Principal Water Quality Compliance Engineer

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO - a nationally recognized leader among clean water utilities, provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services for more than 2 million people in the Denver Metro area.

At Metro, we help you be your best so we can do our best. You will join a team that offers stability, flexibility, and the opportunity to make a difference. We take pride in being part of an industry-leading team who serves the community by protecting the region’s health and environment.

Description

Metro is seeking a Principal Water Quality Compliance Engineer to lead critical water quality and regulatory compliance work across our facilities.

What Are the Key Responsibilities of This Role?
• Lead end-to-end water quality compliance efforts, including pollutant loading and mass balance analyses
• Direct NPDES/CDPS permitting strategies and oversee complex regulatory submittals
• Interpret and apply federal and Colorado water quality regulations (Clean Water Act and associated programs)
• Evaluate treatment processes, design changes, and capital projects for compliance and permitting impacts
• Partner with operations and engineering to integrate environmental requirements into projects and long-term planning
• Lead regulatory engagement, including rulemaking strategy and implementation
• Oversee biosolids, stormwater, SPCC, and related compliance programs
• Provide technical leadership on compliance evaluations, environmental release response, and fate and transport analyses

Why Join Our Team:
You’ll be part of our highly respected Regulatory Compliance Division within Environmental Services. We offer a stable, mission-driven environment with strong organizational support, long-term career growth, and a genuine focus on work-life balance—great work without a culture of constant overtime.

How to Be Successful in the Role:

You will thrive in this role if you:
• Bring deep expertise in the Clean Water Act and Colorado programs (NPDES/CDPS, SPCC, biosolids, stormwater, Reg 22)
• Apply advanced engineering judgment to complex treatment systems, facility modifications, and permitting decisions
• Lead high-level technical analyses (e.g., mass balance, fate and transport) with defensible outcomes
• Excel at regulatory strategy, agency engagement, and translating requirements into practical solutions
• Provide technical leadership—mentoring staff, guiding consultants, and ensuring high-quality, compliant deliverables
• Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado. If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado.

Serves as the subject matter expert for environmental compliance engineering with primary emphasis on federal Clean Water Act and associated Colorado regulations and requirements (CWA/CO), including NPDES/CDPS permitting, SPCC, 401 certification, biosolids, stormwater, site location and design approval and other related federal and Colorado regulations and policies. Apply expert-level understanding of permitting and effluent limit development, pollutant mass balance and loading calculations, treatment technologies, and regulatory frameworks under the CWA/CO regulations to ensure defensible and effective compliance. Leads and performs major compliance engineering evaluations and projects, ensuring that technical analyses and recommendations are consistent, defensible, and aligned with Metro’s approved environmental compliance strategies. Works under the general direction of the Senior Environmental Compliance Engineering Manager. May supervise lower-level Environmental Compliance Engineers and other staff if assigned.

