Senior Hydrology & Hydraulic Modeling Lead

RIZZO INTERNATIONAL; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Flexible spending account

Short/long term disability

Professional development opportunities

Employee referral program

Optional work from home Fridays

Twelve annual work from home days

Job summary

RIZZO International, Inc. is seeking a Senior Hydrology & Hydraulic Modeling Lead to provide technical leadership on complex water infrastructure projects worldwide.

The role oversees 1D/2D hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for dams, levees, and flood control systems. The candidate will manage advanced numerical modeling across tools like HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, FLOW-3D, OpenFOAM, RiverFlow2D, FLO-2D, and ANSYS, while mentoring junior engineers and coordinating with geotechnical, structural, and

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in hydrology and hydraulic modeling.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or ability to obtain licensure.
• Leadership and technical oversight on complex water infrastructure projects.
• Extensive numerical modeling experience in surface water hydrology and hydraulics.
• Experience with GIS and CADD software.

Responsibilities

• Lead hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for dams, hydropower facilities, nuclear power plants, tailings dams, levees, flood control systems, and major drainage infrastructure.
• Provide technical supervision and quality control for 1D/2D hydraulic and hydrologic models.
• Develop, review, and validate advanced numerical models using HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, FLOW-3D, OpenFOAM, RiverFlow2D, FLO-2D, and ANSYS.
• Support reservoir operations modeling and climate change impact assessments.
• Prepare technical scopes of work, proposals, reports, and client presentations.
• Attend and lead domestic and international client and regulatory meetings.
• Mentor and supervise junior and intermediate engineers.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Modeling oversight

Regulatory support

Education

B.S. in Civil, Hydraulic, or Water Resources Engineering

M.S. or Ph.D. preferred

Tools

HEC-RAS

HEC-HMS

FLOW-3D

OpenFOAM

RiverFlow2D

FLO-2D

ANSYS

GIS

CAD

Job description

Position Description: RIZZO International, Inc. is seeking a highly experienced Senior Hydrology & Hydraulic Modeling Lead to provide technical leadership and oversight in integrated hydrology, hydraulics, and advanced numerical modeling for complex water-related infrastructure projects.
This role is ideal for a seasoned professional with extensive experience in dam engineering, hydropower development, nuclear cooling water systems, tailings dams, flood control infrastructure, and large-scale drainage systems. The selected candidate will serve as a technical authority responsible for high-level modeling strategy, design oversight, regulatory support, and mentorship of junior engineers across domestic and international projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for dams, hydropower facilities, nuclear power plants, tailings dams, levees, flood control systems, and major drainage infrastructure
• Provide technical supervision and quality control for 1D/2D hydraulic and hydrologic models
• Perform and oversee:
• Flood frequency and PMP/PMF studies
• Water availability and water balance analyses
• Dam break and inundation mapping studies
• Embankment erosion and sediment transport modeling
• Scour analyses and river morphodynamic assessments
• Cooling water intake/discharge hydraulic and thermal studies
• Develop, review, and validate advanced numerical models using:
• HEC-RAS (1D/2D)
• HEC-HMS
• FLOW-3D
• OpenFOAM
• RiverFlow2D
• FLO-2D
• ANSYS
• Support reservoir operations modeling and climate change impact assessments
• Provide input on project planning, budgets, scheduling, and modeling strategies
• Prepare technical scopes of work, proposals, reports, and client presentations
• Attend and lead domestic and international client and regulatory meetings
• Mentor and supervise junior and intermediate engineers
• Support interdisciplinary coordination across geotechnical, structural, and environmental teams
  

Experience Requirements

• B.S. in Civil, Hydraulic, or Water Resources Engineering (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred)
• 15+ years of progressive experience in hydrology and hydraulic modeling
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or ability to obtain licensure
• Demonstrated leadership and technical oversight on complex water infrastructure projects
• Extensive numerical modeling experience in surface water hydrology and hydraulics
• Strong foundation in:
• Fluid mechanics
• Surface water hydrology
• Hydraulic structures design
• Statistics and flood frequency analysis
• Sediment transport and river hydraulics
• Experience with GIS and CADD software
• International project experience preferred
• Coastal modeling experience considered an asset

Preferred Experience

• Hydropower development and rehabilitation
• Dam safety reviews and regulatory support
• Nuclear power plant cooling water systems
• Tailings dam hydrology and dam breach assessments
• Climate resilience and extreme event modeling
• Design-build infrastructure delivery
  

Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $120,000 - $150,000 per year (commensurate with experience)

Competitive Compensation Package

• 401(k)
• Accident/Wellness insurance
• Dental insurance
• Dependent care spending account
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Company-paid life, AD&D, and short/long term disability
• Paid time off (vacation, paid sick leave, holidays)
• Professional development opportunities
• Employee referral program
• Relocation assistance (as applicable)
• Vision insurance
• Optional work from home Fridays
• Twelve (12) annual work from home days
  

BACKGROUND

RIZZO International, Inc. is a woman-owned, highly focused consulting firm specializing in all aspects of civil engineering, earth sciences, and field/testing services for dams, nuclear power plants, and other power-related markets. Our firm has worked around the world on unique, challenging, and technically demanding projects. We take pride in our commitment to providing personal and professional services in a responsive, high quality manner, and continually strive to exceed our clients’ expectations by providing innovative and economically smart solutions. To learn more about our global experience visit us at www.rizzointl.com.
EOE M/F/Disability/Veteran
EEOC Disclaimer: RIZZO International, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer in that our policy, in accordance with Federal and State laws, prohibits employment discrimination solely on the basis of a person’s race, color, creed, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, or disability except where a reasonable, bona fide occupational qualification exists.