TPRB Construction Engineer - Dam Safety SME
El Vado Dam Embankment Improvements | Bureau of Reclamation Technical Peer Review Board
Company: ASR International Corporation (Small Business) Location: Remote + limited travel (NM / CO)
Engagement: SME / consultant (approx. 37-40 days over ~24 months) Clearance: Ability to work on U.S. federal contracts; Reclamation NDA required
About ASR
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, ASR International Corporation is an ISO 9001:2015 certified small business providing construction management, engineering support, quality assurance, and subject-matter expertise to federal agencies and commercial owners. ASR supports clients including the Department of the Interior / Bureau of Reclamation, NAVFAC, USACE, NASA, and the National Park Service.
Position Summary
ASR is seeking a recognized dam-construction expert to serve as the Construction Engineer member of an independent Technical Peer Review Board (TPRB) supporting the Bureau of Reclamation's feasibility-level Corrective Action Study for El Vado Dam near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico.
El Vado is Reclamation's only steel-faced embankment dam (structural height 229.5 ft). Elevated risks are driven by seepage and internal erosion through the embankment and foundation, and by the deteriorating upstream steel faceplate. Reclamation is evaluating embankment and foundation alternatives that include exposed geomembrane and concrete lining systems, cutoff walls, remedial grouting, an upstream berm, and possible new embankment or RCC dam options. The TPRB will independently review analyses, constructability, construction risk, and risk-reduction conclusions before a preferred alternative advances to final design.
It is a high-visibility, limited-hour SME assignment under ASR's IDIQ with Reclamation.
Key Responsibilities
- Independently review historic geotechnical analyses, geologic investigations, construction records, and dam-safety studies for El Vado Dam (including CAS, comprehensive review, condition-assessment, and geology reports).
- Participate in an in-person kickoff at the Denver Federal Center (Lakewood, CO) and a site visit at El Vado Dam (Tierra Amarilla / Chama, NM).
- Prepare TPRB Technical Memorandum-01 documenting findings from document review and the site visit; present findings to Reclamation's TSC design team.
- Review and comment on new analyses (slope stability, seepage, settlement, hydrologic and seismic studies, geologic model) and on cofferdam / river-diversion concepts.
- Attend up to four remote design-team meetings (~6 hours each) and five technical correspondence meetings (~2 hours each); provide written comments, recommendations, and constructability / construction-risk feedback.
- Independently review Reclamation's Feasibility-Level CAS TM and issue TPRB Technical Memorandum-02 addressing Reclamation questions and TPRB findings.
- Assess soundness of conclusions about existing-dam safety, suitability of proposed modifications, and construction risk associated with lining systems, cutoff walls, grouting, earthwork, and temporary works.
- Coordinate participation through the TPRB Chair and ASR contract administration; comply with Reclamation security, NDA, and contractor-identification requirements.
Required Qualifications (must meet PWS Section 3)
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, or Construction Management. Professional Engineer (PE) license strongly preferred.
- Minimum 20 years of experience on numerous projects, including at least five projects of similar scope involving construction of large new earthen embankment dams and/or dam-safety modifications of high-hazard dams.
- Demonstrated experience sequencing construction, developing and evaluating construction schedules, and identifying/mitigating construction risk.
- Hands-on knowledge of temporary construction features used to control inflows, including earthen and cellular cofferdams and river diversions.
- Direct construction experience with embankment dams, mass earthwork, haul-road and borrow-site development, concrete construction, exposed geomembrane liners, cementitious grouting, and embankment cutoff-wall systems on high-hazard dams.
- Working knowledge of multiple delivery methods: design-bid-build, design-build, early contractor involvement (ECI), CMAR, and CM/GC.
- Recognized expert in dams and dam safety who has conducted or led numerous dam-safety modification projects.
- Prior service on a TPRB, Board of Consultants, or comparable independent technical committee for new embankment dams or dam modifications. Equivalent senior credentials may be substituted if TPRB experience is limited.
- Ability to produce clear written technical memoranda and present findings to a federal design team. Available for limited travel to Lakewood, CO and the El Vado Dam site.
- U.S. work authorization and willingness to sign Reclamation's federal non-disclosure agreement and comply with Reclamation security training (WBR 1452.237-80).
Highly Desired Experience
- Internal erosion and internal-erosion risk analysis on existing embankment dams.
- Landslide evaluation, slope-stability, seepage, and embankment-deformation analysis at dam sites.
- Seismic evaluation of earth dams and constructability implications of seismic design.
- Construction or construction-review of exposed geomembrane lining systems, reinforced or RCC concrete liners, and mid-slope or toe cutoff walls.
- Prior Bureau of Reclamation, USACE, FERC, or state dam-safety board work; familiarity with Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety and Reclamation SOD / CAS processes.
- Experience writing or contributing to SF-330 Part I/II submissions for federal A-E / IDIQ task orders.
Level of Effort, Schedule, and Work Locations
Anticipated feasibility-phase effort is approximately 37.5 professional days over about two years (September 2026 through September 2028), including document review, one kickoff, one site visit, design-team and correspondence meetings, and two technical memoranda. The parent contract period may extend up to five years if later design-phase work is added.
Work is performed primarily remotely. Required travel: one day at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado for kickoff, plus a site visit of two travel days and one day on site at El Vado Dam (Tierra Amarilla / Chama, New Mexico). Additional meetings are remote via Microsoft Teams. This is a firm-fixed-price task-order structure if awarded; travel is included in the task order.
What Success Looks Like
Reclamation evaluates TPRB candidates on specialized experience, professional qualifications, capacity to meet the schedule, past performance (including CPARS), and location/availability. The expert ASR proposes must be immediately credible to a federal dam-safety design team: specific, construction-grounded comments; independent judgment; and timely, well-written deliverables.
How to Apply
- A current résumé biographical sketch tailored to the qualifications above (highlight similar dam-construction / dam-safety modification projects).
- A short cover note confirming availability for the September 2026-September 2028 window and for the CO / NM travel described.
- PE license number and state(s), if applicable.
- A list of TPRB, Board of Consultants, or independent review assignments (project, owner, role, dates).
ASR International Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status. U.S. work authorization is required. This position is contingent upon the government award.