Senior Operations Specialist; Water

Senior Operations Specialist (Water)

HDR

At HDR, our employee‑owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected. We foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and our communities. We constantly ask ourselves:
What is our impact on the world? We believe water is more than a resource—it's a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come.

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Each role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. From delivering safe drinking water to treating wastewater responsibly, our work directly supports public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience.

We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference.

HDR is looking for an energetic, hard‑working problem solver to become a full‑time Senior Operations Specialist. You will work on municipal and industrial water treatment facilities across the United States, collaborating with a nationwide Operations Team.

The work location will be at the HDR office closest to your current location. Please check the HDR website nearest to you.

For over 100 years, HDR has specialized in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. We provide solutions to thousands of partners, from small local utilities to the largest global companies. Our Water Business Group has over 2,000 employee owners, with over 500 in our Eastern Region.

• Support HDR project leaders at the local, state, and regional level on water treatment projects requiring input from Operations Specialists.
• Review drawings for operability review and Haz Ops analysis with an eye for what it takes to successfully operate a variety of treatment processes.
• Manage operations and maintenance projects with both municipal and industrial clients, including client interfacing, regulatory reporting, personnel, subcontractor, and maintenance management.
• Develop startup and commissioning plans and host workshops to share those ideas with client contractors and operators.
• Perform startup and commissioning of new water treatment facilities, ensuring new equipment functions correctly before handover.
• Perform formal and informal training to help our clients’ treatment plants operate to the best of their ability.
• Participate in testing of facilities to ensure they are ready for startup and meet capacity requirements of the design.
• Perform condition assessment and asset management tasks on water and wastewater facilities using state‑of‑the‑art evaluation tools.
• Perform operational or maintenance troubleshooting and evaluations on municipal and industrial water facilities.

Work will involve a base of projects in the southern portion of the central United States, but will also include projects in several sites across the country. This role may require 30–40% travel; weekend travel is normally not required.

• Minimum 10 years field experience in troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation equipment at water treatment facilities and/or resolving water treatment process problems (construction experience is a plus).
• High level water treatment operator license or professional engineering license.
• Ability to interpret engineering plans and specifications.
• Microsoft Office product and computerized maintenance and management systems experience.
• Commitment to being an active participant in our employee‑owned culture.
• Valid driver’s license.

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Microsoft Office product experience.
• General background‑related experience.
• Commitment to being an active participant in our employee‑owned culture.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, health, performance, and success, including medical, dental, vision, short and long‑term disability, life insurance,…