Job Description
Woodard & Curran is a national engineering, science, and operations firm with a simple vision for clean water, a safe environment, healthy communities, and happy people. As an employee-owned company, we strive to cultivate teams that encourage collaboration in an inclusive culture. We seek talented individuals from all backgrounds to help us address a broad range of water and environmental issues. We prioritize our people, offering opportunities for professional growth, ownership, and flexibility. This commitment enables us to make a meaningful impact on our clients, communities, and the planet.
What’s in it for you:
Woodard & Curran is offering a unique opportunity to join one of our Southern California offices providing high quality wastewater engineering services to municipal clients throughout the West region and across the nation. The successful candidate will be a motivated, growth-oriented professional with an ability to lead and grow the South Region Wastewater Team and multi-discipline project teams from the concept, final design, and construction phases; start-up, and operations of facilities. This is an opportunity for an experienced wastewater professional to make a meaningful regional impact – driving technical excellence, mentoring the next generation of engineers and scientists, and partnering closely with communities to solve complex challenges.
Who are we looking for:
The selected candidate will primarily lead and support the engineering on municipal wastewater projects, however experience with drinking water, storm water, and industrial water applications is valuable. This position will have an opportunity to direct and collaborate with a team of junior staff. The ideal candidate is a Senior Technical Manager with strong experience in study, planning, and design of wastewater systems, including familiarity with a broad range of issues related to master planning, treatment and collection/distribution in water or wastewater systems. Candidate will lead the technical delivery of multiple projects and must be familiar with local regulators and must also be able to support marketing and proposal efforts, as appropriate.
Location: Southern California (Office Locations: San Diego, Los Angeles, Irvine)
This role is hybrid. Candidates are expected to be in the office at least one day per week, with additional on‑site presence on an as‑needed basis.
Travel: 20%
What You Will Be Doing at Woodard & Curran:
- Provide technical leadership on wastewater projects of all sizes, from the concept, final design, and construction phases; start-up, and operations of facilities.
- Lead and grow the West Region Wastewater Team and multi-discipline project teams, collaborating with civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and environmental professionals.
- Supports technical aspects of proposal efforts and is visible in the marketplace.
- Review and oversee technical deliverables to ensure quality, consistency, and adherence to industry standards and client expectations.
- Supports Project Manager with and/or directly manages the financial and technical delivery of project tasks including scope, schedule, and budget.
- Serve as a technical resource for complex treatment processes, conveyance systems, and regulatory challenges.
- Prepares and delivers presentations to internal and/or external clients/professional societies and participates in committees and other external leadership opportunities through professional associations and other applicable organizations.
- Partners with project managers and client managers to support client relationships, identify opportunities, and contribute to business development efforts.
- Provides input on development of Woodard & Curran design or technical guidelines and standards.
What You Will Need To Succeed:
- The successful candidate should have substantial technical expertise in the field of civil and environmental engineering and have in-depth understanding of the engineering concepts associated with all types of municipal wastewater systems including collection system infrastructure and wastewater treatment processes.
- 20+ years of experience in evaluation, planning, design, and construction of wastewater engineering projects.
- Lead technical engineer for a minimum of 5+ wastewater treatment facility designs (new or expansion).
- Considered an expert in California
- B.S. Degree in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, or Environmental Engineering, M.S. Degree preferred.
- Registered Professional Engineering California (or ability to apply for reciprocity within 6 months of hire).
- Up to date on the latest advances in technology, regulatory trends, equipment, and processes.
- Ability to support and/or lead strategic initiatives to develop and expand business opportunities with new clients and geographies.
- Well versed in state and local regulations regarding wastewater treatment and collection systems.
- Superior writing, communication, and presentation skills.
- Strong leadership skills and ability to coach, mentor, and train individuals.
$160,000 - $190,000 a year
This position’s anticipated pay range is provided; the final exempt salary or non-exempt hourly pay will depend on experience level and consider a percentage-based geographic differential based on where the final candidate will be working. Geographic differentials recognize and reflect the cost of labor differences between geographic markets.
Group A (San Diego, CA) = $160,000 - $180,000
Group B (Los Angeles - Irvine, CA) = $170,000 - $190,000
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Employee Support & Benefits
Retirement Savings:
•401(k) Pre-tax or Roth Contributions: The company matches 100% of the first 3% of salary contributed
Time away from work:
•Observed holidays: Choose up to 8 holidays to observe annually
•Vacation: Accrued based on years of experience and calculated on hours worked
•Sick time: Paid sick time for non-work-related illness or injury.
•Parental leave: Up to 80 hours of Paid Parental Leave for child bonding
Coverage and support for your needs and well-being:
•Disability: Paid short- and long-term disability
•Health: Medical plan options; plus dental and vision plans.
•Life: Basic employee group life insurance and AD&D benefits; additional voluntary life insurance for employees and families is available through Sun Life.
•Wellbeing: DarioMind assistance program combined with personalized mental health and wellbeing resources.
E-Verify Participation
Woodard & Curran participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. As part of this process, we display the required Notice of E-Verify Participation and Right to Work posters. To view the Right to Work and E-Verify Posters combined posters, click here.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Woodard & Curran is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans are encouraged to apply. We are committed to ensuring our employment practices are non-discriminatory and based solely on job-related factors. To read our entire Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement, click here. To view the EEOC Workplace Discrimination is Illegal poster and supplement, click here.
If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to apply, please contact Beth Sweitzer.
Inclusion & Belonging
We welcome individuals from all backgrounds to apply, as we believe that different perspectives and experiences enrich our workplace and enhance our ability to serve our clients and communities effectively.
At Woodard & Curran, we are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive work environment. We understand that the best solutions for our clients and communities come from a culture that nurtures the success and growth of all employees. As an employee-owned organization, our dedication to fostering growth, access and opportunity empowers us to serve our clients effectively and advance our mission of making a positive impact on the world. Our success is rooted in supporting our team members to reach their full potential, enabling us to deliver the most innovative, sound and effective solutions to improve our communities around us.
Non-Solicitation Disclosure:
Please be advised that we do not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from recruitment agencies. Any resumes or candidate profiles submitted without a signed contract in place will be considered unsolicited and will not be eligible for any referral fees. Recruitment agencies must have a valid signed agreement with our company prior to following the submission process to consider potential candidates.
Text Message Communication Notice:
We know your time is valuable! To keep things moving, we may send brief SMS reminders or updates during the hiring process. If you prefer not to receive texts, you can opt out by replying STOP.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
