Water Program Manager - Data Centers

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?
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Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.
We believe that the way we work can add meaning and value to the world. That ideas inspire positive change. That coloring outside the lines can illuminate fresh perspectives. And that small details yield important realizations. Above all, we believe that collaboration is the best way forward.
We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience. We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.
Overview
We have an exceptional opportunity for a Water Infrastructure Program Manager (PgmM), focused on developing, coordinating, and delivering water infrastructure consulting, design projects and tasks for data center clients. The role will coordinate and collaborate with teams inside HDR to support water infrastructure oriented tasks including environmental, permitting, industrial water/wastewater treatment, building architecture, and other expertise from all HDR’s service areas relating to data center water infrastructure. The role will also work with vendors and subconsultants as needed.
Responsibility Details
This role includes program development, planning, and project delivery responsibilities supporting water infrastructure relating to designing and constructing data centers for a specific client or set of clients. This position will manage teams working to complete tasks from front-end site due-diligence evaluation, consulting, planning, and detailed design support through the construction administration and commissioning phases of data center projects. Services provided may include planning/consulting (due diligence/campus planning phase), design (including construction administration and commissioning phases), and O&M/retrofit scopes. The PgmM will also support water sustainability initiatives as aligned by client goals.
To execute HDR’s water infrastructure scopes and responsibilities, this role will collaborate with our practices and professional discipline groups across HDR on staff assignments, technical services, activities to continually improve standards and best practices, and implementation of effective quality assurance and quality control procedures. This person will need to be able to balance the fast pace and variable environment of working with data center clients.
The PgmM will participate in and oversee the execution of consulting, planning, and design scope delivery. The delivery includes overall performance, financial metrics for water infrastructure tasks, schedule, quality, contractual compliance, HDR task order safety planning, risk mitigation, and overall excellent client experience and satisfaction.
Responsibilities also include day-to-day coordination of new potential task orders with the client and HDR’s Tech/Media/Telecom (TMT) business development teams. Overall, The PgmM will work with our TMT leadership and business development team to grow HDR’s water-related work for data center clients and continue our growth as one of the top data center designers in the world. The PgmM will collaborate with business development teams to identify and develop opportunities and pursuits and work with HDR’s client managers and interface with clients to formulate project approaches and develop detailed project scopes that meet client expectations.
HDR’s responsibilities to serve our client will require work on diverse geographic locations. As such, travel is estimated at 20-30%.
Specific responsibilities will include:
TMT Market Sector – Data Center Objectives

Incorporate our HDR Corporate 2027 Goals and specific strategic vision within the data center / mission critical market to become the industry leader.
Communicate strategic and growth business plans to meet key financial objectives of our TMT sector specifically focused on Data Centers.
Serve as the Client Manager for water infrastructure scope with selected data center clients in North America and be active and visible in the industry.
Business Development Responsibilities

Support business development and pursuit activities through identification of project opportunities, proposal development, presentation to clients and scope development/contract negotiations after selection. Business development opportunities may include both new and existing sites.
Cultivate long-term, sustainable, value-based client relationships with clients. In time the role may expand to include partners, such as subconsultants, water treatment vendors, and water treatment equipment manufacturers.
Support to Key Project/Program Delivery

Take on Project Management (PM) and Principal in Charge (PIC) assignments that leverage this leadership role by driving client satisfaction, staff development, technical excellence and mentoring opportunities.
Manage the day-to-day activities of project-based team members and ensure that they meet deadlines and deliver high quality work. This effort may include assigning tasks, providing feedback, and facilitating collaboration.
Identify key staff to support new opportunities, including monitoring of staff workload and facilitate work sharing amongst and between HDR groups. Scope may expand to recruit new staff based on client project needs
Provide mentorship and coaching to staff working on data center projects.
Facilitate development and dissemination of lessons learned, Standards & Practices, and other key delivery guidance/tools
Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Mechanical, Chemical, Environmental, Civil or other similar engineering disciplines.
Experienced in development and management of a wide range of client relationships and specific program and/or project pursuits
Ability to work cooperatively with multiple HDR positions such as Market Sector Leadership, Business Class Directors, Regional Business Group Directors, Area Business Group Managers, and Area Managers
Demonstrated commitment to HDR values. An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Works well in a team and matrix environment
Highly motivated, articulate, and self-starting
Proficiency in Microsoft Platforms
Demonstrated project management experience with winning and delivering projects in the Data Center and other industrial sectors, with responsibility for budget, schedule, contractual obligations, and quality standards.
Preferred Qualifications

Registration as a Professional Engineer
Project Management training and experience, including PMP certification
10+ years of directly relevant experience in industrial water and wastewater engineering
5+ years (within the total experience timeframe) specifically serving the Data Center industry.
Experience designing industrial water and wastewater treatment plants, including development of conceptual/preliminary designs and detailed design document preparation.
Knowledge of Google Workspace platforms (formerly G Suite or Google Apps)
Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering
7 years related experience
A minimum 2 years project management experience
Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
MS Office and MS Project experience is required (Access experience would be plus)
Demonstrated leadership skills
An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must
What We Believe
HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.
Our Commitment
As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.
Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.
We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) {Minneapolis}: $120,761 - $172,515 {Columbus}: $115,010 - $164,300 {Denver}: $126511 - $180,730 {California} $126511 - $180,730
Primary Location:
United States-Missouri-Kansas City
Other Locations:
United States-Pennsylvania-Philadelphia, United States-North Carolina-Charlotte, United States-Texas-Austin, United States-Nebraska-Omaha, United States-Colorado-Denver, United States-Virginia-Vienna, United States-Illinois-Chicago, United States-California-Los Angeles, United States-Minnesota-Minneapolis, United States-Michigan-Ann Arbor, United States-Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh, United States-Texas-San Antonio, United States-Texas-Dallas, United States-California-San Diego, United States-California-Irvine, United States-Ohio-Columbus, United States-Maryland-Fulton
Industry:
Water
Schedule:
Full-time
Employee Status:
Regular
BusinessClass:
WW Treatment and Effluent Mgmt
Job Posting:
Feb 25, 2026 At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.