Water Treatment Equipment Engineer

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K with company match

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

AD&D

Flexible spending account

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) seeks an experienced Water Treatment Equipment Engineer to specify and apply equipment for water purification, filtration, chemical treatment, and processing. The role requires deep water chemistry and process engineering expertise for hydrocarbon, energy, and chemical facilities, with hands-on work on large-scale systems.

Responsibilities include design, optimization, feasibility studies, and ensuring compliance with EPA and state regulations, while

Qualifications

• BS Mechanical, Chemical Engineering or similar degree required.
• 10+ years overall experience with 5+ years' experience on hydrocarbon, energy, chemical processing and/or manufacturing projects required.
• Working knowledge of water treatment and wastewater equipment (cooling towers, RO/EDI/ion exchange, UF) and industry standards.
• In-depth understanding of water chemistry and chemical treatment.
• Ability to provide technical guidance for designers and drafters (P&ID review).
• Demonstrated ability to manage large-scale projects from design through commissioning.
• Regulatory compliance expertise and familiarity with environmental permitting.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize water treatment systems (produced water, cooling, desalination, wastewater).
• Analyze water chemistry and process data to choose treatment methods (filtration, softening, chemical dosing, membranes).
• Participate in feasibility studies, equipment selection, and capital project designs for water facilities.
• Ensure compliance with EPA, TCEQ, and other regulations and standards.
• Collaborate with oil & gas engineers, environmental specialists, and operations to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.
• Troubleshoot system issues, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Prepare technical documentation (PFDs, SOPs, compliance reports).
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior engineers and operators.

Skills

Water treatment design

Water chemistry

Regulatory compliance

Project management

P&ID review

Team mentoring

Process optimization

Education

BS Mechanical Engineering

BS Chemical Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Advanced degree

Job description

Title: Water Treatment Equipment Engineer KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets. KBR is seeking an experienced Water Treatment Equipment Engineer who will be responsible for the specification and application of equipment used for water purification, filtration, chemical treatment, and processing. This position requires deep technical expertise in water chemistry, process engineering, and regulatory compliance, as well as hands-on experience with large-scale industrial water treatment systems. Additional duties may include specification, selection and services relating to mechanical equipment such utility equipment, packaged units, and complex processing systems. Successful candidate will be responsible for the application and specification of water treatment equipment associated with hydrocarbon, energy, chemical processing and manufacturing facilities.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Design, develop, and optimize water treatment systems including produced water treatment, cooling systems, desalination units, and wastewater management.
• Analyze water chemistry and process data to recommend treatment methods such as filtration, softening, chemical dosing, and membrane technology.
• Participate in feasibility studies, equipment selection, and capital project designs for water treatment facilities.
• Ensure all water treatment operations comply with state and federal environmental regulations (e.g., EPA, TCEQ) and industry standards.
• Collaborate with oil and gas production engineers, environmental specialists, and operations personnel to maximize efficiency, minimize environmental impact, and reduce operational costs.
• Perform troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and corrective measures for water treatment system issues.
• Prepare technical documentation, including process flow diagrams, operating procedures, and compliance reports.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior engineers and operations staff.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills:

• BS Mechanical, Chemical Engineering or similar degree required.
• 10+ years overall experience with 5+ years' experience working on hydrocarbon, energy, chemical processing and/or manufacturing projects required.
• Working knowledge of current industry standards for water treatment and wastewater equipment, particularly cooling towers, reverse/forward osmosis, ion exchange, ultrafiltration, electrodeionization (EDI), and auxiliary systems.
• Knowledgeable with the current trends and innovation within the industry.
• In-depth understanding of water chemistry and chemical treatment.
• Knowledgeable about water/wastewater treatment system design principals and processes.
• Ability to provide technical guidance for designers and drafters (e.g., P&ID review).
• Demonstrated ability to manage large-scale projects, from design through commissioning.
• In-depth understanding of water quality standards, environmental permitting, and regulatory compliance.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Willingness to travel domestically or internationally.
• Professional Engineer License (PE).
• Advanced degree.
• Experience in operations and maintenance.
• Experience with reclaim or ZLD projects.
• Process optimization and engineering design acumen.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Regulatory compliance expertise.
• Cross-functional collaboration and team leadership.
• Innovation and continuous improvement mindset.

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.

• 401K plan with company match
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• AD&D
• flexible spending account
• disability
• paid time off
• flexible work schedule

We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together. KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR — Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.