Principal Water Treatment Planning Engineer/Manager

Arcadis•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$170,000 - $220,000

About The Position

Arcadis is seeking a Principal Water Treatment Planning Engineer/Manager for its Resilience Water Planning Practice in Southern California. The role leads water quality and treatment planning projects, develops long-term strategies, and supports complex multidisciplinary planning work. It also includes mentoring planners, engineers, and scientists. The position works with regional and national practice leaders, market sector leads, and client account managers to advance water and recycled water planning. It supports municipal and utility clients responding to regulatory requirements, climate uncertainty, water supply resilience challenges, and infrastructure investment needs. Travel of up to 20% across Southern California is anticipated for client and project meetings, team engagement, planning initiatives, and industry events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Environmental, or Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
At least 12 years of progressive experience in water resources planning, water system planning, or related fields.
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage client relationships, and deliver large, complex water planning projects.
Deep understanding of California’s regulatory environment and the municipal water and recycled water utility market.
Demonstrated experience partnering with municipal agencies and utilities to develop and implement long-term planning, resilience, and sustainability strategies.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, an MBA, or a related field.
Professional Engineer (PE) license in California.
At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in water resources, water planning, or related consulting services.

Responsibilities

Lead water and recycled water quality and treatment planning, including regulatory-compliance treatment processes, treatment operations evaluations, and distribution system water quality improvements.
Develop strategies addressing water quality and treatment reliability, reuse, sustainability, resilience, and regulatory compliance.
Evaluate existing water and recycled water treatment infrastructure and plan improvements to operability, water quality, and reliability.
Support utility treatment plant start-up, commissioning, and operations troubleshooting.
Represent municipalities and utilities as the Owner’s Agent on alternative delivery projects.
Lead water quality evaluations and review designer treatment approaches, basis of design, and calculations.
Develop performance guarantees and associated start-up and commissioning requirements, and support commissioning activities on behalf of the owner.
Provide technical leadership on water policy, regulatory frameworks, and planning best practices; advise clients on climate adaptation, drought resilience, water recycling, and sustainability.
Support business development by developing client engagement strategies, maintaining client relationships, pursuing opportunities, and representing Arcadis at industry events and conferences.
Oversee multidisciplinary planning projects to meet scope, schedule, budget, and Arcadis quality standards; provide technical guidance and quality assurance for analyses and documentation.
Lead capital improvement plans and asset investment strategies that incorporate risk-based prioritization, lifecycle costing, funding strategies, and long-term planning objectives.
Participate in state and local professional associations, industry committees, and thought leadership initiatives.
Mentor and develop water planning professionals, support recruitment, and foster a collaborative, inclusive, growth-oriented team culture.