Water Design Manager - Kiewit Water Delivery

Position Overview

Kiewit is looking for a Water Design Manager (WDM) to lead and integrate engineering on large municipal and industrial water and wastewater projects delivered through collaborative delivery methods including progressive design-build, design-build, CMAR and EPC. Communities and industrial clients across North America are investing in drinking water, wastewater, water reuse and industrial water systems at a historic pace, and our Water team is growing to meet that demand. If you are a technically strong water professional who wants to lead multi-discipline engineering teams on complex projects and want to see your designs through to construction and successful operation, this opportunity is for you.
The Water Design Manager role is a leadership position for a project management professional with a strong technical foundation in water, but with day-to-day responsibilities that focus on aligning clients, external engineering partners, internal Kiewit engineering resources, and Kiewit construction teams with the needs of the project to create value and success for all parties. Our projects are engineering driven but construction led, so your ability to interface with our construction teams will be key to your success.
The WDM is accountable for the successful integration and execution of engineering on assigned projects from the pre-construction phase through commissioning and closeout. The WDM ensures engineering scope, cost, schedule, quality, risk and deliverables stay aligned with project objectives and field execution.
The WDM is not expected to produce or check calculations and drawings, but you are expected to bring a strong multi-discipline background in water and wastewater to help shape technical strategy, test assumptions, weigh tradeoffs and steer the design toward the right outcome for the client, the project, and the field.
You will work alongside a Regional Sponsor who leads client relationships and pursuit strategy. You will be engaged early in pursuits so the commitments made during the pursuit phase that govern execution are vetted before they are locked in. 

District Overview

Kiewit Water Delivery is the organization within Kiewit focused on helping communities and industries solve complex water challenges through collaborative project delivery. Backed by more than 140 years of construction experience and the resources of Kiewit, our team delivers critical water infrastructure projects that improve reliability, resiliency, and sustainability. By combining the best engineering and construction teams in the industry and aligning them with a shared engineering-led, construction-driven mindset, we help clients successfully deliver complex projects across North America.
Kiewit Water Delivery is founded on the principles that:
 
Words matter – we are clear, candid, and constructive
Ownership - we own total outcomes and not just individual pieces
Respect - We respect and value all voices
Keep Commitments - we do what we say and build trust through reliability
Shared Success - success is only success when it is shared between all parties, we only win as a team.

Our growing Water Delivery team brings the market intelligence, design management, and technical project execution expertise required to successfully deliver water, wastewater, and industrial water projects. We serve as the nexus between our clients, engineering partners, Kiewit construction, vendors, regulators, and the broader North American water market. Our collaborative approach, technical depth, and construction-first mindset enable us to deliver innovative solutions that meet today's needs while preparing for future growth.

Location

This role is based in our Lone Tree, Colorado office. Remote work options may be considered based on candidate qualifications and business needs.

Responsibilities

•    Lead and integrate multi-discipline engineering teams (Kiewit engineers and third-party engineering partners) on $50M to $1B+ municipal and industrial water and wastewater projects, from pursuit handoff through construction, commissioning and closeout.
•    Support the Regional Sponsor during pursuits. Test technical and execution assumptions, contribute multi-discipline technical strategy, confirm that proposal commitments and performance guarantees can be delivered, and connect design choices to field execution.
•    Lead development and review of engineering fees using approved Kiewit templates.
•    During the design management/execution phase of the project, set up the engineering execution plan including engineering requirements, technical strategy, scope, budget, schedule, deliverables, staffing, quality expectations, risk actions and communication rhythms.
•    Own engineering scope, budget, schedule, deliverables and change management with a project-first mindset. Identify changes early and manage them fairly and transparently.
•    Provide technical leadership across disciplines. Coordinate discipline interfaces, resolve misalignments between stakeholders, and steer key technical design decisions and tradeoffs so that solutions meet performance requirements, regulatory and permit requirements, and client operations and maintenance needs.
•    Lead third-party engineering partners with clear expectations, consistent communication and accountability. Develop scopes of work, negotiate and manage engineering contracts, and monitor partner performance on scope, quality, schedule, quantities, budget and deliverables.
•    Partner closely with construction, estimating, procurement, scheduling and project controls. 
•    Ensure engineering decisions are constructible by facilitating effective communication and alignment between engineering and construction.
•    Translate operational and field needs into design priorities while balancing client and engineering-partner requirements.
•    Support design-to-budget, value engineering efforts, and cost model / GMP development.
•    Identify, track and mitigate technical, execution and business risks before they affect safety, cost, schedule, quality or client relationships. Maintain a clear decision and risk log throughout the project.
•    Set quality expectations and confirm that design reviews, constructability reviews and QA/QC processes are carried out by the design team.
•    Serve as the primary voice for engineering delivery with the client and stakeholders during execution. Run project communication rhythms and lead the engineering content and delivery for monthly project reviews with executive leadership.
•    Establish and use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), project controls and change discipline to reinforce accountability and improve predictability.
•    Support construction and commissioning by resolving design issues quickly, supporting commissioning and startup readiness, and closing engineering commitments.
•    Coordinate engineering staffing and discipline alignment.
•    Capture and share lessons learned, and adopt practical digital tools, emerging technology and AI to improve predictability and execution on current and future projects.
•    Champion a “Right the First Time” quality culture, leading excellence in quality by example.

Qualifications

•    Bachelor’s degree in civil, environmental, chemical, mechanical or a related engineering field from an accredited program is required.
•    Professional Engineer (PE) license is required (P.Eng. for Canadian candidates).
•    10+ years of experience in water and/or wastewater engineering or similar industries, including at least 5 years as a Design Manager, Engineering Project Manager or Project Manager leading multi-discipline design teams.
•    Experience delivering projects through progressive design-build, design-build is required. Additional CMAR and/or EPC experience is ideal. Experience working for or directly with a contractor is strongly preferred.
•    Strong client-facing communication, presentation and negotiation skills, with experience building consensus with engineering teams, clients, constructors, and regulators. 
•    Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop high-performing teams and to hold people and partners accountable through both direct and indirect (influence) methods.
•    Demonstrated experience managing engineering scope, fees, budgets, schedules and change, including managing third-party engineering firms and subconsultants.
•    Strong multi-discipline technical background in municipal and/or industrial water and wastewater facilities, such as drinking water, wastewater treatment, water reuse, biosolids, pump stations, and/or conveyance. You should be able to challenge design assumptions, evaluate alternatives and guide technical decisions across process, mechanical, civil, structural, electrical and I&C disciplines.
•    Strong analytical ability and sound judgment. Comfortable with change and ambiguity; adaptable, collaborative and a systems thinker. #LI-JP1
•    Working knowledge of construction means and methods, cost estimating, scheduling, procurement and project controls, and the ability to connect design decisions to cost and field execution.
•    Familiarity with digital design and collaboration tools (such as 3D/BIM model reviews and electronic document management) and an interest in applying new technology through AI or other methods.
•    DBIA and/or PMP certification is a plus.
Other Requirements:
•    Regular, reliable attendance
•    Work independently, productively and meets deadlines.
•    Holds self and others to a high standard of quality and accountability.
•    Communicate and interact effectively and professionally with supervisors, employees, and others individually or in a team environment
•    Work during normal operating hours to organize and complete work within given deadlines. Work overtime and weekends as required.
•    May work at various different locations and conditions may vary.
•    Travel up to 50% may be required depending on candidate location, project assignment, and other factors. Hiring manager will work to minimize travel where possible.

Working Conditions

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