Water Resources Engineer - Hydrology and Hydraulics

Copper Quail; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Normal company benefits

Job summary

Copper Quail is seeking a Civil Engineer – Water Resources for its Sandton office to perform hydrological analyses, hydraulic design, and water balance modeling within mining and industrial contexts.

The role requires strong software proficiency (GoldSim, PCSWMM, HEC-RAS) and a solid foundation in surface water management, regulatory compliance, and project teamwork.

Qualifications

• Education: BSc Eng (Civil) or BEng (Civil); MSc/MEng preferred.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience aligned with responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Carry out hydrological analyses and modeling, surface water assessments, and water management modeling.

Skills

GoldSim

PCSWMM

HEC-RAS

UPFLOOD

Flo-2D

QGIS/ArcGIS

ModelMaker

Python

Education

BSc Eng (Civil)

BEng (Civil)

MSc/MEng in Hydrology & Hydraulics

Tools

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Job description

Reporting To: Head of Department

Remuneration: Market-related salary including company benefits (dependent on experience and qualifications)

Closing Date: 25/09/2026

Position Overview

A reputable engineering consultancy is seeking a Civil Engineer – Water Resources to join their Engineering Hydrology division at their Sandton office. The candidate will carry out hydrological and hydraulic analyses, surface water impact assessments, and specialised water management modeling, primarily within the mining and industrial sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Hydrological Analyses & Modeling
• Acquisition and processing of hydrological data (rainfall, runoff, evaporation).
• Calculation of hydrological parameters (MAP, MAE, MAR).
• Catchment delineation and surface water runoff calculations (MAR, seasonal, and dry weather flows).
• Flood peak runoff calculations using industry-standard deterministic, statistical, empirical, and dynamic modeling methods.
• Development and assessment of water balance analysis and modeling (conservation of mass principles, including dam sizing) using GoldSim .
• Reservoir and canal routing (dynamic water level analysis).
• Floodline determinations, flood risk, and flood hazard assessments.
• Surface water impact assessments.
• 2. Hydraulic Analyses & Design
• Water surface backwater profiling for floodline modeling.
• Flood attenuation calculations for reservoirs and culverts (attenuated volumes, reduced release peak flows).
• Open channel/canal flow design using free surface hydraulic theory.
• Hydraulic design and optimization of spillways integrated with flood routing.
• Energy dissipation and erosion control structure design.
• Dam break analysis.

Requirements & Qualifications

Education: BSc Eng (Civil) or BEng (Civil). An MSc or MEng in Hydrology and Hydraulics is preferred.

Experience: 5 to 7 years of relevant experience aligned with the responsibilities above.

Specialized Capability: Mandatory experience in developing and assessing water balances using GoldSim .

Licensing: Valid South African driver’s license.

Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of surface water management, along with relevant legislation, regulations, and guidelines, particularly in a mining and industrial context.

Skills & Competencies

Software Proficiency:

General: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Project, AutoCAD (Civil 3D).

Specialized: GoldSim, PCSWMM, HEC-RAS, UPFLOOD, WRSM2005, Flo-2D, QGIS/ArcGIS, ModelMaker.

Advantageous: Programming/coding skills (Visual Basic, Python).

Project & Team Leadership: Demonstrated project management skills with strong interpersonal capabilities to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Communication: Excellent written and spoken English, with exceptional technical report-writing skills.

Benefits

Normal company benefits