Mid-Level (Project) Dam Safety Engineer

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in geotechnical, geostructural, tunnel, and dam engineering. Schnabel’s high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 700 employees in over 33 offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include:

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)
• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)
• Long-term disability
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• Bonus program
• Paid time off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Wellness program
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description:

Schnabel's new Chattanooga office is seeking a mid-level Dam Safety Engineer to join our growing dam engineering practice. This is an opportunity to join the Chattanooga team early in its growth, help establish our local dam engineering presence, and take meaningful technical and project responsibility while working with experienced dam engineers and specialists throughout Schnabel.

We are seeking an engineer with experience in one or more dam engineering disciplines, such as geotechnical engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, structural engineering, or civil design. You will work on multidisciplinary projects involving the inspection, evaluation, rehabilitation, design, and construction of embankment and concrete dams, spillways, outlet works, and related water infrastructure throughout the Southeast and across the United States, applying engineering judgment to challenging problems that often span multiple technical disciplines.

Job Responsibilities: 

• Perform and lead dam safety inspections, engineering evaluations, investigations, analyses, and design tasks.
• Develop engineering recommendations and rehabilitation alternatives for dams, spillways, outlet works, and related hydraulic structures.
• Prepare and review engineering calculations, reports, drawings, specifications, construction cost opinions, and other technical deliverables.
• Plan and coordinate field investigations, instrumentation evaluations, and construction-phase engineering activities, including evaluation of field conditions and review of contractor submittals.
• Lead project tasks and smaller projects, including coordination of scope, schedule, budget, subcontractors, and technical resources.
• Coordinate with clients, regulators, contractors, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Participate in Potential Failure Mode Analyses, risk assessments, and other dam safety studies.
• Mentor junior engineers and review delegated technical work.
• Support proposal preparation, scope and fee development, and client development activities.

Required Skills/Experience: 

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
• Approximately 5 years of relevant engineering experience, with final classification based on experience and demonstrated capabilities.
• Professional Engineer licensure and ability to obtain Tennessee PE registration within six months of hire.
• Relevant experience with dams, levees, hydraulic structures, geotechnical engineering, water resources, structural engineering, or related heavy civil infrastructure.
• Demonstrated technical competence and engineering judgment within at least one discipline applicable to dam engineering.
• Experience preparing technical deliverables and leading engineering tasks or projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively with clients and multidisciplinary teams.
• Willingness and ability to perform field work and travel for project assignments.

Preferred Skills/Experience: 

• Master's degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience with embankment or concrete dam evaluation, rehabilitation, or design.
• Experience with one or more of the following: seepage and stability analysis, hydrology and hydraulics, structural analysis, hydraulic structure design, instrumentation, dam breach analysis, or risk-informed dam safety evaluation.
• Experience with construction engineering or construction quality assurance for dams or heavy civil projects.
• Experience managing project scope, schedule, budget, subcontractors, or client relationships.
• Familiarity with FERC, TVA, USACE, USBR, NRCS, state dam safety programs, or hydropower facilities.
• Familiarity with engineering analysis, modeling, CAD, or GIS software applicable to the candidate's technical discipline.

Other Requirements: 

• Travel is a normal part of dam engineering and may include inspections, investigations, and construction assignments throughout the Southeast and elsewhere in the United States. Some project assignments may require extended periods away from the Chattanooga office.

• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record, and credit check.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening.

The compensation range for this position is between $85,000 – $135,000. Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.