directly and independently. This position will work closely with department managers, operations and engineering personnel, public officials, and developers to plan, design, permit, and execute capital work and ensure Aqua NJ can meet future compliance, growth, and operational efficiency demands.

The role oversees all aspects of project planning and design, including close coordination with the Operations Team to understand near- and long-term issues and translate those into the most cost effective (capital, O&M, and life-cycle costs) solutions. This is one of two additional Engineer positions requested by Aqua NJ, to address the significant capital workload associated in the 2025 5 YP, including PFAS treatment systems, lead service line replacement, growth, rehabilitation, and SCADA implementation, to be installed over the next 10 years and beyond.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Responsible for planning engineering projects in multiple divisions.
• Manage the design of both water and sewer improvement projects i.e. tanks, boosters, lift stations, WTP projects, WWTP projects, regulating vaults, etc.) as needed.
• Work with hydraulic modeling team to evaluate and mitigate system-wide challenges
• Responsible for submittal of any required permits and approvals. Prepares and/or supervises the permit applications for selected projects and ensure all required permits are obtained with necessary approvals.
• Coordinatesand manages construction projects including bidding, scheduling, and cost estimating. Enforces contract requirements and performs construction administration on assigned projects
• Work with consultants to necessary easements for all assigned projects. Negotiates and prepares property easements and oversees the preparation of property descriptions, survey and legal recording as required.
• Responsible for managing project financials i.e. work orders, purchase orders, invoicing etc.
• Collaborate with various departments state wide: operations, engineering, accounting, customer service
• Responsible for reviewing water main extension plans to ensure the plans are in compliance with the Aqua NJ design standard.
• Assists with other tasks or projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering is required.
• Selected candidate must be a Registered, Professional Engineer in the State of New Jersey or the ability to obtain PE license within 12 months from hire date.
• 4+ years of relevant experience is required.
• Experience working within water, wastewater and buried utilities is required.
• Valid NJ Drivers License required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; communicate effectively (clearly, concisely and professionally) with internal customers
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• A team player able to work effectively in a team fostered multi-tasking environment.