Water/Wastewater Project Manager

talisman; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Talisman, Denver Water practice, is expanding in Denver. We’re seeking experienced municipal water/wastewater engineers who want ownership in growth and to join a large employee-owned firm.

You'll work across treatment and conveyance with a broad team, and have opportunities to lead, grow into PM/BD roles, or stay deeply technical, with hybrid work and a strong project backlog to start from. The team includes 14 process engineers in wastewater and 11-12 in conveyance, led by a department manager

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of municipal water/wastewater consulting experience
• Open to leadership roles or technical specialist paths
• Strong collaboration across treatment, conveyance, and systems

Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to design and delivery of municipal water/wastewater projects
• Support brownfield WWTP upgrades and water distribution/conveyance initiatives
• Mentor junior engineers and help shape the Denver Water practice

Job description

What would need to be different about your current role for you to seriously consider making a move?

More ownership of projects? A stronger team around you? The ability to work across different types of water/wastewater projects rather than getting stuck in one lane? Or the opportunity to join a practice that is actively investing in growth?

Talisman is partnered with a 14,000+ person, 100% employee-owned engineering and construction firm that is growing its Water practice in Denver. We're interested in speaking with experienced municipal water/wastewater engineers across both treatment and conveyance who would be open to hearing about the opportunity.

The Team

The Denver Water practice is already around 70 people, so this isn't a situation where you'd be joining a small office and expected to build everything yourself.

The group includes dedicated teams across:

• Municipal wastewater treatment
• Drinking water
• Water/wastewater conveyance and systems
• Industrial water/wastewater

The municipal wastewater department alone includes 14 process engineers, while the conveyance/systems group has another 11-12 people.

The wastewater group is led by a Department Manager who has spent more than a decade building his career with the firm in Denver. His background spans municipal and industrial treatment, collaborative delivery, advanced treatment, water reuse, resource recovery, design and construction. He also brings an international background with graduate degrees in both environmental engineering and technology management, and has worked across a wide range of municipal water and wastewater facilities.

Why Now?

The bigger story is where the Water practice is heading.

Around a year ago, the firm brought in a new national Water leader who previously managed approximately $4.5B in revenue at one of the largest engineering consultancies in the world. His mandate is to significantly grow the Water business and establish it alongside the largest water consulting practices in the country.

That investment is already underway, with new markets and offices being targeted across Colorado, California, the Pacific Northwest and Boise, alongside senior hires from some of the industry's largest competitors. For someone joining now, there is an established team and project backlog to step into, but also a unique opportunity to help shape where the practice goes next.

The Work

There's a lot of variety depending on your background. On the treatment side, the Denver team is particularly strong in brownfield WWTP projects, keeping facilities operational while major upgrades are designed and constructed. One current project involves expanding a Colorado facility from 4.6 to 7.2 MGD, including an MBR retrofit and new nutrient requirements.

On the systems side, there are opportunities across water distribution, wastewater collection, pipelines, pump stations and broader conveyance infrastructure. The firm is also heavily design-build focused, meaning engineers have the opportunity to stay involved beyond design and see how their projects are actually constructed.

Who We're Interested in Speaking With

We're keeping this intentionally broad. If you have roughly 8-10+ years of municipal water/wastewater consulting experience, we'd be interested in a conversation.

That could include a:

• Treatment/process engineer
• Conveyance or collection systems engineer
• Project Manager
• Technical specialist
• Senior engineer looking for a clearer path into leadership

You don't need to be actively looking. There are opportunities for people who want to stay technical, move deeper into PM/BD, or combine all three. The firm also offers employee ownership and profit sharing from day one, strong bonuses, a 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off, hybrid flexibility and the backing of a much larger national Water organization.