Principal Water Quality Compliance Engineer

Metro Water Recovery•Denver, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO is seeking a Principal Water Quality Compliance Engineer to lead critical water quality and regulatory compliance work across their facilities. This role involves leading end-to-end water quality compliance efforts, directing permitting strategies, interpreting regulations, evaluating treatment processes, and leading regulatory engagement. The position offers a stable, mission-driven environment with strong organizational support, long-term career growth, and a focus on work-life balance.

Requirements

Deep expertise in the Clean Water Act and Colorado programs (NPDES/CDPS, SPCC, biosolids, stormwater, Reg 22)
Apply advanced engineering judgment to complex treatment systems, facility modifications, and permitting decisions
Lead high-level technical analyses (e.g., mass balance, fate and transport) with defensible outcomes
Excel at regulatory strategy, agency engagement, and translating requirements into practical solutions
Provide technical leadership—mentoring staff, guiding consultants, and ensuring high-quality, compliant deliverables
Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado. If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado.
Serves as the subject matter expert for environmental compliance engineering with primary emphasis on federal Clean Water Act and associated Colorado regulations and requirements (CWA/CO), including NPDES/CDPS permitting, SPCC, 401 certification, biosolids, stormwater, site location and design approval and other related federal and Colorado regulations and policies.
Apply expert-level understanding of permitting and effluent limit development, pollutant mass balance and loading calculations, treatment technologies, and regulatory frameworks under the CWA/CO regulations to ensure defensible and effective compliance.
Leads and performs major compliance engineering evaluations and projects, ensuring that technical analyses and recommendations are consistent, defensible, and aligned with Metro’s approved environmental compliance strategies.
Works under the general direction of the Senior Environmental Compliance Engineering Manager.
Knowledge of Federal and Colorado environmental regulations applicable to Metro’s operations and facilities
Advanced principles and practices of environmental and process engineering, including the design, evaluation, and modification of wastewater treatment, solids handling, and conveyance systems
Comprehensive and expert-level knowledge of the regulatory and technical requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and associated Colorado regulations and programs (CWA/CO), including NPDES/CDPS permitting, SPCC, 401 water quality certification, site location and design approval, biosolids management, stormwater, and other related federal and Colorado regulations and policies
Engineering methodologies for evaluating treatment process modifications, hydraulic and organic capacity changes, and implications for regulatory compliance and facility design approval
Federal and Colorado environmental rulemaking and policy-development processes
Methods for fate and transport evaluations and environmental release response, including assessment of pollutant migration, transformation, and mitigation strategies.
Best practices in engineering design review, technical quality assurance, and documentation for regulatory defensibility
Colorado professional engineering laws and regulations governing the preparation, signing, and sealing of engineering documents
Principles of professional engineering judgment and certification for regulatory engineering submittals such as SPCC Plans
Project and consultant management principles as applied to technical engineering and regulatory work
Effective technical writing, presentation, and communication strategies for regulatory and technical audiences
Skilled at leading, performing, and reviewing complex and highly technical engineering and regulatory analyses related to CWA/CO establishing analytical approaches and ensuring defensibility of results
Planning, coordinating and managing complex work assignments
Leading and performing evaluations of treatment process or facility changes and developing defensible recommendations for maintaining compliance
Writing clear, defensible technical reports and communicating complex engineering and regulatory concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
Using Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to prepare and conduct analyses and prepare reports
Applying advanced engineering judgment to evaluate facility modifications, treatment designs, and capital project impacts under WQCC Regulation 22, CDPS permits, and related state guidance
Conducting and interpreting technical analyses supporting CWA permit renewals, biosolids management, stormwater controls, and discharge compliance
Reviewing and preparing SPCC Plans and other CWA-related documents
Managing consultant engineering work and ensuring technical deliverables meet CWA and related regulatory requirements
Mentoring engineers and providing advanced technical guidance on CWA compliance engineering.
Active and empathic listening skills
Training and mentoring staff
Managing disagreements, de-escalating conflict, and negotiating win-win solutions
Project management including work planning, resource allocation and progress reviews through project completion
Ability to serve as Metro’s subject matter expert on CWA/CO compliance engineering and apply that expertise to regulatory, design, and operational decision support
Develop and maintain a solid understanding of Metro’s facilities, treatment processes and operations.
Integrate technical analyses into Metro’s policy development and rulemaking participation activities and provide expert-level input to support defensible positions
Collaborate effectively across departments and with regulators, as assigned, to resolve technical and compliance challenges
Certify and stamp SPCC Plans and other required engineering documents
Evaluate engineering designs, operational changes, and proposed projects for CWA compliance implications
Provide expert advice on CWA/CO regulatory interpretations and compliance strategies to management and project teams
Represent Metro effectively in technical and regulatory discussions with external agencies
Perform and lead detailed engineering evaluations to ensure compliance with CDPS permits, SPCC requirements, and WQCC Regulation 22
Operate Metro vehicles legally, travel to all facilities, and work outside normal business hours as required
Learn and use common data analytics and visualization software tools (e.g. Alteryx, Microsoft Power BI, etc.)
At all times, including periods of inclement weather, excluding areas requiring formal confined space entry procedures, physically access and navigate all areas of Metro’s facilities and properties while wearing applicable personal protective equipment
Establish and maintain effective working relationships
Implement and enforce policies and procedures fairly and consistently
Effectively supervise staff
For environmental program areas outside of assigned focus, accurately identify, read, interpret and understand regulations and policies, and applicability and impacts to Metro. Perform engineering analyses as necessary. Make recommendations regarding compliance approaches and solutions. Coordinate across environmental programs to ensure that permitting, reporting, and compliance decisions under one regulatory framework (e.g., CAA, CWA, RCRA, EPCRA) do not create conflicts or gaps under another
Bachelor’s degree in chemical, environmental, mechanical, civil or other related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
A valid Driver’s License.
Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado. If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado.
A combination of education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Nice To Haves

