Drinking Water Process Engineer

Job ID: 9368Req ID: 522Location: Santa Clara, CA, USAPosted: 2026-09-23Job Family: Technical Professional - EngineersPay Type: Salary Founded in 1919, KJ has always looked to the future. With a talented team of professionals and a culture of continuous improvement, we deliver exceptional engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management services, with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Using advanced analytics, technology, and tools, KJ improves designs, reduces risk, and finds better ways to deliver projects from planning through construction. KJ is at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions for clients, including green infrastructure design, strategies to reduce energy use and environmental impacts, award-winning water reuse projects, and efficient construction management practices that ensure quality, safety, and on-time delivery. We are known for our dedication to industry-leading client service and tailored solutions. Kennedy Jenks is seeking a Drinking Water Process Engineer in California to support treatment, reuse, and advanced purification projects for clients across local and national markets. In this role, you will apply technical knowledge to complex water challenges, support project delivery, and collaborate with experienced engineers and multidisciplinary teams. You’ll help evaluate treatment approaches, prepare technical deliverables, support facility planning, and advance sustainable water solutions for Kennedy Jenks clients. What You’ll Do As a Drinking Water Process Engineer, you’ll support technical analysis, project delivery, client coordination, and process improvement. Evaluate treatment approaches: Assess municipal drinking water treatment, water reuse, and advanced purification processes, including evaluation, selection, engineering studies, and operations optimization. Support pursuits and delivery: Partner with project teams and client service managers during pursuits, interviews, technical discussions, and project execution, including contributions to treatment process innovations, technical approaches, and scope development. Advance planning, studies, and research: Contribute to feasibility studies, facility planning, pilot testing, and related technical evaluations, and collaborate with the Applied Research Group on water quality and treatment research. Support municipal and industrial treatment work: Collaborate with municipal and private sector water treatment staff on projects related to water quality, industrial water treatment, and treatment process improvement. Prepare technical deliverables: Develop basis of design reports, preliminary and detailed engineering drawings, specifications, process flow diagrams, and process instrumentation diagrams. Improve facility performance: Identify opportunities to enhance treatment operations, efficiency, and reliability at existing facilities. Collaborate and mentor: Work with senior engineers on technical solutions and provide guidance to less experienced staff. What Makes This Role Different Meaningful impact: Contribute to projects that help communities deliver safe, reliable, and sustainable water solutions. Varied experience: Work on local and national projects that expose you to a range of treatment challenges, client needs, and technical solutions. Opportunities to grow: Build your technical depth, take on increasing responsibility, and collaborate with experienced engineers who support your development. What You Bring Relevant experience : Background in drinking water treatment engineering, including process design, system optimization, or operational evaluation. Functional expertise : Knowledge of municipal treatment, reuse, advanced purification, process evaluation, and engineering studies. Stakeholder communication : Ability to communicate clearly with clients, project managers, client service managers, and multidisciplinary teams. Industry engagement : Active participation in water-focused professional organizations, with the ability to submit abstracts and confidently present technical material at regional and national conferences. Analytical thinking and problem-solving : Ability to evaluate alternatives and develop practical engineering recommendations. Technical documentation : Experience preparing basis of design reports, engineering drawings, specifications, process flow diagrams, and process instrumentation diagrams. Writing and collaboration : Strong writing, analytical thinking, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Work style : Collaborative, curious, and growth-oriented, with a willingness to mentor others. Qualifications Education : BS or MS in Civil, Environmental, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline. Experience : 5+ years of experience in drinking water treatment engineering. Certifications or licenses : Engineer-in-Training (EIT) or Professional Engineer (PE) license in California; PE preferred or ability to obtain. Kennedy Jenks supports a healthy work-life balance and utilizes a hybrid model of home and office work, with a minimum of two days per week in the office. This approach empowers our people to thrive, collaborate, and do their best work. Salary range for this position is expected to be between $97,000 and $194,000, and may vary based upon education, experience, qualifications, licensure/certifications, and geographic location. Benefits summary: Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance; a health savings account; a 401(k); bonus programs; tuition reimbursement; employee ownership opportunity; professional registration support; business travel assistance; competitive paid time off and holidays; an employee assistance program; and additional programs that support your wellbeing and professional growth. #LI-Hybrid Kennedy Jenks is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship status, genetics, protected veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.