Central / West Tunnel Lead

Join to apply for the Central / West Tunnel Practice Lead role at HDR . 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? Watch Our Story: 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 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. This is a key leadership role that functions in partnership with some of the best and brightest water professionals in the industry. The role focuses on hydraulic tunnel engineering and leads some of the largest and most significant infrastructure projects in the Central and West Regions. The Central/West Tunnel Practice Lead is a professional that is well versed in all aspects of services for trenchless projects. We have a strong backlog of conveyance work and opportunities for continued growth. The duties of the Central/West Tunnel Practice Lead are to support design teams and oversee all aspects of trenchless discipline and multi‑benefit projects with a high degree of technical complexity. The position will help build and maintain client relations and participate in project development and contract document preparation. The person will support staff across a variety of disciplines. The position will participate in and provide oversight of a variety of project types including planning, design, inspection and construction management of tunnels and general site civil of major water, wastewater, stormwater and reclaimed water infrastructure. The position will also work in coordination with HDR’s national Business Class Director, Tunnel Practice Lead, technical leads and advisors. You will participate in the technical advancement and corporate management of HDR’s tunnel/trenchless program. HDR utilizes a robust workshare program, and it is common and expected that work is shared across the HDR network between our operational areas. This person will also be responsible for supporting HDR’s risk awareness and management of the WBG tunneling portfolio, influencing the firm’s geotechnical and tunneling/underground engineering practice, and participating in the development and implementation of HDR’s strategic direction for our tunneling practice. The selected candidate will also support overall quality control, manage project delivery risk and participate in HDR’s go/no go process during the project pursuit phase. Primary Responsibilities Direct involvement and oversight on select projects to manage tunnel related services Advising on and review of alternatives analyses and feasibility studies related to tunnels Risk management and risk awareness of the WBG tunneling portfolio Subconsultant vetting and working with teams for subconsultant risk management including required Quality Assurance activities and scope provisions Assessment and enhancement of HDR’s capabilities regarding tunnel construction and trenchless technologies including expertise with Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) and the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) Collaboration with HDR’s WBG Tunnel Practice Lead our Geotechnical Cross Sector Verify qualifications and training of field staff assigned to construction phase services related to tunnels Secondary Responsibilities Cost Engineering support Skills and bench‑depth management for tunnel instrumentation, mechanical, civil, and mechanical consulting and design support for projects Assessing terrestrial and marine construction capabilities Numerical modeling to support tunnel projects including modeling of ground/structure interaction and underpinning of buildings and utilities Technologies for coordination/production of design (calculations), design products, and contract documents Site characterization and geotechnical evaluations Construction Engineering support Inspections and Condition Assessments Resiliency, operations, and emergency response issues Preferred Qualifications Masters degree Ability to communicate and coordinate work within an integrated multidisciplinary team Applicable experience in: U.S. focused tunneling design and construction Leading the design and construction of tunnels and underground facilities for major projects Rock mechanics, soil mechanics, and geotechnical engineering Wide varieties of ground conditions Applications of various approaches and technologies such as SEM, NATM, SCL, EPBM, and cut‑and‑cover techniques. Track record of industry facing publication and presentation of technical papers and active participation in professional organizations Ph.D. in engineering or related field Previous experience managing staff, clients and contracts, and hiring staff for an engineering consulting firm, is desired Excellent marketing and business development skills in addition to contacts/relationships in respective business class discipline Experience in numerical analysis such as FLAC, UDEC, PHASES2, PLAXIS 2D & 3D, MIDAS GTS, MODFLOW, etc. is a plus. Ground‑structure‑interaction modelling (FEM or similar) Experience in large scale underground projects, urban tunneling, tunnel rehabilitation Prior working experience in construction or working for a contractor Robust interpersonal skills and professional demeanor appropriate for interacting with clients, other design professionals and colleagues Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Engineering 10 years related experience A minimum 5 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 (Access experience would be plus) Demonstrated leadership, business development and strategic planning 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 is $116,802 - $231,750 depending upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full‑time regular positions. Temporary and part‑time roles eligible for limited benefits.) Primary Location United States-Wisconsin-Madison Other Locations United States-Oklahoma United States-Texas-Round Rock United States-South Dakota-Rapid City United States-Minnesota United States-Washington-Bellevue United States-Wyoming-Cheyenne United States-Missouri-Kansas City United States-South Dakota-Sioux Falls United States-Oregon United States-California-Long Beach United States-Minnesota-Saint Louis Park United States-Hawaii United States-Wyoming United States-Oregon-Salem United States-Louisiana-New Orleans United States-Texas-Fort Worth United States-Montana-Missoula United States-Wisconsin United States-New Mexico-Albuquerque United States-Texas-Houston United States-Michigan United States-California-Irvine United States-Missouri-Columbia United States-Washington-Tacoma United States-Nevada United States-Nevada-Reno United States-Colorado-Fort Collins United States-Colorado United States-Iowa-Des Moines United States-California-Folsom United States-Oregon-Portland United States-Washington United States-Montana-Bozeman United States-Texas-El Paso United States-Arizona United States-Colorado-Durango United States-Utah United States-Alaska-Anchorage United States-Texas-Corpus Christi United States-Louisiana United States-Minnesota-Minneapolis United States-Washington-Seattle United States-New Mexico United States-Nevada-Las Vegas United States-Montana-Billings United States-Texas-Dallas United States-California United States-Washington-Spokane United States-California-San Diego United States-Iowa-Cedar Rapids United States-Michigan-Lansing United States-Washington-Pasco United States-Nebraska United States-California-Riverside United States-Texas-Austin United States-Texas United States-Nebraska-Omaha United States-Colorado-Denver United States-Oregon-Bend United States-Illinois-Springfield United States-California-Sacramento United States-Texas-Brownsville United States-Missouri-St Louis United States-Alaska United States-California-Pasadena United States-South Dakota United States-Arizona-Tucson United States-Michigan-Ann Arbor United States-Indiana United States-Utah-Salt Lake City United States-North Dakota United States-Washington-Olympia United States-Colorado-Colorado Springs United States-Wisconsin-Milwaukee United States-Hawaii-Honolulu United States-Michigan-Detroit United States-Arizona-Phoenix United States-North Dakota-Bismarck United States-Idaho United States-Washington-Everett United States-Montana United States-California-Walnut Creek United States-Illinois United States-Louisiana-Baton Rouge United States-Illinois-Chicago United States-California-Los Angeles United States-Missouri United States-Idaho-Boise United States-Iowa United States-Texas-San Antonio United States-Washington-Edmonds United States-California-Ventura Industry Water Schedule Full-time Employee Status Regular Business Class Pump Stations and Pipelines Job Posting Oct 13, 2025 At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Affineuative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer ( We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records. Seniority level Mid-Senior level Employment type Full-time Job function Management, Consulting, and Engineering #J-18808-Ljbffr HDR