Examples of Duties

1. Provides engineering and regulatory expertise in support of assigned environmental program areas, both performing and leading compliance engineering and regulatory work as needed to meet Metro’s operational and programmatic requirements. Serves as a subject-matter expert for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Metro’s compliance programs.
2. Conduct or lead technical and regulatory analyses to support Metro’s water quality compliance programs, including NPDES/CDPS permitting, biosolids management, stormwater, and WQCC Regulation 22 reviews for capital projects. Prepares and reviews engineering documentation supporting regulatory submittals, permit renewals, and compliance reports.
3. Lead and perform complex environmental compliance engineering evaluations and studies in support of Metro’s WQC and related environmental programs. When external engineering services are used, manage the technical scope and review of consultant work to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with Metro’s environmental compliance strategies.
4. Provide expert technical and regulatory consultation and quality review for engineering analyses, reports, and regulatory submittals prepared by lower-level engineering and other staff. Supports regulatory stakeholder and rulemaking work as assigned. Analyzes proposed federal and Colorado environmental regulations, guidance, and policy documents to assess potential technical, compliance, and operational impacts on Metro’s facilities and programs. Prepares or contributes technical analyses, data summaries, and draft comment language to support Metro’s participation in regulatory rulemakings, stakeholder processes, and policy initiatives, as assigned.
5. Performs and leads environmental release responses (other than to air, unless assigned), evaluations, including fate and transport analyses, mitigation planning, and regulatory reporting support under applicable state and federal requirements. Provides support for air releases as assigned.
6. Evaluate engineering design documents, process modifications, and proposed chemical or product changes to determine compliance impacts and ensure defensible permit coverage.
7. Responsible for reviewing, signing, and stamping engineering studies, reports, and other materials related to environmental compliance. Provide updates or amendments following professional engineering standards.
8. Leads environmental compliance engineering participation on assigned PAR teams from study and design through construction completion. Reviews and approves project documentation for regulatory completeness and defensibility. Provides expert-level input, including written edits and recommendations, to ensure that environmental compliance and permitting requirements are fully integrated into project design, construction, and implementation. Advises leadership on complex regulatory implications of project decisions. Collaborates with Metro’s Principal Permitting Engineer and Engineering Department to review and interpret WQCC Regulation 22 and applicable design criteria for project development and treatment equipment and process modifications and conveyance system modifications.
9. Provide technical support for the development of training programs for Metro staff. Responsibilities may include research, assistance with the development of training materials, and/or review of training materials.
10. Ensure that all required compliance activities, including recordkeeping and reporting assigned to lower-level engineers or specialists, are performed on time.
11. May be required to work outside of normal business hours/standard workdays, including reporting to a Metro facility or to a field location, to support environmental release response or other emergencies, or to meet other Metro business needs.
12. Provide technical support for the development and delivery of training programs for Metro staff. Responsibilities may include research, assistance with the development of training materials, facilitation, and/or review of training materials.
13. Supervise lower-level engineers and other staff if assigned.
14. Responsible for maintaining and promoting a safe working environment. Ensure employees complete all required training on time, maintain compliance with organizational requirements, and follow all safety protocols. Ensures employees maintain required certifications.
15. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Knowledge of:

• Federal and Colorado environmental regulations applicable to Metro’s operations and facilities
• Advanced principles and practices of environmental and process engineering, including the design, evaluation, and modification of wastewater treatment, solids handling, and conveyance systems
• Comprehensive and expert-level knowledge of the regulatory and technical requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and associated Colorado regulations and programs (CWA/CO), including NPDES/CDPS permitting, SPCC, 401 water quality certification, site location and design approval, biosolids management, stormwater, and other related federal and Colorado regulations and policies
• Engineering methodologies for evaluating treatment process modifications, hydraulic and organic capacity changes, and implications for regulatory compliance and facility design approval
• Federal and Colorado environmental rulemaking and policy-development processes
• Methods for fate and transport evaluations and environmental release response, including assessment of pollutant migration, transformation, and mitigation strategies.
• Best practices in engineering design review, technical quality assurance, and documentation for regulatory defensibility
• Colorado professional engineering laws and regulations governing the preparation, signing, and sealing of engineering documents
• Principles of professional engineering judgment and certification for regulatory engineering submittals such as SPCC Plans
• Project and consultant management principles as applied to technical engineering and regulatory work
• Effective technical writing, presentation, and communication strategies for regulatory and technical audiences

Skilled at:

• Leading, performing, and reviewing complex and highly technical engineering and regulatory analyses related to CWA/CO establishing analytical approaches and ensuring defensibility of results
• Planning, coordinating and managing complex work assignments
• Leading and performing evaluations of treatment process or facility changes and developing defensible recommendations for maintaining compliance
• Writing clear, defensible technical reports and communicating complex engineering and regulatory concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Using Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to prepare and conduct analyses and prepare reports
• Applying advanced engineering judgment to evaluate facility modifications, treatment designs, and capital project impacts under WQCC Regulation 22, CDPS permits, and related state guidance
• Conducting and interpreting technical analyses supporting CWA permit renewals, biosolids management, stormwater controls, and discharge compliance
• Reviewing and preparing SPCC Plans and other CWA-related documents
• Managing consultant engineering work and ensuring technical deliverables meet CWA and related regulatory requirements
• Mentoring engineers and providing advanced technical guidance on CWA compliance engineering.
• Active and empathic listening skills
• Training and mentoring staff
• Managing disagreements, de-escalating conflict, and negotiating win-win solutions
• Project management including work planning, resource allocation and progress reviews through project completion

