Senior Plumbing Engineer - Buildings

WSP is currently seeking a Senior Plumbing Engineer for our Irvine, CA office. This position involves working on diverse building projects throughout Southern California and beyond, supporting projects from concept design through construction.

Your Impact As a Senior Plumbing Engineer, you will perform professional plumbing engineering work for new construction, renovations, and existing building projects. Key responsibilities include:

• Designing and developing domestic water, sanitary waste and vent, storm drainage, natural gas, and specialty plumbing systems.
• Preparing engineering calculations, equipment selections, system layouts, specifications, technical reports, and construction documents.
• Performing water demand, pipe sizing, pressure, sanitary waste, and storm drainage calculations.
• Applying plumbing engineering principles throughout project phases, including concept design, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration.
• Coordinating plumbing systems with architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and civil disciplines.
• Participating in multidisciplinary project coordination meetings and communicating technical requirements to project teams.
• Reviewing plumbing design documents for technical accuracy, constructability, code compliance, and adherence to WSP quality standards.
• Conducting field investigations and site visits to document existing conditions and support the development of engineering solutions.
• Assisting with construction administration activities, including submittal reviews, RFIs, shop drawings, field observations, and responses to contractor questions.
• Supporting the development and scoping of small- to medium-sized projects, including preparation of project schedules, budgets, and engineering fee estimates.
• Working independently and as part of cross-functional project teams on multiple concurrent assignments.
• Providing technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and designers.
• Coordinating with architects, owners, contractors, regulatory agencies, and other project stakeholders.
• Supporting project managers in maintaining project scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
• Participating in QA/QC reviews of plumbing calculations, drawings, specifications, and other technical deliverables.
• Supporting proposals, project pursuits, and client presentations as needed.
• Remaining current with plumbing engineering practices, building codes, sustainability strategies, and emerging building technologies.

Who You Are Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Plumbing Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a closely related discipline, or equivalent relevant industry experience.
• 5–7 years of relevant post-education experience in plumbing engineering and building systems design.
• Experience designing plumbing systems for commercial, institutional, or other building projects.
• Knowledge of plumbing and mechanical engineering principles, practices, calculations, and design processes.
• Experience with building planning, design, construction documentation, and construction administration.
• Working knowledge of the California Plumbing Code (CPC), California Building Code (CBC), applicable local codes, and relevant industry standards.
• Ability to prepare technical calculations, drawings, specifications, reports, and other engineering documentation.
• Experience coordinating plumbing systems with architecture and other engineering disciplines.
• Working proficiency with Revit and AutoCAD.
• Ability to independently complete engineering assignments while coordinating with senior engineers and project managers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to develop effective and practical engineering solutions.
• Effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple assignments and priorities in a dynamic project environment.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies.
• Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Engineer in Training (EIT) certification or Professional Engineer (PE) license, preferably registered in California or actively pursuing California licensure.
• Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) credential.
• LEED AP, WELL AP, or other relevant sustainability credential.
• Experience designing plumbing systems across multiple building types, including commercial, higher education, civic, hospitality, residential, mixed-use, and science & technology.
• Experience with sustainable plumbing design, water conservation, water reuse, and high-performance building strategies.
• Experience participating in QA/QC reviews.
• Experience providing technical guidance to junior engineers and designers.
• Familiarity with Bluebeam and other building design and collaboration tools.
• Experience working on multidisciplinary projects with architects, owners, contractors, and engineering consultants.

Benefits WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation Expected Salary (all locations): $100,800 - $147,000