Project Engineer I

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, employs people in a variety of roles within our eight-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we’re delivering reliable water and wastewater services to our communities.  If you’re looking for a rewarding career helping improve our environment and protect our natural resources, we encourage you to join our team!

About Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. 

As a Project Engineer I, you will be responsible for overseeing and managing a variety of capital improvement projects for Aqua Pennsylvania’s water distribution systems. This includes both pipeline and water treatment projects, ranging from rehabilitation of existing facilities to the development of new infrastructure. You will play a vital role in ensuring the sustainability and improvement of water systems across Pennsylvania.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: (Primary Duties and Responsibilities)

• Project Management: Manage a range of capital projects including water main replacements, water storage tanks, booster stations, valve vaults, water treatment plant improvements and more. This involves both internal teams and external consultants, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with all relevant standards and regulations.
• System Planning & Improvement: Prepare studies and reports to guide company management in planning for future system needs and improvements.
• Capital Improvement Plans: Assist in the development and implementation of annual capital improvement plans for water infrastructure, including identifying and prioritizing projects and estimating associated costs.
• Permitting & Regulatory Compliance: Prepare and manage permit applications for projects, securing necessary approvals at the local, state, and federal levels. This involves working with local officials, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Bid Process & Contract Management: Prepare bid documents, conduct the bidding process, and oversee contract requirements throughout the duration of the project.
• Collaboration & Coordination: Work closely with department heads, design drafters, consultants, construction managers and contractors to ensure projects are designed and implemented according to company standards and regulatory guidelines.
• Financial Management: Track project budgets, progress, and timelines using Aqua Pennsylvania’s financial systems, ensuring that projects stay within budget and are properly authorized.
• Professional Development: Stay informed about industry trends, technologies, and regulatory changes by attending seminars and professional development courses.
• Engineering Due Diligence: Provide technical due diligence for potential company acquisitions, evaluating existing infrastructure and estimating necessary improvements for both water and wastewater systems.
• Data Management: Ensure that system maps, hydraulic models, specifications, and other records are properly maintained and updated.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function(s).

QUALIFICATIONS (Required Experience, Education, Licenses, and Certifications)

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering.
• Experience: 1–3 years of design experience, ideally with a focus on water projects.
• Licensing: Engineer-in-Training (E.I.T.) certification, or the ability to obtain it within 12 months of hire.
• Pennsylvania driver’s license and ability to operate Company vehicle is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: (Examples below)

• Proficiency in CAD software, WaterGEMS, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Teams).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to articulate technical issues clearly to internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for collaborating effectively with internal teams, regulatory agencies, local officials, and the public.
• A team-oriented attitude with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong problem solving, decision making, organizational, and time management skills.
• Ability to interpret and understand technical drawings and construction plans.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Perform sedentary work - exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
• Field-Based Work: You will spend a portion of your time at project sites, coordinating with local officials, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
• Working conditions will include travel to work sites of Essential Utilities, any sites where Essential Utilities has assets including in public R/W, and/or other constituents (if applicable).

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Aqua is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.