Lead Engineer - Drainage Design

Be the Technical Leader Behind Infrastructure That Keeps Communities Moving

At HR Green, our mission is simple: Building Communities. Improving Lives.

For more than 110 years, we've partnered with municipalities, counties, transportation agencies, and public-sector clients to deliver infrastructure solutions that strengthen communities and improve quality of life. Today, we're proud to be consistently ranked on Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms list while also earning recognition as a Great Place to Work.

We're seeking an experienced Lead Engineer - Drainage Design to join our growing Drainage / Hydrology & Hydraulics team in Houston. This is a senior technical leadership opportunity for an accomplished Professional Engineer who wants to influence complex infrastructure projects, mentor engineering teams, strengthen client relationships, and help shape how drainage and water resources work is delivered across the organization.

You'll bring deep technical expertise to a diverse portfolio of municipal, county, and state transportation and infrastructure projects while serving as a trusted resource to clients, Project Managers, and engineers throughout HR Green.

If you're looking for an opportunity where your expertise can extend beyond individual projects - allowing you to influence technical standards, solve the toughest engineering challenges, develop other engineers, and help grow a successful practice - we'd love to talk with you.

What You'll Do

As a Lead Engineer, you'll serve as a senior technical authority within our Drainage / Hydrology & Hydraulics practice. You'll lead complex engineering efforts, provide technical direction across project teams, and help ensure HR Green continues delivering innovative, technically sound solutions for our clients.

Technical Leadership & Drainage Expertise

• Serve as a senior technical expert in drainage design, hydrology, and hydraulics, providing specialized expertise across projects, teams, and offices.
• Lead complex drainage and water resources analysis and design for municipal, county, state, and transportation infrastructure projects.
• Independently make significant engineering and design decisions within your area of expertise with limited oversight.
• Apply advanced technical knowledge to solve complex or unique engineering challenges that may not have established solutions or precedent.
• Provide technical direction for drainage systems associated with roadway, transportation, and public infrastructure improvements.
• Lead the development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative design approaches, tools, processes, and technical solutions.
• Prepare, review, sign, and seal engineering documents as an authorized representative of HR Green.
• Utilize and provide advanced guidance in drainage design software, including Geopak Drainage and OpenRoads Designer - Drainage and Utilities (ORD-DU).
• Serve as a technical resource to Project Managers, clients, and engineering teams when complex drainage and water resources challenges arise.

Quality, Standards & Technical Excellence

• Lead formal and informal QA/QC and peer reviews of drainage and water resources deliverables.
• Establish clear technical expectations and ensure engineering work meets HR Green, client, and regulatory standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve technical processes, design methodologies, tools, and overall quality of service.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of firm-wide standards and best practices within drainage, hydrology, and hydraulics.
• Share technical knowledge across teams and offices to strengthen capabilities throughout the organization.
• Provide guidance on complex design decisions while considering impacts to related disciplines, project scope, schedule, and budget.
• Proactively identify technical risks and develop solutions before they impact project delivery.

Project & Client Leadership

• Serve as technical lead on complex projects and provide senior-level guidance throughout planning, design, and construction.
• Work closely with Project Managers to establish project approach, technical strategy, staffing needs, schedules, and priorities.
• Serve as Project Manager for smaller or specialized projects that align closely with your technical expertise.
• Independently communicate with clients on technical matters and serve as a trusted advisor when addressing complex engineering challenges.
• Anticipate client needs and recommend solutions that improve project outcomes and strengthen long-term relationships.
• Proactively identify and help resolve technical, schedule, scope, and financial challenges.
• Support clients through bidding, contractor selection, construction administration, and project delivery as needed.
• Respond to contractor questions, evaluate construction issues, and support preparation of addenda and change orders.
• Coordinate technical work across disciplines, offices, and project teams to achieve successful project outcomes.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide technical leadership and direction to Project Engineers, Staff Engineers, designers, and other technical professionals.
• Assign and coordinate technical work, establish expectations, monitor progress, and provide meaningful feedback to project team members.
• Serve as a mentor to developing engineers, helping strengthen technical capabilities and prepare emerging leaders for greater responsibility.
• Create opportunities for junior and mid-level engineers to expand their technical knowledge, client exposure, and project leadership experience.
• Help connect team members with projects, resources, and development opportunities that align with their capabilities and career goals.
• Foster a collaborative environment focused on technical excellence, accountability, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

