Water Business Group Data Steward

HDR; Savannah (GA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR seeks a Senior Data Steward embedded in the Water Business Group to define and enable data standards across engineering disciplines and service lines. The role drives governance, definitions, and AI-enabled data use while collaborating with enterprise data teams.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in strategic leadership and 15+ years delivering data-centric solutions, with a related Bachelor's. This on-site role reports to the Technology Director within HDR's employee-owned culture.

Qualifications

• Ten years of strategic leadership experience in growing and leading teams.
• Fifteen years of experience delivering diverse data-centric solutions.
• Background in water engineering or related data streams is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Establish repeatable data practices across systems, workflows, and teams.
• Define and maintain a water service line data glossary.
• Lead data standards adoption and governance initiatives.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Data Science and Data Operations teams.
• Align data workflows with Water BG strategy and leadership.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Change management

Data governance

Data definitions

AI use cases

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, data science, business, computer science, or related discipline or equivalent related experience

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected. This role shapes how our data is defined, shared, and used across all Water disciplines and their embodied service lines within the Water Business Group.

What You’ll Do

• Establish and coordinate a network of SME expertise across the Water Business Group to define technical standards, while ensuring alignment to Water data practices and enterprise expectations.
• Develop and maintain business-aligned data definitions for key engineering and technical terms that support structured data models, reporting, automation, and AI use cases.
• Use your technical network to build alignment and consensus around data processes, priority, and expected use.
• Promote consistent, responsible use of technical data, including access, data quality, best practice for format, and reuse.
• Support governance of externally sourced datasets (access, approvals, inventory awareness, storage, and lifecycle considerations).
• Promote data fluency across the Water Business Group.
• Coordinate with the Technology Director to align data workflows and initiatives to Water BG Strategy.
• Lead change management efforts to drive adoption of data standards, practices, and tools across the Water BG.
• Regularly communicate and collaborate with other Data Stewards, Enterprise Data Science Teams, and Enterprise Data Operations staff.
• Ensure new tools identified for implementation within the Water BG are aligned to data strategy.

What This Role Is

• Embedded in the Water Business Group (not an IT role).
• Enablement‑focused and collaborative.
• Part of technology leadership, focused on supporting effective project delivery.
• Connected to a broader Data Steward network.
• Focused on defining and enabling use of Water and service line data.

People Who Would Be a Great Fit

• Understand how data is delivered, defined and used in the Water industry and on projects.
• Trusted by peers and leaders.
• Can translate complex practices into clear, usable guidance.
• Comfortable making decisions and driving consensus.
• Strong data fluency and curiosity to keep learning.
• Bring a solid technical network to tap for feedback and alignment.
• Demonstrate credibility in data, technology, and delivery practices and can influence teams through clarity, consistency, and outcomes.
• Able to clearly communicate the importance of data integrity at all levels of the organization.
• Ideally a seasoned leader with influence and credibility (not an early‑career staff).

What Success Looks Like

• Establish repeatable data practices by defining how data is captured, structured, governed, and reused across systems, workflows, and delivery teams.
• Maintain a Water service line data glossary that people use.
• BGs have a well‑known, go‑to steward who can train staff and answer data questions.
• Data definitions and classifications translate into reliable data models and AI tools that answer the questions leaders and teams care about.
• Teams proactively reference shared definitions instead of creating local terminology.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten years of strategic leadership experience focused on growing, developing and leading teams in change management and working with data.
• Fifteen years of overall experience providing diverse data‑centric solutions and services to an organization and the industry.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, data science, business, computer science, or related discipline or equivalent related experience.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in the Water engineering industry.
• Experienced in development and management of diverse teams.
• Ability to work cooperatively with other leaders, operations managers, technical directors and marketing managers.
• Committed to quality, improvement, and HDR values.
• Active participation in HDR’s employee‑owned culture is a must.

The expected compensation range for this position is $150,000–$200,000 depending upon skills, experience, education and geographical location.

Primary Location: United States – Nebraska – Omaha

HDR is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.