Senior Dam Safety Engineer

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in geotechnical, geostructural, tunnel, and dam engineering. Schnabel’s high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 700+ employees in over 33 offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include:

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)
• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)
• Long-term disability
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• Bonus program
• Paid time off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Wellness program
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description:

Schnabel's new Chattanooga office is seeking a Senior Dam Safety Engineer to help grow our dam engineering practice in Tennessee and the Southeast. This is an opportunity to join the Chattanooga team early in its growth, lead significant projects and client relationships, develop engineers, and help shape the local practice while contributing to the long-term success of an employee-owned firm.

We are seeking an experienced dam engineer with demonstrated technical, project, client, business-development, and leadership capabilities. You will work on multidisciplinary projects involving the inspection, evaluation, rehabilitation, design, and construction of embankment and concrete dams, spillways, outlet works, and related water infrastructure, including challenging assignments requiring sound engineering judgment and multidisciplinary problem solving.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead dam safety evaluations, investigations, rehabilitation studies, designs, risk-informed studies, and construction-related engineering services.
• Serve as project manager, technical lead, or senior reviewer for complex and multidisciplinary dam engineering projects.
• Develop engineering recommendations and solutions for dams, spillways, outlet works, and related hydraulic structures.
• Provide senior technical direction and review engineering analyses, reports, drawings, specifications, and other technical deliverables.
• Plan and manage projects, including scope, staffing, schedule, budget, technical delivery, quality, and financial performance.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and coordinate technical resources across Schnabel offices.
• Build and maintain relationships with dam owners, utilities, government agencies, and other clients.
• Lead and contribute to proposals, interviews, client development, and pursuit of new project opportunities.
• Mentor and develop engineers and provide technical and project-management guidance to less experienced staff.
• Participate in Potential Failure Mode Analyses, risk assessments, comprehensive dam safety reviews, and other dam safety studies as appropriate to experience.
• At the Senior Associate level, take broader responsibility for major or multiple complex projects, strategic client relationships, development of new business, staff leadership, and growth of the dam engineering practice.

Required Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
• Approximately 12+ years of relevant engineering experience, with final classification based on experience and demonstrated capabilities.
• Professional Engineer licensure and ability to obtain Tennessee PE registration within six months of hire.
• Substantial experience with the evaluation, design, rehabilitation, or construction of dams and related hydraulic structures.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in at least one discipline applicable to dam engineering and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing engineering projects, including scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and technical delivery.
• Experience managing client relationships and contributing to proposals and business development.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop engineering staff.
• Strong engineering judgment and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to perform field work and travel for project assignments, client meetings, and business-development activities.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Master's degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with embankment or concrete dam evaluation, rehabilitation, and design.
• Experience with dam safety risk assessment, potential failure mode analysis, or comprehensive dam safety reviews.
• Expertise in geotechnical, hydrologic/hydraulic, seismic, structural, or hydraulic structure engineering.
• Experience with construction-phase engineering for dams or major water infrastructure.
• Experience with FERC, TVA, USACE, USBR, NRCS, state dam safety programs, or hydropower facilities.
• Established relationships with dam owners, utilities, or water-resource clients in Tennessee or the Southeast.
• Active participation in ASDSO, USSD, ASCE, or other relevant professional organizations.

Other Requirements:

• Travel is a normal part of dam engineering and may include inspections, investigations, and construction assignments throughout the Southeast and elsewhere in the United States. Some project assignments may require extended periods away from the Chattanooga office.

• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record, and credit check.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening.

The compensation range for an Associate level candidate is between $125,000 - $145,000.

The compensation range for a Senior Associate level candidate is between $135,000 - $165,000.

Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.