Water & Wastewater Project Engineer I

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, employs people in a variety of roles within our eight-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we’re delivering reliable water and wastewater services to our communities.  If you’re looking for a rewarding career helping improve our environment and protect our natural resources, we encourage you to join our team!

About Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. 

Are you looking for a fantastic career at Aqua? We have an outstanding opportunity for a Project Engineer in the Richmond, VA area!

The Project Engineer I plans and designs engineering projects for water and wastewater system capital projects of medium to high complexity. Reviews industry policies and procedures to ensure data accuracy, security and compliance. Reviews production, malfunction and maintenance reports to determine or address problems. Designs and implements a plan for completing a project. Monitors progress and performance against the project plan. Resolves any problems and minimizes delays. Develops schedules, budgets and forecasts for project. Selects materials and staff for project.  In conjunction with the state engineer develops long-term water and wastewater utility planning and project recommendations related to source of supply, treatment, storage, pumping, collection, and transmission of water and wastewater.

Total Base Pay Range: $85,454.10 - $98,272.21

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: (Primary Duties and Responsibilities)

• Facility planning to identify future capital improvements necessary to maintain proper water and wastewater service and to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Implements annual capital improvement plans and the budget, under the supervision of State Operations Manager, to identify and prioritize capital projects, including selecting design approaches and estimating project costs.
• Supervises and/or performs the design and construction of regional capital and maintenance projects, including preparation of contract documents and development of cost estimates, utilizing both in-house and contract resources, as required.
• Prepares cost estimates for capital projects, and construction schedules for the work. Oversees design and construction activities to achieve budget and schedule compliance.
• Coordinates design and construction phases of projects with personnel of all regional divisions and of other departments, outside contractors, and suppliers to ensure all operational needs are addressed, and obtain all needed inputs for design.
• Prepares or directs the preparation of permit applications for construction of assigned capital projects. Applications cover a wide range of land development, zoning, construction, and environmental approvals, at the local and State levels, and at times, at the Federal level. Meets with local officials and regulatory agency personnel to obtain project permits and authorizations.
• Represents the company at various federal, state and local levels. Establishes and maintains positive public relations with key customers, local officials, state and federal regulators, other state agencies, elected officials and industry groups.
• Provides engineering due diligence services for company acquisitions by identifying capital improvement needs for candidate systems, and estimate the costs and timing of needed improvements.
• Provides engineering due diligence services with developer projects including agreements and easements, as well as perform due diligence on acquisitions of new systems.
• Oversees maintenance of water system maps, records, and electronic data (i.e. hydraulic models, standard specifications, etc.)
• Maintains standard design and materials specifications for water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Assists in the review and updating of ongoing operations programs such as plant maintenance and safety as assigned. Provides and/or assists in training efforts associated with these programs.
• Assists in the review and applications of new technologies that would improve water quality or service to customers.
• Attends study forums conducted by various government agencies and professional organizations.
• Performs other assignments as required.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function(s).

QUALIFICATIONS: (Required Experience, Education, Licenses, and Certifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering or related engineering field required
• Virginia EIT and ability to obtain P.E. license within 4 years
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in hydraulic modeling, planning and analysis of water distribution and sewer collection systems.  GIS interest and experience would be considered a plus.
• Experience conducting hydraulic field testing, data collection programs, and master planning for water distribution systems and sewer collection systems required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: (Examples below)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite: Word, PowerPoint, Excel
• Familiarity with modeling software platforms (WaterGems, WaterCAD, EPAet, InfoWorks / Infowater etc.)
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; communicate effectively (clearly, concisely and professionally) with internal customers
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• A team player able to work effectively in a team fostered multi-tasking environment     

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Perform sedentary work- exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.                       
• See, hear, talk, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity.                                    
• Operate standard office equipment.      
• Working conditions may include travel to work sites of Essential Utilities and/or other constituents
• Travel Requirements up to 20 %               

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Aqua is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.