Principal Drainage Engineer

Title:

Principal Drainage & Hydrology Engineer (Technical Authority) | Perth, WA

Join the KBR Perth team as a recognised technical leader in drainage, hydrology and hydraulic engineering, where your expertise will shape some of Western Australia’s most significant transport and civil infrastructure projects. In this pivotal role, you’ll operate as a trusted authority—driving technical excellence, guiding high-performing teams and delivering innovative water management solutions across roads, rail, ports and defence projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as Technical Authority for drainage, hydrology and hydraulic engineering, providing high-level technical direction and decision-making

• Lead drainage design and flood assessment across major transport and civil infrastructure projects

• Provide technical leadership, oversight and guidance to multidisciplinary drainage teams

• Lead the development, review and verification of hydrologic and hydraulic models (RORB, TUFLOW, HEC-RAS, DRAINS)

• Establish and drive best practice drainage methodologies, standards and design frameworks

• Undertake Design Verifier, Independent Reviewer or Technical Reviewer roles on key projects

• Coordinate drainage design interfaces with road, rail, structures, utilities and environmental disciplines

• Mentor and develop senior engineers, engineers, graduates and designers across the discipline

• Lead technical contributions to bids, tenders and panel submissions

• Build and maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships across government and infrastructure sectors

• Contribute to discipline capability development and strategic planning initiatives

• Develop fee estimates and manage technical delivery budgets for drainage work packages

• Support project managers with resource forecasting, planning and commercial performance

• Drive the profitable and high-quality delivery of drainage services across the project portfolio

Skills & Experience Required:

• Bachelor of Civil Engineering

• Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng)

• ~15+ years’ experience in drainage, hydrology and hydraulic engineering

• Extensive experience delivering major infrastructure projects

• Strong experience with clients such as Main Roads WA, PTA, Ports, Defence and Local Government

• Proven capability in technical review, design verification and governance

• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder engagement skills

Technical Expertise:

• Hydrology & Hydraulics: ARR2019, flood estimation, culverts, floodways, climate change assessments

• Hydraulic Modelling: TUFLOW, HEC-RAS, DRAINS, GIS integration and model validation

• Drainage Design: Road and rail drainage, detention systems, WSUD, erosion and scour

• Standards: Austroads, Main Roads WA, PTA, Australian Standards

Why Join KBR?

At KBR, our people are the heart of our success. We create an environment where you can flourish, feel valued, and focus on doing what you do best.

Our Purpose:

Together, we deliver infrastructure for a better tomorrow. Our reputation for excellence is built on our people and our culture of caring, collaboration, learning, and trust. We partner seamlessly with our clients to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions that make a lasting impact on communities across Australia.

Our Values:

We Value Our People – We respect, trust, and empower our people to reach their full potential.

We Deliver – We are committed to excellence and accountability in everything we do.

We Are People of Integrity – We act ethically and responsibly, always.

We Empower – We encourage innovation and give our people the autonomy to succeed.

We Work Together – Collaboration is at the heart of our success as OneKBR.

Culture:

We’re a people company—great people doing great things. With the agility of a small firm and the capability of a global leader, we give our people autonomy, resources, and opportunities to grow in all directions.

Help shape tomorrow by applying today!