Water Quality Consultant

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. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves:
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’re modernizing aging systems or pioneering 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.

HDR is looking for a Water Quality Consultant to join our Water Business Group team in Raleigh, NC, with directly relevant skills as a water quality professional with a strong background in regulatory and operational sampling, laboratory testing, analytical evaluation, and technical documentation. This individual will apply practical knowledge of water treatment plant and water distribution system operations to help utilities understand water quality conditions, evaluate treatment performance, improve monitoring programs, and translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable recommendations.

The Senior Consultant will build and maintain trusted-advisor relationships with clients and manage the delivery of water treatment, water quality, operations, and utility management assignments. Project work may include treatability studies; sampling and analysis plans; laboratory and field data review; water quality investigations; treatment process optimization; distribution system water quality evaluations; standard operating procedures; regulatory and operational documentation; and utility performance improvement initiatives.

The candidate will also support HDR’s program management and owner’s advisor services, contribute specialized technical leadership, and participate in client development.

On a day-to-day basis, the Water Quality Consultant will be expected to:

• Plan, lead, and review water quality sampling programs for source water, treatment processes, finished water, and distribution systems, including development of sampling locations, frequencies, methods, quality assurance requirements, and data management procedures
• Provide technical oversight for laboratory and field testing activities, including coordination with internal and contract laboratories, review of analytical methods, and evaluation of quality assurance and quality control results
• Analyze laboratory, field, operational, and regulatory data to identify trends, data gaps, treatment performance issues, distribution system concerns, and opportunities for process improvement
• Evaluate water treatment plant performance and distribution system water quality using knowledge of treatment chemistry, process control, residual maintenance, disinfection, corrosion control, taste and odor, and other…