Experienced Water & Wastewater Treatment Specialist

Sargent & Lundy•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sargent & Lundy is seeking an Experienced Water & Wastewater Treatment Specialist / Project Associate to support the growth of its environmental water services practice. The role applies technical expertise to the evaluation, design, review, and implementation of water supply and wastewater treatment systems for power generation, industrial, data center, and municipal clients. The specialist contributes to project delivery, client engagement, proposal development, and junior staff development. The position follows a hybrid schedule requiring in-office work three days per week. Work may include project design and review, technical meetings, site visits, construction support, commissioning assistance, and client presentations. Travel to client offices, project sites, conferences, and professional events is required as needed. The role offers technically challenging work across energy, industrial, municipal, and infrastructure markets, with opportunities to take on greater responsibility in project delivery, practice development, and team leadership. It provides exposure to emerging water treatment, water reuse, and environmental technologies. Sargent & Lundy emphasizes appropriate use of technology, while employees remain accountable for their work and must apply professional judgment and review when using technology-assisted tools. Sargent & Lundy describes its Energy & Industrial Group as delivering engineering solutions for power generation, environmental compliance, oil and gas, and industrial projects, from new plant design to upgrades of operating facilities. The company also works in decarbonization, renewable energy, carbon capture, hydrogen power, solar, and energy storage. The position does not offer U.S. work authorization sponsorship. Compensation is listed as $100,019–$152,807, with eligible positions also offering a comprehensive benefits package and possible participation in a yearly discretionary bonus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a closely related discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
At least 7 years of progressive experience in water and/or wastewater treatment engineering.
Demonstrated experience supporting systems for power generation, industrial, municipal, data center, or similarly complex facilities.
Experience leading or contributing to multidisciplinary projects from study and design through implementation.
Working knowledge of water and wastewater treatment processes, equipment, and system integration.
Experience preparing or reviewing technical reports, specifications, process descriptions, and mass or water balances.
Familiarity with environmental permitting and regulatory requirements applicable to water and wastewater systems.
Strong analytical, organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to nontechnical audiences.
Ability to manage priorities and deliver high-quality work across multiple projects and deadlines.
Must not require U.S. work authorization sponsorship from the employer.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer license or progress toward licensure.
Hands-on experience with reverse osmosis, ion exchange, zero liquid discharge, biological treatment, biological nutrient removal, cooling water treatment, industrial wastewater treatment, water reuse, or closed-loop systems.
Experience with water treatment modeling, process simulation, or related engineering software.
Experience supporting NPDES permitting, Effluent Limitation Guidelines evaluations, or other environmental permitting activities.
Experience with proposal writing, scope development, estimating, and client presentations.
Experience working with power generation, decarbonization, data center, industrial, or government-sector clients.
Active participation in professional organizations, technical committees, or industry conferences.
Interest in learning and effectively using emerging technologies relevant to the role; experience with AI, automation, programming, or similar technologies is valued but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead or support the design, evaluation, and review of water supply and wastewater treatment systems for new facilities, modifications, retrofits, and operational improvements.
Prepare and oversee preliminary engineering studies, process evaluations, mass and water balances, technical specifications, and design reports.
Review and verify vendor-supplied treatment equipment and systems, including reverse osmosis, zero liquid discharge, biological treatment, ion exchange, and chemical conditioning systems.
Analyze complex water quality and treatment challenges and develop practical, technically sound recommendations.
Evaluate how federal, state, and local environmental requirements—including Clean Water Act, NPDES, Effluent Limitation Guidelines, and RCRA requirements—affect water and wastewater systems.
Coordinate with project managers, engineers, environmental specialists, vendors, and clients across multiple concurrent projects.
Support project execution through design reviews, technical meetings, site visits, construction support, commissioning assistance, and client presentations.
Contribute to proposals through scope development, technical approaches, labor estimates, and written content.
Mentor and support the development of junior and mid-level engineers and technical personnel.
Maintain current knowledge of emerging treatment technologies, water reuse and recycling practices, regulatory trends, and applicable industry standards.
Travel to client offices, project sites, conferences, and professional events as needed.