Principal Planning Engineer

Requisition ID: 108979

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water

American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $40 to $42 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Primary Role

Responsible for strategic long-term water and wastewater system planning and recommending projects or approaches to address complex issues related to source of supply, treatment, storage, pumping and transmission of water and wastewater. The analysis and recommended solutions could have a major impact on the performance and operational integrity of water and wastewater systems within American Water. The Principal Planning Engineer has technical and project management supervision over consulting Project Managers/Engineers, and/or project support engineers or technicians. This position is also responsible for conducting or reviewing water and wastewater system capacity and service evaluations associated with water service extension projects or other potential service growth opportunities. Prepare or assist in the preparation of detailed asset investment plans considering the cost, timing, prioritization, operational need and risk, strategic investment fit and other pertinent factors surrounding individual individual projects or investment programs.

Key Accountabilities

- Coordination and preparation of strategic water and wastewater system planning studies (comprehensive or targeted, issue-based studies as appropriate) as assigned.

- Preparation and maintenance of asset investment plans and strategic capital expenditure plans as assigned. Plans to accurately address operational needs, operational efficiencies, asset management and strategic investment goals set by the State/Corporation based upon prioritization models.

- System capacity evaluations, analysis of source, treatment, distribution/collection, pumping & storage, or other system deficiencies as assigned to support ongoing operations, service extension requests or regional growth opportunities.

- Ability to serve as a competent technical resource on Water and Wastewater System Planning matters including capital planning, safe yield analysis, demand/load projections, treatment adequacy, collection, transmission and distribution adequacy, computerized hydraulic modeling and analysis, water conservation, regionalization.

- Support Company-wide performance goals and targets and Corporate Engineering initiatives established by senior leadership

Knowledge/Skills

- Strong process, project, and program management skills.

- Strong quantitative skills (e.g., analytical, technical, problem solving).

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills (e.g., fluency in report writing and presentations).

- Effective interpersonal skills (e.g., persuasion, negotiation, listening, cooperation, tact, diplomacy, problem solving, internal consulting).

- Leadership presence (e.g., ability to deal effectively and maintain collaborative relationships with Company senior management and other key internal and external stakeholders).

- Ability to influence across the organization to drive operational work and resource planning activities.

- Demonstrated ability to effectively problem solve routine and non-routine issues, developing possible solutions to problems and challenges.

- Ability to execute with urgency, while also maintaining project management discipline and stakeholder engagement.

- Financial analysis skill, including budget management, business modeling, and basic accounting knowledge.

- Demonstrated high competency in water/wastewater system comprehensive master planning and capacity, condition, and performance assessment of related facilities, pipeline system hydraulic modeling or equivalent water/wastewater system design experience.

- Broad knowledge of Engineering (planning, design, construction) related to water and/or wastewater.

- Strong knowledge of regulatory developments, new technology and current trends in water quality, treatment, and engineering economics.

- Applicable knowledge of water resources industry, business, and environmental regulatory field.

Experience/Education

- Bachelor’s degree in engineering required (Environmental or Civil preferred).

- Advanced management or technical degree preferred.

- 15+ years’ experience in water resources engineering.

Certifications/Licenses

- Professional Engineering (PE) license required.

Work Environment

- Primarily in the office with occasional work in the field at water/wastewater facilities to conduct site investigations and hold onsite project kick-off and review meetings.

Travel Requirements

- Periodic travel with overnight stays required; generally, less than 20% of total time is anticipated away from office

Competencies

Champions safety

Customer obsessed

Cultivates innovation

Nimble learning

Drives Results

Collaborates

Join American Water...We Keep Life Flowing™

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.