Senior Hydrogeologist / Water Resources Engineer at INTERA Incorporated

INTERA Incorporated is seeking a skilled and motivated Senior Hydrogeologist or a Senior Water Resources Engineer to lead technically complex projects for sophisticated clients in California. In this position, you will support both Project Management and Technical Lead functions on a wide variety of projects: groundwater sustainability planning, conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources managed aquifer recharge, indirect potable reuse, migration of seawater intrusion, contaminated groundwater remediation, and other groundwater engineering and management projects. Your work will be a valuable contribution to INTERA’s Water Resources Line of Business Strategy, which focuses on four areas: Water Resources Planning, Groundwater Recharge and ASR, Groundwater Engineering, and Groundwater Supply (including high-capacity Municipal and Industrial Wells).

To succeed in this role you will need a strong background in conceptual hydrogeology, numerical modeling GIS, and previous experience with MODFLOW and other codes as both a high-level user and a technical team lead. You should also be familiar with the key regulatory drivers in California, including the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), California Environmental Quality Act, Title-22 Regulations for Recycled Water Recharge, Groundwater Well permitting requirements, and evolving regulations on emerging contaminants such as PFAS. This role lets you apply your expertise in a collaborative, purpose-driven environment while helping clients navigate complex groundwater and water supply challenges. Our purpose is Innovation and stewardship for a sustainable tomorrow. Join us today to deliver excellence, expertise, and sound science to solve our clients’ water resource and supply challenges!

Key Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary teams of hydrogeologists, engineers, numerical modelers, and GIS analysts to execute and deliver client solutions on schedule and within budget
• Work with clients to identify appropriate solutions, and develop the coinciding scopes of work and cost estimates
• Guide clients successfully through complex regulatory programs such as California Title 22 and SGMA
• Support the growth of our California and Western Regional team through business development and mentorship of junior staff
• Support internal initiatives related to AI/ML tool development

Required Qualifications

• MS in Hydrogeology, Water Resources Engineering, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience or an equivalent combination of education, skills, and experience that showcases a successful track record of team leadership and client engagement
• Strong technical skills
• Adept planning, time management, organizational skills, and efficient decision-making ability
• Effective project management skills with a focus on the client
• Experience with California-specific hydrologic, geologic, and groundwater quality datasets
• Previous experience with developing MODFLOW-based groundwater models
• Experience analyzing/manipulating data, ideally with a scripting language, such as Python or R
• Experience with Data Analytics, AI/ML, and Data Management Systems.
• Clear, well-rounded communication skills and the ability to maintain strong interpersonal relationships
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• Able to collaborate across diverse, multidisciplinary teams
• Demonstrated success with client relationship management, business development, proposal support, and mentoring technical staff

Preferred Qualifications

• California PE, PG, or CHg license
• Experience with groundwater sustainability planning, managed aquifer recharge, ASR, indirect potable reuse, seawater intrusion, or groundwater remediation projects
• Familiarity with California water resources regulations, including SGMA, CEQA, Title 22, groundwater well permitting, and emerging contaminant regulations
• Experience leading MODFLOW-based groundwater modeling projects
• Experience using Python, R, GIS, data analytics, AI/ML, or data management systems to support water resources projects

About INTERA & Our Benefits

INTERA is a Top Workplaces USA 2025 award winner!

Founded in 1974, INTERA has grown into an international geosciences and engineering consulting firm that helps clients make informed business decisions, mitigate risk, and drive optimal outcomes in a multitude of industries. Building and sustaining a strong company culture is at the heart of INTERA’s practice of good stewardship. We strive to foster an environment where people love the work that they do and the place that they work because we believe that our employees are our most valuable asset. As an employee-owned company, we are committed to investing in our people’s needs for security, health, and well-being with:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance that includes a free health plan option for employee-only coverage
• Paid parental leave – up to 12 weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Group term life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, short-term and long-term coverage – paid 100% by the company
• Paid holiday, vacation, and sick time
• Opportunities for stock ownership
• Performance-based bonuses and award programs for technical paper publication and employee referrals
• Career coaching instead of performance evaluations
• Tuition reimbursement, financial assistance for professional licensure and registration, and one paid membership to a professional society
• Pet insurance, LegalShield, IDShield, and more

These are just some of the reasons why many of our employees have spent 10 to 25 years at INTERA. We love what we do, and it shows.