Senior Dam Safety Engineer

Tetra Tech; Knoxville (TN); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Multi-disciplinary environment

Competitive benefits

Merit rewards

Work-life balance

Collaborative culture

Career growth

Job summary

Tetra Tech in Knoxville, TN is seeking a Senior Dam Safety Engineer to provide technical leadership on hydropower, dam safety, and water resources projects. Responsibilities include inspections, risk assessments, design work, and preparing technical reports and contract documents.

This senior role offers potential project management, mentorship of staff, and opportunities to support client relationships and business development. Travel to project sites is required as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil, geotechnical, geological engineering or related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience with dams, hydropower, water conveyance or related infra.
• Active PE license and demonstrated project leadership.
• Construction field troubleshoot and reporting experience.
• Proficient in MS Office and technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead inspections, assessments, and risk analyses for dams and hydropower facilities.
• Participate in FERC/USACE dam safety activities and reports.
• Develop analyses, designs, and recommendations for dam and hydropower facilities.
• Lead or support hydraulic-structures design and cost estimates.
• Prepare technical reports, drawings, specs, and construction documents.
• Mentor staff, manage projects, and support client relations.

Skills

Civil engineering

Dam/hydropower experience

PE license

Project management

Field construction

Mentoring

Technical reporting

MS Office

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

Job description

We’re seeking a Senior Dam Safety Engineer to join our growing hydropower and dam safety practice. This position offers hybrid work flexibility from our Knoxville, TN office or any Tetra Tech office in Colorado, Tennessee, or the Pacific Northwest.

This role is ideal for an experienced engineer with a strong background in dams, hydropower, pumped-storage, or related hydraulic structures. The successful candidate will support and lead inspections, engineering assessments, design, risk assessments, and dam safety programs for new and existing infrastructure.

Why Tetra Tech:

At Tetra Tech, we are Leading with Science to solve the world’s most complex challenges. Our industry-leading experts in engineering and consulting are committed to driving positive change in communities around the world. For 60 years, we have been at the forefront of innovation and sustainability. Today we stand as a market leader, offering cutting-edge solutions in water, environment, energy, and international development. Our science-based planning and design improves lives in our local communities and around the world.

Your Impact:

Join Tetra Tech to make a real difference. Our work leverages cutting-edge technologies, advanced analytics, and the expertise of world-class scientists and engineers to create meaningful change around the world. Discover your full potential – join us to advance your career while leaving a lasting legacy.

Position Summary:

The Senior Dam Safety Engineer will provide technical leadership on hydropower, dam safety, and water-resources projects. Responsibilities may include inspections and evaluations of dams and hydraulic structures; risk assessments; FERC Part 12 Comprehensive Assessments and Periodic Inspections; design of new and rehabilitated facilities; construction support; and preparation of technical reports and contract documents.

This is a senior technical role with opportunities to serve as a project manager, lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor staff, support client relationships, and contribute to the continued growth of our practice. Experience as a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)-approved Independent Consultant is highly desirable.

Essential Job Functions:

The following duties are essential to this role. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• Lead or support inspections, engineering assessments, and risk assessments for dams, hydropower facilities, pumped-storage projects, and related hydraulic structures.
• Participate in or lead FERC Part 12 and USACE dam safety activities, including Comprehensive Assessments, Periodic Inspections, potential failure mode analyses, risk assessments, and related dam safety evaluations.
• Develop engineering analyses, evaluations, designs, and recommendations for new, existing, and rehabilitated dam and hydropower facilities.
• Lead or support the design of hydraulic structures, including dams, spillways, gates, outlet works, diversion structures, retaining walls, floodwalls, water conveyance structures, and foundations.
• Prepare and review technical reports, drawings, specifications, design criteria, construction documents, and cost estimates.
• Work with multidisciplinary project teams, clients, owners, contractors, and regulatory agencies to deliver high-quality project outcomes.
• Serve as a project manager and provide technical oversight, checking, quality assurance/quality control, and mentorship to engineering staff.
• Visit project sites to perform inspections, support construction activities, resolve field issues, and evaluate existing conditions.
• Apply critical thinking, creativity, and practical engineering judgment to address complex dam safety and infrastructure challenges.
• Support proposal preparation, client development, strategic planning, and the growth of dam safety and hydropower services.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, collaboration, innovation, and continuing professional development.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in civil, geotechnical, geological engineering or related engineering field.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience involving dams, hydropower, water conveyance, hydraulic structures, or related infrastructure.
• An active Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Demonstrated project management and/or technical leadership experience.
• Construction experience and ability to troubleshoot issues in the field.
• Proven experience mentoring engineers and leading technical teams.
• Experience preparing and reviewing technical reports, drawings, specifications, and cost estimates.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint) for documentation and communication.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills .

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in civil engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience with hydropower or pumped-storage projects regulated by FERC or other federal, state, or local agencies.
• Familiarity with FERC’s Part 12 Dam Safety Program, including Comprehensive Assessments, Periodic Inspections, potential failure mode analyses, risk assessments, Supporting Technical Information Documents (STIDs), Critical Safety Review Items (CSRIs), and Supporting Technical Information Documents or related technical documentation.
• FERC-approved Independent Consultant status, or the ability to qualify as an Independent Consultant within one to two years.
• Training or experience serving as an Independent Consultant or facilitator for FERC Comprehensive Assessments.
• Experience leading or participating in dam safety inspections and evaluations.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD, MicroStation, or comparable design software.
• Demonstrated business development, client relationship management, and strategic planning skills.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to travel to local and remote project sites, including occasional overnight travel.
• Ability to walk, stand, climb, kneel, crouch, or stoop during site inspections.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather and terrain conditions.
• Ability to review technical documents and drawings and use a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to communicate effectively in-person and through electronic means.

Additional Information:

This position may be based in our Knoxville, TN office on a hybrid schedule, typically in the office 3 days a week. Other office locations include Seattle or Bellevue, WA; Denver, CO; Portland, OR; or Nashville, TN.

This is a full-time position, with standard hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Additional hours may be required based on project needs.

Regular travel for field visits.

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000. Compensation may vary and is not limited to the stated range; offers will be determined based on a combination of an individual’s experience, skill set, certifications, and educational background.

Perks of working at Tetra Tech include:

• Multi-disciplinary environment where engineers work side by side with scientists to manage risk and develop better solutions.
• Comprehensive and market-competitive benefits.
• Merit-based financial rewards.
• Flexibility and company-wide commitment to work/life balance.
• A collaborative team atmosphere that values the contributions of all employees.
• Learning and development opportunities for ongoing professional growth.

About Tetra Tech:

Tetra Tech is the leader in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure, providing high-end consulting and engineering services for projects worldwide. With 25,000 employees working together, Tetra Tech provides clear solutions to complex problems by Leading with Science to address the entire water cycle, protect and restore the environment, design sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and support the clean energy transition.

Tetra Tech is a VEVRAA federal contractor and we request priority referral of veterans.

We invite applications from all interested parties.

Explore our open positions at https://www.tetratech.com/careers. Follow us on social media to learn more about our people, culture, and opportunities:

X (Twitter): @TetraTechJobs

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.