Ability to:

• Serve as Metro’s subject matter expert on CWA/CO compliance engineering and apply that expertise to regulatory, design, and operational decision support
• Develop and maintain a solid understanding of Metro’s facilities, treatment processes and operations.
• Integrate technical analyses into Metro’s policy development and rulemaking participation activities and provide expert-level input to support defensible positions
• Collaborate effectively across departments and with regulators, as assigned, to resolve technical and compliance challenges
• Certify and stamp SPCC Plans and other required engineering documents
• Evaluate engineering designs, operational changes, and proposed projects for CWA compliance implications
• Provide expert advice on CWA/CO regulatory interpretations and compliance strategies to management and project teams Represent Metro effectively in technical and regulatory discussions with external agencies
• Perform and lead detailed engineering evaluations to ensure compliance with CDPS permits, SPCC requirements, and WQCC Regulation 22
• Operate Metro vehicles legally, travel to all facilities, and work outside normal business hours as required
• Learn and use common data analytics and visualization software tools (e.g. Alteryx, Microsoft Power BI, etc.)
• At all times, including periods of inclement weather, excluding areas requiring formal confined space entry procedures, physically access and navigate all areas of Metro’s facilities and properties while wearing applicable personal protective equipment
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Implement and enforce policies and procedures fairly and consistently
• Effectively supervise staff
• For environmental program areas outside of assigned focus, accurately identify, read, interpret and understand regulations and policies, and applicability and impacts to Metro. Perform engineering analyses as necessary. Make recommendations regarding compliance approaches and solutions. Coordinate across environmental programs to ensure that permitting, reporting, and compliance decisions under one regulatory framework (e.g., CAA, CWA, RCRA, EPCRA) do not create conflicts or gaps under another

Education, Licenses, and Certifications
Bachelor’s degree in chemical, environmental, mechanical, civil or other related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university. A valid Driver’s License. Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado. If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado. A combination of education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Working Conditions

Typical Work Environment
Variety of floor surfaces including concrete, gravel, asphalt, dirt, tile, loose stones, uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, and wet surfaces; Inside environment; Outside environment all year in all weather conditions and temperatures; Residential and Commercial Wastewater/Biosolids; Chemicals; Lighting conditions including natural light, fluorescent, head lamps, incandescent, and low light; and low light; Vibration; Moving equipment; Work in confined spaces

Body Position Demands
Standing; Walking; Climbing stairs; Climbing ladders; Reaching forward and overhead; Balancing; Object handling; Simple hand/ Firm hand grasping; Operating controls; Sitting; Stooping; Kneeling; Crouching; Crawling; Typing; Fine hand coordination

Physical Demands (max forces are expected to be infrequent)
Max Weight Lifted: 50 lbs
Max Weight Carried: 50 lbs
Max Force Pushed: 94 lbs
Max Force Pulled: 100 lbs

Sensory Requirements
Wide field of view; Perception - Spatial; Olfactory (Smelling); Vision - Near; Depth perception; Color discrimination; Perception - Form; Feeling without seeing; Speaking; Vision - near and far; Hearing

Benefits

Metro Water Recovery offers a wide range of employee benefits including:
* Medical
* Dental
* Vision
* Life Insurance
* Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
* Retirement
* Leave Time (Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal Leave, & Holiday)
* Additional Voluntary Benefits

Read more about our organization.

Metro Water Recovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.