About this role
Role Overview
- Investigate failures and disputes involving treatment plants, conveyance systems, pump stations, and utility infrastructure throughout the United States.
- Lead forensic investigations involving water and wastewater infrastructure, including treatment facilities, pump stations, pipelines, storage, valves, and collection/distribution systems.
- Conduct site inspections and evidence collection following failures, service disruptions, flooding events, equipment malfunctions, and construction or operational disputes.
- Determine cause, origin, extent, and contributing factors, including assessment of design intent, construction practices, commissioning, operations, maintenance, and lifecycle performance.
- Prepare independent, litigation-ready expert reports (and supporting exhibits) for arbitration, mediation, and court proceedings, addressing causation, standard of care, and responsibility.
- Provide expert witness testimony in depositions, arbitration, and/or court, including testimony under cross-examination.
- Collaborate with attorneys, insurers, owners, contractors, and other technical experts to develop coordinated expert opinions and respond to opposing expert positions.
- Advise clients on remediation options, risk mitigation, operational changes, and dispute resolution strategy.
- Review and analyze drawings, specifications, calculations, O&M manuals, SCADA/controls records, commissioning documentation, maintenance logs, and incident/failure history.
- Evaluate hydraulic performance and capacity constraints (e.g., HGL issues, surge/water hammer considerations, pump curves, system head, I/I impacts) and identify design or operational deficiencies.
- Assess treatment process performance and compliance considerations, including unit process selection, process control, reliability, and failure modes.
- Perform or direct field diagnostics and data analysis, such as flow testing, pressure testing, CCTV/condition assessment, pump station performance evaluation, and equipment failure analysis.
- Develop technically sound repair and mitigation recommendations, including prioritization of corrective actions and constructability considerations.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering; advanced degree preferred.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
- 10–15+ years of water and/or wastewater engineering experience, including treatment, conveyance, or utility operations.
- Experience with plant design, hydraulic analysis, and system performance evaluation.
- Demonstrated forensic engineering and dispute consulting experience.
- Minimum 1+ year of experience serving as an Expert Witness, with formal testimony provided in depositions, arbitration, and/or court proceedings.
- Strong client delivery and relationship management experience.
- Experience contributing to business development, proposal support, and client relationship expansion.
Benefits
- A strong collaborative culture with a mutual pursuit of your success alongside the success of our teams.
- The opportunity to solve problems creatively, contribute to our innovative direction, and be valued as an individual.
- The ability to leverage HKA’s strong network and presence in various industries and reputation for exceptional expert witnesses to accelerate career development and connections.