West Tunnel Practice Lead

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. We foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, constantly asking:
What is our impact on the world?

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Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around 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. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience.

We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you modernize aging systems or pioneer innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job—it’s a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.

Key leadership role that functions in partnership with some of the best and brightest water professionals in the industry. This person will lead some of the largest and most significant infrastructure projects in the Central and West Regions, focusing on hydraulic tunnel engineering.

• Direct involvement and oversight on select projects to manage tunnel related services
• Advising on and review of alternatives analyses and feasibility studies related to tunnels
• Risk Management and risk awareness of the WBG tunneling portfolio
• Subconsultant vetting and working with teams for subconsultant risk management, including required Quality Assurance activities and scope provisions
• Assessment and enhancement of HDR’s capabilities regarding tunnel construction and trenchless technologies, including expertise with Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) and the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM)
• Collaboration with HDR’s WBG Tunnel Practice Lead and Geotechnical Cross Sector
• Verify qualifications and training of field staff assigned to construction phase services related to tunnels

• Cost Engineering support
• Skills and bench-depth management for tunnel instrumentation, mechanical, civil, and mechanical consulting and design support for projects
• Assessing terrestrial and marine construction capabilities
• Numerical modeling to support tunnel projects, including modeling of ground/structure interaction and underpinning of buildings and utilities
• Technologies for coordination/production of design (calculations), design products, and contract documents
• Site characterization and geotechnical evaluations
• Construction Engineering support
• Inspections and Condition Assessments
• Resiliency, operations, and emergency response issues

• Master’s degree
• Ability to communicate and coordinate work within an integrated multidisciplinary team
• Applicable experience in US focused tunneling design and construction and leading the design and construction of tunnels and underground facilities for major projects
• Rock mechanics, soil mechanics, and geotechnical engineering experience in a wide variety of ground conditions
• Applications of various approaches and technologies such as SEM, NATM, SCL, EPBM, and cut‑and‑cover techniques
• Track record of industry‑facing publication and presentation of technical papers and active participation in professional organizations
• Ph.D. in engineering or related field
• Previous experience managing staff, clients, and contracts, and hiring staff for an engineering consulting firm, desired
• Excellent marketing and business development skills, with contacts/relationships in respective business…