Project Engineer III

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 rewarding, challenging, and impactful career with Aqua Texas? We are excited to announce an opportunity for a Project Engineer III supporting our statewide operations. Join a team dedicated to delivering essential water and wastewater services to the communities we serve.

The Project Engineer III will play a critical role in Capital Improvement Projects in the East Texas region. You will collaborate with key stakeholders to develop solutions to meet operational and compliance excellence, evaluate growth opportunities and compliance needs,. Additionally, this position will prepare short- and long-term comprehensive plans for new and existing water and wastewater systems, which include project justifications, capital expenditures, budget forecasting, scheduling, and project tracking.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: (Primary Duties and Responsibilities)

• Provide direct project management support in the design and construction management of capital projects to support the Aqua Texas as needed.
• Manage third party consulting design firms,
• Manage and execute the preparation of technical, bidding and contractual documents associated with delivery of assigned capital investment projects.
• Oversee scope and quality of work to achieve the intent of all design concepts and Company standards for capacity, performance, reliability, safety and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as a senior technical manager for water and wastewater treatment process design and review, water resource assessments, safe yield analysis, hydraulic and pumping evaluations, risk assessments and other pertinent subjects as needed to support planning, engineering, operational and business needs.
• Conduct technical review of water and wastewater treatment and conveyance designs prepared by others.
• Manage capital project delivery from planning through construction and commissioning and serve as a technical resource during construction, commissioning, and initial operation of assets.
• Recommend and support pilot studies and investigate new treatment technologies.
• Work directly with Operations Teams to optimize existing treatment processes and apply new technologies as appropriate.
• Participate in the Capital Planning process to assist in prioritizing water and wastewater process treatment needs in and across the State.
• Work with Asset Management Team to coordinate and prepare strategic water and wastewater system studies including Master Plans and specialty studies.
• Assess system capacity, asset condition, facility performance, resiliency level and operational efficiency, and recommend associated improvements as well as participate in the capital planning and facility audit/planning processes in Operational Area.
• Conduct process evaluations and facility inspections to identify capital improvements necessary to reliably meet future water supply needs via existing or proposed treatment facilities. Develop design concepts for design of new or expansion/renovation of existing treatment facilities.
• Develop, review, maintain and communicate standards, guidance and internal processes for water and wastewater treatment design and operation in consideration of Enterprise standards and guidance, industry best practice, and current and upcoming federal, state, and local regulations.
• Support source change and corrosion control "C2RP" program.
• Assist in the development, management, and application of Enterprise-wide and State-specific standards and guidance, including the following:
  • 5-Year Capital Planning Workbook
  • AQUA Project Punch List Template
  • AQUA Standard Specifications
  • AQUA Recommended Design Standards

• Support engineering forensic and root cause analyses.
• Support plant Operations Teams as needed across the State, such as during new process startups, process upsets, or emergency response.
• Represent the Company at various federal, state, and local levels. Establish and maintain positive public relations with key customers, local officials, state and federal regulators, other state agencies, elected officials and industry groups.
• Participate in special assignments including professional conferences, regulatory workshops, business development, rate case testimony, technology research and other matters of strategic interest to the Company.
• Represent Aqua America as subject matter expert on national industry and regulatory forums.
• Assist business development function in pursuit of business development opportunities related to processes within area of expertise. This input will be a key factor in valuing the systems and in determining if the Corporation will proceed with a purchase offer.
• Delivers and/or leads technical deliverables.
• Schedule and conduct regular meetings with 3rd party consultants to ensure project clarification, meet specific requirements, and make adjustments according to needs as they arise.
• Manages daily delivery of projects, including staffing, schedule, scope and budget. Project Management experience highly preferred.
• Coordinates and prepares planning studies to identify future capital improvements necessary to maintain proper water and wastewater service and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Conducts system capacity evaluations, analysis of distribution, storage, or other system deficiencies as assigned to support operations, service extension requests or regional growth opportunities.
• Serves as a technical resource on capital planning, demand projection, transmission and distribution adequacy, water conservation, and other pertinent subjects as needed to support State Engineering and Operations.
• Conduct site visits as part of defining project scope and during pre-bid activities.
• From time to time, may assist with engineering due diligence for company acquisitions by identifying capital improvement needs for candidate systems and estimate the costs and timing of needed improvements.
• Assists in the review and application of new technologies that would improve service to customers.
• Maintains awareness of current trends and advancements in the field and their applicability to company operations.
• 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
• Professional Engineer's License (PE) in the State of Texas or ability to achieve within 6 months of hire
• 6+ years of professional experience in Water and/or Wastewater and budget management of projects over $1M. Wastewater preferred
• Project Management experience preferred, PMI Certification a plus.
• Experience conducting field testing, data collection programs, and master planning for water distribution systems and sewer collection systems.
• Current Driver's License and ability to drive to project sites within the assigned region, for on-site meetings and inspections, as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: (Examples below)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite: Word, PowerPoint, Excel
• Project Management experience preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; communicate effectively (clearly, concisely and professionally) with internal and external stakeholders
• Knowledge/familiarity in permitting processes with local groundwater conservations districts, cities, counties, flood districts, TCEQ, PUC etc.
• Knowledge in public water supply and wastewater safety/design standards that include AWWA, TCEQ, OSHA, NEC, etc.
• A team player able to work effectively in a team fostered multi-tasking environment
• Ability to work well under pressure and with tight deadlines
• Ability to manage multiple projects and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with modeling software platforms (WaterGems, WaterCAD, EPAet, InfoWorks / Infowater etc.) preferred but not required

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 the majority of time.
• See, hear, talk, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity.
• Operate standard office equipment.
• Working conditions will include travel to work sites of Aqua Texas, Essential Utilities and/or other constituents, as required.
• Ability to occasionally traverse loose, uneven ground, industrial stairwells and perform duties in inclement weather (up to 20% of the time)
• Travel Requirements up to 20%, mostly local to the regional office

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.