Senior Water & Wastewater Engineer (Hybrid)

Sargent Lundy; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Sargent & Lundy seeks an Experienced Water & Wastewater Treatment Specialist / Project Associate to support growth in our environmental water services practice. Hybrid work with in-office 3 days weekly; you will design, review, and implement water treatment systems for power, industrial, municipal, and data center clients, and mentor junior staff.

Responsibilities include project delivery, client engagement, and proposal development while staying current on treatment technologies and regulatory

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a closely related discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience in water and/or wastewater treatment engineering.
• Experience supporting systems for power generation, industrial, municipal, data center, or similarly complex facilities.
• Experience leading or contributing to multidisciplinary projects from study and design through implementation.
• Working knowledge of water and wastewater treatment processes, equipment, and system integration.
• Experience preparing or reviewing technical reports, specifications, process descriptions, and mass or water balances.
• Familiarity with environmental permitting and regulatory requirements applicable to water and wastewater systems.
• Strong analytical, organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to nontechnical audiences.
• Ability to manage priorities and deliver high-quality work across multiple projects and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support the design, evaluation, and review of water supply and wastewater treatment systems for new facilities, modifications, retrofits, and operational improvements.
• Prepare and oversee preliminary engineering studies, process evaluations, mass and water balances, technical specifications, and design reports.
• Review and verify vendor-supplied treatment equipment and systems, including reverse osmosis, zero liquid discharge, biological treatment, ion exchange, and chemical conditioning systems.
• Analyze complex water quality and treatment challenges and develop practical, technically sound recommendations for clients and internal stakeholders.
• Evaluate the effects of federal, state, and local environmental requirements—including Clean Water Act, NPDES, Effluent Limitation Guidelines, and RCRA requirements—on water and wastewater systems.
• Coordinate with project managers, engineers, environmental specialists, vendors, and clients across multiple concurrent projects.
• Support project execution through design reviews, technical meetings, site visits, construction support, commissioning assistance, and client presentations.
• Contribute to proposals through scope development, technical approaches, labor estimates, and written content.
• Mentor and support the development of junior and mid-level engineers and technical personnel.
• Maintain current knowledge of emerging treatment technologies, water reuse and recycling practices, regulatory trends, and applicable industry standards.
• Travel to client offices, project sites, conferences, and professional events as needed.

Skills

Water treatment design

Wastewater treatment

Systems optimization

Regulatory compliance

Technical reporting

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Written & verbal communication

Multitasking

Education

ABET-accredited engineering program

Professional Engineer license (PE) or licensure progress

Job description

Sargent & Lundy seeks an Experienced Water & Wastewater Treatment Specialist / Project Associate to support growth in our environmental water services practice. Hybrid work with in-office 3 days weekly; you will design, review, and implement water treatment systems for power, industrial, municipal, and data center clients, and mentor junior staff.

Responsibilities include project delivery, client engagement, and proposal development while staying current on treatment technologies and regulatory