If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end water quality compliance efforts, including pollutant loading and mass balance analyses
Direct NPDES/CDPS permitting strategies and oversee complex regulatory submittals
Interpret and apply federal and Colorado water quality regulations (Clean Water Act and associated programs)
Evaluate treatment processes, design changes, and capital projects for compliance and permitting impacts
Partner with operations and engineering to integrate environmental requirements into projects and long-term planning
Lead regulatory engagement, including rulemaking strategy and implementation
Oversee biosolids, stormwater, SPCC, and related compliance programs
Provide technical leadership on compliance evaluations, environmental release response, and fate and transport analyses
Provides engineering and regulatory expertise in support of assigned environmental program areas, both performing and leading compliance engineering and regulatory work as needed to meet Metro’s operational and programmatic requirements.
Serves as a subject-matter expert for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Metro’s compliance programs.
Conduct or lead technical and regulatory analyses to support Metro’s water quality compliance programs, including NPDES/CDPS permitting, biosolids management, stormwater, and WQCC Regulation 22 reviews for capital projects.
Prepares and reviews engineering documentation supporting regulatory submittals, permit renewals, and compliance reports.
Lead and perform complex environmental compliance engineering evaluations and studies in support of Metro’s WQC and related environmental programs.
When external engineering services are used, manage the technical scope and review of consultant work to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with Metro’s environmental compliance strategies.
Provide expert technical and regulatory consultation and quality review for engineering analyses, reports, and regulatory submittals prepared by lower-level engineering and other staff.
Supports regulatory stakeholder and rulemaking work as assigned.
Analyzes proposed federal and Colorado environmental regulations, guidance, and policy documents to assess potential technical, compliance, and operational impacts on Metro’s facilities and programs.
Prepares or contributes technical analyses, data summaries, and draft comment language to support Metro’s participation in regulatory rulemakings, stakeholder processes, and policy initiatives, as assigned.
Performs and leads environmental release responses (other than to air, unless assigned), evaluations, including fate and transport analyses, mitigation planning, and regulatory reporting support under applicable state and federal requirements.
Provides support for air releases as assigned.
Evaluate engineering design documents, process modifications, and proposed chemical or product changes to determine compliance impacts and ensure defensible permit coverage.
Responsible for reviewing, signing, and stamping engineering studies, reports, and other materials related to environmental compliance.
Provide updates or amendments following professional engineering standards.
Leads environmental compliance engineering participation on assigned PAR teams from study and design through construction completion.
Reviews and approves project documentation for regulatory completeness and defensibility.
Provides expert-level input, including written edits and recommendations, to ensure that environmental compliance and permitting requirements are fully integrated into project design, construction, and implementation.
Advises leadership on complex regulatory implications of project decisions.
Collaborates with Metro’s Principal Permitting Engineer and Engineering Department to review and interpret WQCC Regulation 22 and applicable design criteria for project development and treatment equipment and process modifications and conveyance system modifications.
Provide technical support for the development of training programs for Metro staff. Responsibilities may include research, assistance with the development of training materials, and/or review of training materials.
Ensure that all required compliance activities, including recordkeeping and reporting assigned to lower-level engineers or specialists, are performed on time.
May be required to work outside of normal business hours/standard workdays, including reporting to a Metro facility or to a field location, to support environmental release response or other emergencies, or to meet other Metro business needs.
Provide technical support for the development and delivery of training programs for Metro staff. Responsibilities may include research, assistance with the development of training materials, facilitation, and/or review of training materials.
Supervise lower-level engineers and other staff if assigned.
Responsible for maintaining and promoting a safe working environment.
Ensure employees complete all required training on time, maintain compliance with organizational requirements, and follow all safety protocols.
Ensures employees maintain required certifications.
Performs other duties as assigned.