Southern California Water Treatment and Reuse Leader

Southern California Water Treatment And Reuse Leader

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world? Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. This role directly advances safe, reliable drinking water and sustainable supply for millions across Southern California.

The Southern California Water Treatment And Reuse Leader is a key role within HDR's growing Southern California Water Business Group. This position will help to develop and implement strategies for increasing HDR's share of the water treatment market in Southern California and supporting the reuse market growth across California and the U.S. This is an exciting opportunity to join our industry leading 100% employee-owned firm in an influential local leadership role with high visibility, hybrid flexibility, and direct impact on marquee programs across the region.

HDR's Water Business Group offers a uniquely comprehensive breadth of traditional and cross sector services enabling holistic approaches to One Water challenges. Our services span utility master planning, water treatment, reuse, applied research, transmission and distribution, water supply, asset management, operations assistance, program management, construction management and inspection, funding and financing, strategic communications, advisory services, and more helping clients meet water quality, reliability, regulatory, and long-term supply goals.

What You'll Do (high-impact focus):

• Lead strategy and delivery for drinking water and potable reuse (IPR/DPR) pursuits and projects across SoCal; grow client accounts and win work.
• Guide advanced treatment process selection and design (UF/MF, RO/NF, UV/AOP, GAC/IX), pilots, and commissioning; troubleshoot operations and optimize performance.
• Build, mentor, and scale multidisciplinary teams; partner with technical directors on QA/QC and design excellence.
• Shape market presence through speaking, publishing, and committee leadership (AWWA, WateReuse, CWEA/WEF).
• Coordinate programmatic delivery (design-build/CMAR/progressive design-build), asset management, and digital enablement (SCADA, data analytics, digital twins).
• Support clients with funding strategy (WIFIA/SRF/grants), regulatory readiness (e.g., LCRR, PFAS compliance), and capital planning.

The HDR advantage includes:

• The opportunity to grow water treatment and reuse capacity and capabilities in Southern California while shaping market strategy and a regional growth plan.
• The opportunity to grow and expand industry relationships with access to all the major local and National water treatment and reuse conferences.
• Leverage an expanding, diverse resume of nationally-recognized conventional and advanced treatment design projects.
• Leverage cutting edge applied research, planning, and design work across critical areas of advanced treatment residuals management.
• Leverage our applied research group, the One Water Institute, which supports HDR thought leadership across all water sectors.
• Leverage industry leading national PFAS and LCRR experts who help utilities navigate the new regulations.
• Leverage industry-leading local Southern California experience on large conveyance design.
• Leverage Southern California-based and National strategic communication team well-versed in water treatment and reuse market drivers and initiatives.
• Leverage nationally and local Southern California recognized asset management, condition assessment and rehabilitation services.
• Leverage California-based capital planning, funding, grant writing, and affordability expertise.
• Leverage data-driven sector leadership focused on market drivers.
• Leverage our breadth of in house traditional and cross-sector services to deliver integrated, implementable One Water solutions.

Work Model & Locations: Hybrid flexibility (3 days per week in a Southern California office unless at a client site) with primary offices and clients across Los Angeles, Ventura, Long Beach, Claremont, Riverside, Irvine, and San Diego; periodic regional and national travel. Relocation available for the right candidate.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10 years experience in water treatment design PE
• Proven industry leadership
• Team leadership experience
• CA experience is preferred but the right candidate can relocate for the role
• Active in industry associations
• Traditional and advanced water treatment expertise (UF/MF, RO/NF, UV/AOP, GAC/IX), pilots/commissioning, and process optimization.
• Seller-doer capability: client development, proposal leadership, and strategic positioning.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering or closely related field
• 10 years of experience
• Committed to quality, improvement and HDR values
• Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience
• Experienced in development and management of diverse teams
• Works cooperatively with other area business class leaders, operations managers, technical directors and marketing managers on business class efforts
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment: As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day. Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees. We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) {Pay Transparency Location1}: $163,000 - $243,000