Senior - Principal Engineer - Water Systems & Water Supply Planning

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are:

West Yost is a water resource management and engineering firm focused exclusively on water. Since our founding in 1990, we have partnered with public agencies including cities, counties, utilities, and water districts to plan, design, and deliver water, wastewater, and stormwater solutions that support safe, reliable, and resilient communities.

Our team of more than 260 professionals brings together expertise in groundwater, water supply, treatment, infrastructure, recycled water, stormwater, construction management, and operations technology. We support projects from early planning and permitting through design and construction and complement our engineering services with program management and public outreach to help clients move work forward and engage their communities.

We are proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work®, and to be recognized among Fortune’s® Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Services from 2023 to 2025, as well as a top-ranked firm in the AEC Advisors Diversity Index. At West Yost, we are committed to being the water firm of choice for our clients and our team, advancing water resources for future generations through strong partnerships, practical solutions, and a shared commitment to quality.

Compensation range: $119,040 to $192,420.  Based on our Irvine, CA office location.  (West Yost uses geographic salary differentials that would apply for candidates in other regions). 

LOCATION(s):  We will consider any of our CA or OR office locations.  (

Senior - Principal Engineer - Water Systems & Water Supply Planning

The Senior - Principal Engineer role will contribute to the development of the firm’s Water Business Sector (which encompasses water system, water resource, stormwater, recycled water, and collection system planning). Previous experience with Water System Planning/Hydraulic Modeling is required. Candidates with a desire to develop their career toward technical leadership, client service management, and/or regional/sector management are ideal.

Key Responsibilities & Functions:

• Serving as a technical leader in water distribution system hydraulic evaluations utilizing a variety of commercial hydraulic modeling software programs (e.g., InfoWater Pro, OpenFlows WaterGEMS, Aquanuity, etc.).
• Working as part of teams on projects throughout California and Oregon with an emphasis on Southern California-based projects and clients.
• Analyzing water use, population, water quality, and facilities condition data
• Evaluating water supply availability.
• Developing water supply and water system capital improvement programs.
• Preparing technical reports and master plans.
• Serving as a project manager directing the hydraulic modeling and master planning work of senior level, as well as other staff engineers.
• Providing QA/QC review on the work of others in the water planning team
• Interacting directly with clients and providing excellent client service.
• Assisting with marketing activities and proposal development when needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience with Water System Planning and Hydraulic Modeling.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with CAD, GIS, and hydraulic modeling software (e.g., InfoWater Pro).
• PE licensure in the State of California. PE licensure in other states in which the firm is actively practicing may also be considered.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to process accurate engineering calculations unaided and prepare reports.
• Proven ability to summarize technical information using appropriate grammar, punctuation and spelling for concise reader-friendliness and clarity.
• Experience with direct client interaction and proposal writing
• High proficiency with InfoWater PRO; experience with Aquanuity software
• Maintaining professional competency may require attending education classes and seminars, reading professional publications, and attending professional society meetings.
• This position may require out-of-office travel with occasional evening and overnight assignments.
• Professional Engineer  

Travel Requirements:

This position may require travel to other offices and/or client offices.

A Little About the West Yost Life:

You will experience many opportunities to grow and develop professionally with your colleagues through collaborative in-person work experience, knowledge sharing, and mentorship opportunities. We also offer hybrid and flexible work schedules to our employees to help promote and encourage a healthy work/life balance.  All of our team members have access to local and company-wide events, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup, Culture Workgroup, Wellness Workgroup, book clubs, charitable giving and community service, firm-wide resources, peer groups (young professionals & middlers group), and mentorship and leadership programs.  We support and foster your career success and encourage you to be in control of your future with us.

At West Yost, we make space for connection across the firm. Each month, we hold an all-hands meeting that bring together team members from every location, including those working remotely, to stay aligned and engaged. Individual sectors and teams also hold their own monthly meeting. At the local level, our offices host gatherings, from camping trips and river rafting to community events and celebrations.

Once a year, we come together in person for our Annual All Staff event, a firmwide experience focused on learning, networking, and building relationships across teams. That evening, we continue our longest-standing tradition, the Duck Dinner, where West Yosters are encouraged to bring a guest and enjoy a night of great food, connection, and entertainment.

We work hard, and we place equal value on having fun.

Our commitment to quality begins with our hiring practices. We employ the most talented team members in our industry from all backgrounds. We are highly selective of the individuals we choose to represent the firm, seeking only those individuals whose technical abilities and commitment to client service matches our vision for excellence.  We are dedicated to our number one asset, our employees.  Because we are employee-owned, we are responsible for and rewarded by our own success. Come to West Yost where, with our support, you’ll do the best work of your life.

Standard Benefits:

We provide a comprehensive array of valuable benefits to protect your health, your family, and your way of life. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, health saving accounts (with West Yost contribution), paid vacation, paid sick leave and holidays, two employee assistance programs, travel assistance program, 401(k) profit sharing with employer match, leaves of absence with additional supplemental paid time off, parental leave, life and AD&D insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and even pet insurance.

Other Unique Benefits:

You’ll be provided with support in on-going education through our 529 college savings plan/student loan repayment program, tuition reimbursement, paid professional memberships, paid training, and Leadership Academy programs. You’ll be recognized for your contributions at West Yost through milestone anniversary benefits, peer to peer recognition programs, the potential for employee stock ownership, annual monetary and paid time off bonuses, performance-based bonus eligibility, merit increase eligibility, and employee referral bonuses. We also offer a wellness reimbursement.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.