Lead Water Resources Engineer

Job Description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a Lead Water Resources Engineer for our Philadelphia, Exton, or Bristol, PA offices to support a growing portfolio of dam safety, levee, and hydraulic structure projects within our Earth & Environment Team.

This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who wants to remain technically hands‑on while also leading projects and teams. The position combines deep technical responsibility in dam safety and water resources engineering with project management, coordination of multidisciplinary teams, and mentorship of junior staff.

The successful candidate will play a key role in:

• Delivering technically complex dam safety and hydraulic structure projects
• Serving as a Project Manager or Task Leader on select assignments
• Coordinating engineers, field staff, and specialists across disciplines
• Supporting client relationships and proposal efforts
• Contributing to the long‑term growth of WSP’s dam safety and water resources practice
  
  
  

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who is ready to step into or further expand a formal leadership role while staying closely connected to technical work and regulatory-driven projects.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Responsibilities

• Perform dam and levee engineering analyses, including dam safety inspections, hydraulic structure evaluations, and regulated impoundment compliance assessments in accordance with state and federal dam safety regulations.
• Conduct hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for dam safety, including incremental and full dam breach analyses, spillway capacity evaluations, and downstream consequence assessments using HEC ‑ HMS and HEC ‑ RAS (1D/2D).
• Support dam rehabilitation and modification projects in collaboration with geotechnical and structural teams, including spillway improvements, embankment stability, seepage mitigation, outlet works, and auxiliary structures.
• Prepare and support Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), inundation mapping, and coordination with owners and emergency management agencies.
• Perform instrumentation evaluation, monitoring data review, and dam surveillance planning to support risk ‑ informed decision-making.
• Perform stormwater and watershed analyses supporting dam, levee, and flood ‑ risk management projects.
• Prepare technical reports and presentations that clearly communicate findings and recommendations.
• Prepare and implement site Health and Safety Plans (HASPs).
• Interact with regulatory agencies, subcontractors, and clients confidently and professionally.
  
  
  

Project Management & Team Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as Project Manager or Task Leader for dam safety, water resources, and hydraulic structure projects
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary project teams, including engineers, field staff, and technical specialists
• Assist with project scoping, budgeting, scheduling, and execution to ensure timely and successful delivery
• Review and oversee work products prepared by junior and mid-level staff, ensuring quality and regulatory compliance
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to entry-level engineers, supporting professional development and growth
• Support proposal development, marketing efforts, and client-facing activities
• Build strong working relationships with clients and contribute to long-term account management
  
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering or closely related discipline.
• 7-10 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant post-education experience in water resources.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with ability to obtain additional state licensure as needed.
• Well ‑ developed knowledge of dam safety and hydraulic structure engineering, including flood hydrology, spillway hydraulics, dam breach analysis, floodplain delineation, risk analysis, and watershed ‑ scale hydrologic modeling.
• Working knowledge of stormwater management, drainage, erosion and sediment control, and watershed studies.
• Experience supporting dam safety, levee, and hydraulic structure projects (inspections, evaluations, rehabilitation design, and regulatory compliance)
• Experience preparing or supporting dam safety inspections, engineering assessments, designs, construction, or risk-informed evaluations
• Ability to perform and review technical calculations, modeling, and reports prepared by junior staff
• Proficiency with hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools such as HEC‑HMS, HEC‑RAS, TR‑55, HydroCAD, PCSWMM, GIS, and CAD
• Strong technical writing, communication, and coordination skills
• Willingness to travel occasionally based on project needs
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in engineering with a focus in Water Resources or closely related discipline
• Specialized expertise in dam safety engineering, including inspections, breach analysis, spillway design, embankment dams, levees, risk analysis and related hydraulic structures
• Familiarity with 3D analysis such as CFD or Flow3D for dam analyses
• Experience with State or Federal (FERC/USACE/NRCS) dam safety inspection programs, including periodic inspections and owner dam safety program support
• Experience supporting dam rehabilitation, modification, or removal projects, including preparation of engineering reports and design documentation
• Familiarity with risk ‑ informed dam safety concepts, consequence classification, and surveillance/monitoring programs
• Familiarity with semi-quantitative and quantitative risk analyses
• Regulatory knowledge with USACE, FEMA, FERC, USBR, and other local, state, and federal agencies and regulators
• Project management experience
• Ability to develop strong client relationships and participate in professional organizations
• Known and recognized locally or regionally in water resources industry
• Basic First Aid and Adult CPR training desired
  
  
  

About WSP

ABOUT US

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.