Senior Utility Operations Consultant

HDR, Inc.; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR, Inc. is seeking a Senior Utility Operations Consultant to join our Water Business Group in the Utility Management Services (UMS) line in Denver, CO.

You will deliver high‑level operational consulting across drinking water, wastewater, and potable reuse utilities, partnering with project teams to improve performance and compliance. The role emphasizes asset management, process optimization, regulatory familiarity, and mentoring colleagues, with a focus on innovative, operations‑driven design

Job description

Senior Utility Operations Consultant - ( 197101 )

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' Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

Position Summary

We believe that the way we work can add meaning and value to the world – that ideas inspire positive change, thatsmall detailsyield important realizations, and that collaboration is the best way forward. HDR has an excellent opportunity for an experienced professional to join our Water Business Group as a Senior Utility Operations Consultant within our Utility Management Services (UMS) Business Class.

In this role, you will provide high-level operational consulting at all organizational levels within drinking water, wastewater, andpotable reuseutilities. You will help clients solve their most challenging operational problems – improving process performance, reliability, compliance, asset stewardship, and operational workforces– while bringing an operations-informed perspective to facility planning and design. You will be a key technical resource and trusted advisor, partnering with client development leaders, project managers, and design teams to deliver integrated solutions and grow HDR’s operations consulting practice.

Primary Responsibilities

In the role of Senior Utility Operations Consultant,we’llcount on you to:

• Provide high-level operational consulting at all organizational levels within drinking water, wastewater, and potable reuse utilities – advising operators, supervisors, plant managers, and executive leadership.
• Lead operationaltroubleshootingto diagnose and resolve process upsets, equipment and performance issues, and reliability problems across treatment, transmission, and distributionsystems.
• Drive operating process improvement –optimizingunit processes, standard operating procedures (SOPs), staffing and workflow, energy and chemical use, and overall operational efficiency.
• Develop and implement asset management strategies and programsin partnership with HDR’s asset management teams, including asset inventories,criticalityand condition assessment,remaininguseful life, risk modeling, service-levelobjectives, and repair/renewal and reinvestment planning.
• Support regulatory compliance efforts across drinking water, wastewater, and reuse programs, helping clientsmaintainpermit compliance and prepare for evolving requirements.
• Provide reuse operationsexpertise– advising ondirect and indirect potablereuse operations, treatment reliability, monitoring, and regulatory frameworks for reusetoensure our utility clientshave the technical and managerialexpertiseto manage these systems and protect publichealth.
• Partnered with our drinking water and reuse process designers, perform design review from an operational perspective – evaluatingwater treatment and reusefacility planning and design for operability, maintainability, constructability, safety, and life-cycle cost, and translating operational insight into design recommendations.
• Serve as a key operations-focused resource as part of HDR’s growing Organizational Development practice to help our clients transfer knowledge from retiring water professionals and advance skills of existing operational professionals to overcome today’s workforce challenges.
• Support project delivery across master and facility planning, business case evaluations, operations optimization studies, and asset management programs – including scope, schedule, and budget development.
• Contribute to client development and pursuits – preparing proposals and estimates,participatingin interviews, and building trusted-advisor relationships with municipal utility clients.
• Implement effective quality assurance and quality control reviews and commit to HDR values of quality and continuous improvement.
• Mentor and develop technicalstaff andactively engage in professional and industry organizations through committee participation and conference presentations/publications.
• Perform composite performance evaluations and facilitate self-assessments of water treatment facilities to identify operational strengths, performance limiting factors and opportunities for improvement.
• Serve as a trusted technical and strategic resource to clients by developing and delivering innovative operational protocols, tools and methodologies that optimize process performance, improve system reliability, and advance operational excellence.
• Assist clients in developing operational, and leadership training programs that strengthen technical competency, supervisory effectiveness and workforce development.

Preferred Qualifications

• High level drinking water or wastewater operations license(s).
• 15+ years of progressive experience in drinking water, wastewater, and/or reuse utility operations, includingoperations troubleshootingand process improvement.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementingoperational andasset management strategies and programs.
• Working knowledge of water/wastewater/reuse regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, andReuse regulations).
• Ability to review facility plans and designs from an operational perspective and communicate operability and maintainability recommendations to design teams.
• Strong client relations skills with an interest in client and business development.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to function effectively across integrated project teams and at all organizational levels.
• Ability to travel to client sites and HDR offices as needed.
• Commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and to being an active participant in our employee-owned culture.
• Drinking Water and/or Wastewater Operator licensure (Grade 3 or above) and/or a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Master’s degree in civil, environmental, ora relatedtechnical discipline within the water sector.
• Previousmanagement or operations leadership experience withina municipaldrinking water, wastewater, or reuse utility.
• Hands-on experience with water reuse operations and advanced treatment processes.
• Strong technical background in planning and design, with experience integrating operational perspectives into treatment design and facility planning.
• Experience with asset management technology, conditionassessmentdata management, and operational decision-support tools.
• Active engagement in industry organizations locally and nationally (e.g., AWWA, WEF,WateReuse, state associations).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• A minimum of 10 years experience
• Professional registration, license or certification may be required based on role
• Strong communication and listening skills
• Ability to handle multiple assignments
• Good leadership and organizational skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Industry

Water

Schedule

Full-time

Employee Status

Regular

BusinessClass : Utility Management Services

Job Posting

Oct 23, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity.

We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.