Project Manager (Water)

HDR; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 103,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership culture

Health benefits

Retirement plan with employer match

Paid time off

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

HDR’s Water Business Group seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead multi-disciplinary engineering programs and deliver critical water infrastructure projects across the United States. You’ll mentor teams, manage budgets, and maintain client relationships while upholding HDR’s employee-owned culture.

Responsibilities include scheduling, design coordination, risk management, and reporting to stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required.
• 7+ years related experience.
• Minimum 2 years project management experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.

Responsibilities

• Plan, direct, and manage small to large multi-disciplinary projects across planning and design.
• Coordinate work across planning and design teams to ensure smooth execution.
• Build and maintain lasting client relationships and participate in negotiations.
• Lead meetings, workshops, and technical sessions with stakeholders.
• Monitor budgets and allocate resources to meet scope and schedule.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Client relationships

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

MS Office

MS Project

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

HDR’s Water Business Group is growing, and we are looking for experienced Project Managers to help lead our program forward. This is an exciting opportunity to join our industry‑leading 100% employee‑owned firm in an influential leadership role. We have opportunities across the US for talented people like yourself to join HDR and become our next employee‑owner!

We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience. We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.

What You’ll Do

As a Project Manager in our Water Business Group, you’ll be the cornerstone of our project delivery. You’ll oversee both small‑scale single‑discipline planning efforts and large, multi-disciplinary design projects. This role is perfect for someone who thrives on managing details, building strong client relationships, and leading talented technical teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, direct, and manage small to medium‑sized single‑discipline projects and large‑scale, complex, multi‑disciplinary engineering projects.
• Coordinate and balance work across planning and design teams to ensure seamless project execution throughout the project lifecycle.
• Build and maintain lasting client relationships, taking part in marketing, contract negotiations, and design and production meetings.
• Lead internal and external meetings, workshops, and technical discussions to align stakeholders and drive progress.
• Interface with governing agencies during project reviews and permitting processes.
• Conduct and facilitate work sessions focused on design development and contract documentation.
• Track project budgets, monitor financial performance, and align resources to keep deliverables on time and within scope.
• Partner with project controllers, business group leaders, and accounting teams to provide regular project status updates and financial reviews.
• Perform technical analyses and prepare clear, concise engineering reports.
• Mentor and provide leadership to junior engineers, with a focus on developing strong technical skills in water/wastewater engineering.
• Support firm-wide initiatives and perform additional responsibilities as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• 7 years related experience.
• A minimum of 2 years project management experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng.) license.
• MS Office and MS Project experience is required (Access experience would be plus).
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

Benefits

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, 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, and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position is $103,000 – $205,000 depending on skills, experience, education and geographical location.

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.