Water Services Leader

Arup; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Sharing

401(k) with company match

Flexible working

Job summary

Arup is seeking a Water Services Leader to join our San Francisco office as an Associate. This role blends technical leadership, client management, and strategic growth across water resources, treatment, conveyance, and stormwater.

You will mentor teams, foster collaboration, and build long-term relationships with Northern California water agencies while delivering integrated, sustainable solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with water specialization.
• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience.
• Professional engineer (PE/P.Eng or equivalent) preferred.
• PMI PMP and/or DBIA certification preferred.
• Alternative delivery experience (e.g., design-build, CMAR) preferred.
• Deep technical expertise in water resources and municipal infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Serve as trusted advisor to Northern California water agencies and maintain client engagement.
• Lead account strategy for priority clients and align capabilities with capital programs.
• Lead local business planning and service development for Water Infrastructure Services.
• Support marketing, lead generation, and pursuits to win new work.
• Collaborate with clients, designers, subconsultants, and stakeholders on projects.
• Manage complex multidisciplinary projects including commercial, contractual, and technical performance.
• Provide technical leadership across water engineering disciplines and QA/QC oversight.
• Mentor mid-level and junior team members and support recruitment.

Skills

Water Resources

Water/Wastewater Treatment

Conveyance & Pump Stations

Stormwater

Hydraulic Modelling

Project Leadership

Client Relations

Mentoring

Business Development

Quality Assurance

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with water specialty

Professional Engineer (PE/P.Eng) certification

PMP or DBIA certification

Alternative delivery experience (design-build, CMAR)

Job description

We are seeking a Water Services Leader to join Arup’s San Francisco office as an Associate — a leadership level that shapes our business through technical expertise, client leadership, project delivery, people development, and market influence.

Arup is recruiting a leader to grow and deliver water engineering and advisory services in the Northern California market. The role spans our full water engineering portfolio—water resources, water/wastewater treatment, conveyance, pump stations, reservoirs, and stormwater—delivering sustainable, resilient, climate-adaptive solutions.

At Arup, leadership is measured by impact, not hierarchy. Working with our Western U.S. water business leader and our San Francisco Civil and Water team, you will draw upon Arup’s local, regional, and global expertise to pursue opportunities and deliver integrated solutions. Central to this role is serving as a trusted advisor to Northern California’s leading water agencies and sustaining the long‑term relationships that drive our regional business.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical judgment, multidisciplinary project experience, and a drive to grow the business. You will foster technical excellence, accountability, and collaboration, mentor emerging leaders, and help shape our water business and the communities it serves across Northern California and beyond.

Notable Projects and Clients

Arup’s Northern California water business serves a diverse portfolio across California and the Western U.S. Clients we focus on include:

• SFPUC
• EBMUD
• Santa Clara Valley Water
• Silicon Valley Clean Water
• City of San Jose
• City of Palo Alto
• Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
• Union Sanitary District
• City of San Mateo
• Zone 7 Water Agency

The Water Services Leader will own and grow these relationships, maintaining an active presence with each agency between pursuits and projects.

The Opportunity

Client Management & Business Development

• Serve as a trusted advisor to key regional water agencies, maintaining consistent engagement.
• Lead account strategy for priority clients, aligning Arup’s capabilities with their capital programs.
• Lead local business planning and service development for Water Infrastructure Services.
• Support marketing, lead generation, and pursuits to win new work and secure repeat business.
• Collaborate with clients, design partners, subconsultants, and stakeholders to deliver impactful projects.

Project Delivery & Quality Assurance

• Manage complex multidisciplinary projects, overseeing commercial, contractual, and technical performance.
• Provide technical leadership across water engineering disciplines, including water resources, treatment, conveyance, pump stations, reservoirs, stormwater, hydrology/hydraulics, and floodplain and/or watershed planning.
• Prepare reports and technical deliverables.
• Develop project plans covering staffing, commercial management, and quality assurance.
• Serve as senior technical reviewer and QA/QC lead, ensuring all deliverables meet Arup’s quality standards.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop mid-level and junior team members, supporting individual and team success.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, and integration of new team members as we grow in Northern California and across the region.
• Foster a collaborative culture where team members understand expectations and feel empowered to grow their careers.

The Skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with water specialism
• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience
• Professionally qualified engineer (PE/P.Eng or equivalent) preferred
• Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) certification preferred
• Alternative delivery experience (e.g., progressive design-build, design-build, CMAR) preferred
• Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following:
• Water resources and municipal infrastructure
• Water and wastewater treatment
• Conveyance and pump stations
• Reservoirs and storage
• Stormwater management for urban and land development
• Hydrologic and hydraulic modelling
• Watershed and flood risk planning
• Green infrastructure and low impact development
• Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies
• Experience managing project delivery with owners, contractors, and consultants, with a commitment to sustainable design.
• Established trusted advisor relationships with Northern California water agencies, with a record of successful local project delivery.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen, business savvy, and self-motivated leadership.

What We Offer You

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognizes the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Benefits that Work

At Arup, we have a comprehensive and valuable benefits program that works for our employees and their families while keeping costs low. These benefits provide health and welfare security for you as well as paid time off for rest and renewal. As a member of Arup, everyone shares in our success through a global profit share scheme (payments are dependent on the firm’s financial performance). Our Global Profit Share Plan (paid bi‑annually) provides an opportunity for you to share in the success of the Firm. As a valued employee of Arup, you can also choose to participate in our 401(k) plan with up to 10% company match to help you save for your future.

Flexible Working

We believe that flexible arrangements create a more inclusive way of working that supports our diversity and the wellbeing of our people. Options for alternative schedules and the ability to work outside of the office for a portion of your workweek are available.

Hiring Range

The good faith base salary hiring range for this job if performed in San Francisco is $158,400 - $210,000 per year. This range is commensurate with experience, educational background, and skill level. Benefits are not included in the base salary. Please note hiring ranges for candidates performing work outside of San Francisco will differ.

Different people, shared values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross‑cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

Our application process

We will be reviewing our candidates for this position on a rolling basis. Once you have applied you will be evaluated and potentially moved on to the next round, at which point a member of the talent resourcing team will reach out to you directly.

Arup is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, spouse of protected veteran, or disability.

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