Director of Engineering: Wastewater Treatment Plants
Lime Energy, Burlington, VT, United States
Willdan Group, Inc. is seeking a Director of Engineering for Wastewater Treatment Plants in Burlington, VT. The role focuses on optimizing and improving existing water and wastewater treatment facilities through innovative technologies and renewable energy solutions.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Drive the optimization, process & performance improvements, renewable energy generation and modernization of water and wastewater treatment plants in the U.S.
Act as a subject matter expert in water and wastewater treatment processes, renewable energy & biogas utilization, and integrating advanced technologies into existing facilities.
Support solutions through the design process, coordinating with other engineers, drafters, construction professionals, and commissioning agents.
Evaluate the current performance of plants to identify efficiency improvements.
Lead secondary treatment process optimization, including aeration, pumping systems, nitrification, and denitrification.
Develop and implement strategies to optimize solids train processes, including anaerobic digestion, co-digestion of high-strength organic wastes, and biosolids management.
Conduct root‑cause analysis for operational inefficiencies and recommend corrective actions.
Research, evaluate, and recommend innovative technologies to enhance treatment processes and biogas production/utilization while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Implement modern automation and control systems to improve plant monitoring and performance.
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for treatment plants and biogas systems to track progress and achieve performance goals.
Identify opportunities for integrating co‑digestion processes with landfill‑diverted organic waste digestion to maximize biogas generation.
Develop strategies to convert biogas into renewable natural gas (RNG) or other value‑added products while evaluating grant and funding opportunities.
Evaluate implementation of Solar PV & Battery Storage technologies at the treatment plants.
Act as a technical consultant for water and wastewater engineering projects in the U.S., providing expertise in process engineering.
Partner with municipalities, utilities, and private entities to identify and implement solutions for improved treatment processes.
Provide training and guidance to plant operators and technical teams to build operational capacity.
Represent the organization at industry events, conferences, and technical workshops to share insights and advancements.
Collaborate with stakeholders to align plant operations with sustainability goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing energy usage, addressing deferred maintenance, and utilizing grant funding.
Prepare detailed technical reports, feasibility studies, and cost‑benefit analyses for proposed improvements.
Prepare and present formal presentations to stakeholders and customers with the business development team.
Job Requirements / Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in chemical, mechanical, electrical, or a related engineering field is required.
Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred.
Additional project development, engineering, and energy‑related professional certifications are a plus (e.g., LEED‑AP, CEM, ASHRAE, DBIA).
10 or more years of leading Water and Wastewater Treatment plant projects.
Experience in public‑sector energy engineering with Cities and Counties preferred.
Excellent initiative, interpersonal communication, and analytical acumen.
Experience working on complex projects and interdisciplinary teams of professionals.
Regional travel required with possibility of limited national travel; overnight travel about 30 %.
EEO Non-Discrimination and ADA Reasonable Accommodation Statement Willdan is an equal‑opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, religion, military service or veteran status, disability, medical condition, childbirth and related medical conditions, genetic testing, reproductive status or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws and ordinances. Willdan does not discriminate on the basis of physical or mental disability where the essential functions of the job can be reasonably accommodated. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case‑by‑case basis. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us.
Willdan Performance Engineering participates in E-Verify.
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Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Drive the optimization, process & performance improvements, renewable energy generation and modernization of water and wastewater treatment plants in the U.S.
Act as a subject matter expert in water and wastewater treatment processes, renewable energy & biogas utilization, and integrating advanced technologies into existing facilities.
Support solutions through the design process, coordinating with other engineers, drafters, construction professionals, and commissioning agents.
Evaluate the current performance of plants to identify efficiency improvements.
Lead secondary treatment process optimization, including aeration, pumping systems, nitrification, and denitrification.
Develop and implement strategies to optimize solids train processes, including anaerobic digestion, co-digestion of high-strength organic wastes, and biosolids management.
Conduct root‑cause analysis for operational inefficiencies and recommend corrective actions.
Research, evaluate, and recommend innovative technologies to enhance treatment processes and biogas production/utilization while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Implement modern automation and control systems to improve plant monitoring and performance.
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for treatment plants and biogas systems to track progress and achieve performance goals.
Identify opportunities for integrating co‑digestion processes with landfill‑diverted organic waste digestion to maximize biogas generation.
Develop strategies to convert biogas into renewable natural gas (RNG) or other value‑added products while evaluating grant and funding opportunities.
Evaluate implementation of Solar PV & Battery Storage technologies at the treatment plants.
Act as a technical consultant for water and wastewater engineering projects in the U.S., providing expertise in process engineering.
Partner with municipalities, utilities, and private entities to identify and implement solutions for improved treatment processes.
Provide training and guidance to plant operators and technical teams to build operational capacity.
Represent the organization at industry events, conferences, and technical workshops to share insights and advancements.
Collaborate with stakeholders to align plant operations with sustainability goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing energy usage, addressing deferred maintenance, and utilizing grant funding.
Prepare detailed technical reports, feasibility studies, and cost‑benefit analyses for proposed improvements.
Prepare and present formal presentations to stakeholders and customers with the business development team.
Job Requirements / Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in chemical, mechanical, electrical, or a related engineering field is required.
Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred.
Additional project development, engineering, and energy‑related professional certifications are a plus (e.g., LEED‑AP, CEM, ASHRAE, DBIA).
10 or more years of leading Water and Wastewater Treatment plant projects.
Experience in public‑sector energy engineering with Cities and Counties preferred.
Excellent initiative, interpersonal communication, and analytical acumen.
Experience working on complex projects and interdisciplinary teams of professionals.
Regional travel required with possibility of limited national travel; overnight travel about 30 %.
EEO Non-Discrimination and ADA Reasonable Accommodation Statement Willdan is an equal‑opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, religion, military service or veteran status, disability, medical condition, childbirth and related medical conditions, genetic testing, reproductive status or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws and ordinances. Willdan does not discriminate on the basis of physical or mental disability where the essential functions of the job can be reasonably accommodated. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case‑by‑case basis. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us.
Willdan Performance Engineering participates in E-Verify.
#J-18808-Ljbffr