Water Resources Section Head

JMT; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson is seeking a Senior Water Resources leader to grow a regional practice across Texas and Colorado. You will mentor staff, shape team culture, and guide project delivery while strengthening client relationships and pursuing new work.

The Water Resources Section Head will oversee staffing, workload, budgets, and technical guidance across drainage, hydrology, stormwater, floodplain, and water quality projects. Strong leadership and BD skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or related field.
• Texas PE license or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• 10+ years water resources experience.
• TxDOT drainage design experience or DOT exposure.
• Familiar with TxDOT Drainage Manual and Design Standards.
• Experience with HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, Open Roads Designer.
• Experience with Open Roads Drainage and Utilities modeling.
• Experience leading staff and managing operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead Water Resources staff, performance management, career growth.
• Manage section operations, budgets, backlog, and financials.
• Support growth planning for regional practice with leadership.
• Strengthen client relationships and lead business development.
• Lead or support pursuit strategies, proposals, and client interviews.
• Provide senior technical leadership for drainage, hydrology, and water quality projects.
• Advise on delivery risk, staffing, and client expectations.
• Promote cross-office collaboration for consistent, high-quality solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Staff development

Project delivery

Client engagement

Business development

Proposal development

Communication

Organization

Decision-making

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering

Tools

Open Roads Designer

Open Roads Drainage and Utilities

HEC-RAS 1D/2D

HEC-HMS

ArcGIS

TxDOT standards

Job description

Job Description

Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson is a dynamic, 100% employee-owned consulting firm with more than 2,800 professionals, providing a full range of multidisciplinary engineering, architecture, information technology, and related services to public agencies and private clients throughout the United States. JMT is currently ranked #45 on Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms.

Job Description

Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson is a dynamic, 100% employee-owned consulting firm with more than 2,800 professionals, providing a full range of multidisciplinary engineering, architecture, information technology, and related services to public agencies and private clients throughout the United States. JMT is currently ranked #45 on Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms. JMT is an employee-owned firm where people work together, support one another, and take pride in delivering meaningful results for our clients and communities. Our collaborative culture brings together the accountability of ownership, the technical depth of a multidisciplinary team, and the shared commitment to help our people and projects succeed.

What You Will Help Us Build:

If you are a Senior Water Resources leader who enjoys developing people, shaping team culture, and helping a practice grow with purpose, this role offers an opportunity to make a visible impact. JMT is expanding its Water Resources leadership capacity across Texas and Colorado, and we are looking for a leader who can strengthen operations, mentor technical staff, support project delivery, and help position the practice for continued regional growth.

Why JMT:

At JMT, you will join an employee-owned firm where technical leadership, collaboration, and accountability are part of how we work. Our Water Resources practice is delivering a growing portfolio of transportation, municipal, drainage, floodplain, stormwater, and water quality projects, and we are looking for someone who wants to help guide that work while investing in the people behind it. This is a strong fit for a leader who values trust, mentorship, client service, and the chance to help build something lasting in key regional markets.

Position summary:

The Water Resources Section Head will lead staff, operations, client engagement, and delivery oversight for a growing regional practice. This position is responsible for developing people, managing workload and financial performance, supporting business development, and providing senior technical guidance across drainage, stormwater, floodplain, H&H, and water quality services.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop Water Resources staff, including performance management, staffing needs, and career growth
• Manage section operations, including workload planning, utilization, budgets, backlog, staffing forecasts, and financial performance
• Support strategic growth planning for the Water Resources practice in coordination with regional and office leadership
• Strengthen client relationships and support business development with transportation, municipal, county, flood control, and stormwater clients
• Lead or support pursuit strategy, proposals, interviews, and client presentations
• Provide senior technical leadership and quality oversight for drainage, hydrologic and hydraulic, stormwater, floodplain, and water quality projects
• Advise project managers and technical staff on complex delivery, risk management, staffing, and client-service decisions
• Promote collaboration across offices and disciplines to deliver consistent, high-quality solutions

Nonessential Functions And Responsibilities

• Perform other related duties as assigned

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, water resources engineering, or a related field from an accredited program
• Texas Professional Engineer license or the ability to obtain licensure within 6 months of hire
• 10+ years of progressively responsible water resources experience
• Experience in TxDOT drainage design for TxDOT transportation projects (or other DOTs)
• Familiar with TxDOT Design Standards and the TxDOT Drainage Manual
• Experience with Open Roads Designer production and Open Roads Drainage and Utilities modeling
• Experience with HEC-RAS 1D and 2D roadway drainage applications and stormwater management design
• Experience in HEC-HMS software
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, mentoring, or developing technical staff
• Experience managing operations, project delivery, financial performance, workload planning, and client expectations
• Experience with business development, proposal development, client coordination, and pursuit strategy
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and decision-making skills

Qualifications Preferred

• Experience as responsible drainage task lead for complex H&H schematic and PS&E projects involving modeling, design, and drainage reports
• Established client relationships in Texas, Colorado, or similar regional markets
• 2-D HEC-RAS, SWMM, ARC-GIS experience
• Experience with TxDOT, municipal, county, flood control, transportation, or stormwater clients
• Technical background in drainage design, H&H modeling, floodplain studies, stormwater management, and water quality compliance
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams across multiple offices or regions
• Certified Floodplain Manager certification or other relevant technical certification

Working Conditions

Work is performed within a general office environment. Work is generally sedentary in nature, but may require occasional standing and walking. Lighting and temperature are adequate and there are no hazardous or unpleasant conditions caused by noise, dust, etc. within the office environment.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.