Senior Water Resources Engineer

WSP; Exton (PA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Senior Water Resources Engineer to join our Dam Safety and Water Resources practice. The role may be based in multiple Mid-Atlantic offices, including Philadelphia and Exton. You will lead complex dam safety and hydraulic projects, mentor staff, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

The ideal candidate will have PE licensure, strong modeling experience (HEC-HMS/HEC-RAS), and proven client engagement skills. Travel may be required based on project needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering.
• Licensed Professional Engineer with state licensure.
• Strong dam safety and hydraulic infrastructure knowledge.
• Experience in flood risk management and hydrologic modeling.
• Proven leadership in project delivery and client engagement.
• Familiarity with regulatory dam safety programs and approvals.
• Ability to supervise junior staff and ensure technical quality.

Responsibilities

• Perform dam and levee engineering analyses and inspections.
• Model hydrology and hydraulics for safety assessments using HEC-HMS/HEC-RAS.
• Lead rehabilitation and modification projects with multidisciplinary teams.
• Develop Emergency Action Plans and inundation mapping.
• Review calculations and reports for regulatory compliance.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to staff.
• Support business development and client engagement.

Skills

Dam safety engineering

Hydraulic infrastructure

Flood risk management

Project leadership

Technical communication

Modeling & analysis

Regulatory compliance

Team mentoring

Client engagement

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering

PE license

Master’s degree in Engineering (preferred)

Tools

HEC-HMS

HEC-RAS

TR-55

HydroCAD

PCSWMM

GIS

CAD

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a Senior Water Resources Engineer to join our growing Dam Safety and Water Resources practice. This position may be based in Philadelphia, Exton, Bristol, Blue Bell, Baltimore, Columbia, Herndon, or other mutually agreeable Mid-Atlantic WSP office locations. The successful candidate will support complex dam safety, levee, hydraulic infrastructure, flood risk management, and resiliency projects for state, federal, utility, and private-sector clients.

This role provides an opportunity to serve as both a technical leader and project manager while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across WSP. The successful candidate will help shape project strategy, support client growth, mentor developing staff, and contribute to the continued expansion of WSP's dam safety and water resources practice throughout the Mid-Atlantic and nationally.

The ideal candidate is an experienced engineer who enjoys balancing technical excellence, project delivery, client engagement, and team leadership while remaining actively involved in solving complex water resources challenges.

Your Impact

• Perform dam and levee engineering analyses, including dam safety inspections, hydraulic infrastructure evaluations, and regulated impoundment compliance assessments in accordance with state and federal dam safety regulations.

• Conduct hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for dam safety, including incremental and full dam ‑breach analyses, spillway capacity evaluations, and downstream consequence assessments using HEC ‑HMS and HEC ‑RAS (1D/2D).

• Support dam rehabilitation and modification projects in collaboration with geotechnical and structural teams, including spillway improvements, embankment stability, seepage mitigation, outlet works, and auxiliary structures.

• Prepare and support Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), inundation mapping, and coordination with owners and emergency management agencies.

• Perform instrumentation evaluation, monitoring data review, and dam surveillance planning to support risk ‑informed decision-making.

• Perform stormwater and watershed analyses supporting dam, levee, and flood ‑risk management projects.

• Prepare technical reports and presentations that clearly communicate findings and recommendations.

• Prepare and implement site Health and Safety Plans (HASPs).

• Interact with regulatory agencies, subcontractors, and clients confidently and professionally.

• Serve as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager or Technical Lead on complex dam, levee, water resources, and hydraulic infrastructure projects
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary project teams, including engineers, field staff, and technical specialists to deliver integrated and high-quality project solutions.
• Assist with project scoping, budgeting, scheduling, and execution to ensure timely and successful delivery
• Review and oversee engineering analyses, reports, designs, and other project deliverables prepared by junior and mid-level staff, ensuring technical quality, consistency, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and career development guidance to early and mid-career engineers and project team members.
• Support proposal development, client engagement, marketing initiatives, and business development activities that contribute to the growth of WSP's services.
• Build strong working relationships with clients and contribute to long-term account management

• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP's Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering or closely related discipline.

• Demonstrated experience in dam, hydraulic infrastructure, water resources engineering, flood risk management, or closely related disciplines.

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE), with ability to obtain additional state licensures as needed.

• Well ‑developed knowledge of dam safety and hydraulic infrastructure engineering, including flood hydrology, spillway hydraulics, dam breach analysis, floodplain delineation, risk analysis and watershed ‑scale hydrologic modeling.

• Working knowledge of stormwater management, drainage, erosion and sediment control, and watershed studies.

• Experience supporting dam, levee, and hydraulic infrastructure projects (inspections, evaluations, rehabilitation design, and regulatory compliance)
• Experience preparing or supporting dam safety inspections, engineering assessments, designs, construction, or risk-informed evaluations
• Experience serving as lead engineer, inspection team leader, technical lead, or engineer of record on dam or hydraulic infrastructure projects.
• Ability to perform and review technical calculations, modeling, and reports prepared by junior staff
• Proficiency with hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools such as HEC‑HMS, HEC‑RAS, TR‑55, HydroCAD, PCSWMM, GIS, and CAD
• Excellent technical communication, collaboration, project coordination, and client-facing skills.
• Willingness to travel occasionally based on project needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering with a focus in Water Resources or closely related discipline.

• Specialized expertise in dam safety engineering, including inspections, breach analysis, spillway design, embankment dams, levees, risk analysis and related hydraulic structures. Familiarity with 3D analysis such as CFD or Flow3D for dam analyses.

• Experience with State or Federal (FERC/USACE/NRCS) dam safety inspection programs, including periodic inspections and owner dam safety program support.

• Experience supporting dam rehabilitation, modification, or removal projects, including preparation of engineering reports and design documentation.

• Familiarity with risk ‑informed dam safety concepts, consequence classification, and surveillance/monitoring programs.

• Familiarity with semi‑quantitative and quantitative risk analyses

• Regulatory knowledge with USACE, FEMA, FERC, USBR, and other local, state, and federal agencies and regulators.

• Project management experience.

• Ability to develop strong client relationships

• Member of and actively participates in professional organizations and conferences

• Known and recognized locally or regionally in water resources industry.

• Basic First Aid and Adult CPR training desired.