Senior Utility & Permitting Lead, Water Infrastructure

slihrms; Orlando (FL); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

AtkinsRéa in Orlando, FL is seeking a Senior Utility and Permit Coordinator (Water Infrastructure) to lead utility coordination, permitting efforts, and stakeholder engagement for large-scale water and pipeline projects. This role integrates with owners, consultants, agencies, and communities throughout planning, design, and construction.

The position offers a hybrid work model with substantial field and office responsibilities across Winter Haven and Orlando, FL, and requires extensive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Public Administration, Planning, Environmental Sciences, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum 10 years of experience involving utility coordination, permitting, design, construction, or construction oversight of pipeline infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience with large-diameter water, wastewater, reclaimed water, or utility transmission pipeline projects.
• Experience working directly with municipalities, transportation agencies, permitting authorities, and utility providers.
• Experience reviewing engineering plans, specifications, and construction documents.
• Proven experience conducting public meetings, stakeholder workshops, and executive-level presentations.
• Proven record of utilizing strategic thinking and conflict resolution skills to build consensus among diverse stakeholder groups and produce quality deliverables.
• Strong understanding of utility coordination processes and SUE practices.
• Requires demonstrated knowledge and hands-on expertise in pipeline design and construction practices and the ability to apply that expertise to efficiently coordinate with engineering and construction teams.
• Ability to attend office meetings, field investigations, construction sites, utility coordination meetings, and public workshops.
• Has strong technical communication skills with both internal teams and external clients, sound judgment in negotiating, communicating and ensuring compliance with regulatory and utility standards.
• Understands and can communicate risks associated with progressive design‑build processes and initiates team involvement in mitigating risks to ensure quality and drive decisions.
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead utility coordination efforts with municipalities, utility owners, transportation agencies, and other project stakeholders.
• Review survey data, utility records, and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) investigations to support project planning.
• Coordinate with engineering, survey, SUE, environmental, and construction teams throughout project development.
• Identify, evaluate, and resolve utility conflicts affecting pipeline design and construction.
• Manage permitting activities and serve as the primary liaison with local, state, and federal regulatory agencies.
• Facilitate coordination meetings and negotiate agreements with utilities, municipalities, and regulatory agencies.
• Develop and maintain utility conflict tracking logs, permit status reports, and risk registers.
• Perform constructability reviews of pipeline plans, specifications, and contract documents.
• Evaluate proposed construction sequencing, maintenance of service requirements, access constraints, and utility impacts.
• Provide critical and constructive feedback to engineering teams to improve design quality, constructability, and permitting success.
• Support development of permit applications and coordinate responses to agency review comments.
• Represent the project in meetings with municipal staff, elected officials, regulators, and utility providers.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to community groups, property owners, public officials, and other stakeholders.
• Assist construction teams in resolving field utility conflicts, permit compliance issues, and stakeholder concerns during project execution.
• Promote collaboration, consensus-building, and proactive communication among project owners, engineers, contractors, permitting agencies, and the public.
• Maintain meticulous records of utility coordination activities, permit applications, agency correspondence, meeting minutes, and stakeholder commitments.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Regulatory coordination

Project coordination

Permitting

Construction coordination

SUE knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

AtkinsRéa in Orlando, FL is seeking a Senior Utility and Permit Coordinator (Water Infrastructure) to lead utility coordination, permitting efforts, and stakeholder engagement for large-scale water and pipeline projects. This role integrates with owners, consultants, agencies, and communities throughout planning, design, and construction.

The position offers a hybrid work model with substantial field and office responsibilities across Winter Haven and Orlando, FL, and requires extensive