Business Development & Industry Leadership

• Bring technical expertise to project pursuits and help position HR Green for new and repeat work.
• Participate in the development of proposals, scopes, schedules, fee estimates, and technical approaches.
• Support and potentially lead technical portions of client interviews and presentations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with municipal, county, state, transportation, and public-sector clients.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing relationships and introduce additional HR Green capabilities.
• Participate in professional and technical organizations related to drainage, hydrology, hydraulics, and transportation infrastructure.
• Represent HR Green through industry involvement, technical presentations, committees, or other professional outreach opportunities.
• Help strengthen HR Green's reputation as a technical leader in drainage and water resources engineering.

What You Bring

You're an accomplished Professional Engineer with deep expertise in drainage, hydrology, and hydraulics and a reputation for being someone others turn to when the technical challenges become more complex.

You combine strong engineering judgment with the ability to communicate with clients, guide project teams, mentor other engineers, and see the broader implications of technical decisions. You're interested not only in delivering excellent work yourself, but in raising the technical capabilities of the people and teams around you.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline from an accredited university.
• 10+ years of progressive engineering and design experience, with significant experience in drainage, hydrology, and hydraulic analysis and design.
• Current Professional Engineer (PE) registration in one or more states where HR Green conducts business.
• Demonstrated depth of technical expertise in drainage and water resources engineering.
• Significant experience designing drainage improvements associated with roadway, transportation, municipal, county, or state infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated ability to independently make major engineering decisions and take ownership of complex technical deliverables.
• Experience serving as a technical lead and providing direction to multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Demonstrated ability to perform and lead technical QA/QC and peer reviews.
• Experience signing and sealing engineering documents as an authorized representative.
• Strong working knowledge of drainage design tools, including Geopak Drainage and/or OpenRoads Designer - Drainage and Utilities (ORD-DU).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated success resolving complex and non-routine engineering challenges.
• Excellent technical writing, communication, presentation, and client relationship skills.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel for company business as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Highly desirable candidates will also possess:

• Advanced education and/or specialty certifications related to drainage, hydrology, hydraulics, transportation, or water resources engineering.
• Established technical reputation within the Houston or Texas drainage and water resources market.
• Experience with municipal, county, and state transportation agency standards and requirements.
• Experience leading complex drainage design for major roadway or transportation infrastructure projects.
• Experience developing or implementing technical standards, design procedures, or engineering best practices.
• Demonstrated success mentoring and developing junior and mid-level engineers.
• Experience managing smaller or technically specialized engineering projects.
• Experience supporting proposals, client interviews, project pursuits, and business development activities.
• Active involvement or leadership in relevant professional and technical organizations.

Why HR Green?

At HR Green, you'll join an employee-owned firm where your expertise can influence more than a single project.

This role is designed for an experienced engineer who wants to remain deeply connected to technical work while expanding their impact across projects, people, clients, and the organization.

• Be recognized as a technical leader and become a go-to resource for complex drainage and water resources challenges.
• Influence the technical direction of significant municipal, county, state, and transportation infrastructure projects.
• Take ownership of complex engineering decisions with the autonomy expected of an experienced professional.
• Help establish technical standards, best practices, and innovative approaches that improve work across the organization.
• Lead and mentor engineers while helping build the next generation of drainage and water resources expertise.
• Work directly with clients as a trusted technical advisor, not simply as a behind-the-scenes designer.
• Expand your influence across teams and offices while collaborating with technical experts throughout HR Green.
• Participate in proposals, pursuits, presentations, and strategic client development.
• Build your professional reputation through industry organizations, technical presentations, and thought leadership.
• Continue advancing your career without having to leave technical engineering behind for a purely administrative management role.
• Share in the long-term success of an employee-owned firm where your contributions directly create value for the organization and its employee-owners.

Not only does HR Green provide you with a place to grow, thrive, and enjoy your work, but we are also dedicated to delivering a comprehensive and multi-faceted benefits package, including:

• Employee ownership opportunities
• Performance-based bonus program
• Traditional and Roth 401(k) plans with immediate employer-match vesting
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development support
• Paid parental leave
• Two paid volunteer days each year
• Flexible career paths and advancement opportunities
• A collaborative culture that values technical excellence, innovation, teamwork, and professional growth

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HR Green is proud to be an affirmative action/ equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law.