Principal CFD Engineer – Dams & Hydraulic Structures

Overview

As a Principal CFD Engineer in AECOM’s Water Team, you lead advanced 3D CFD analyses for hydraulic structures, translating complex flows into safe, efficient designs. You’ll integrate numerical results with physical models, produce compelling reports and visuals, and serve as the technical authority on hydraulic CFD. You’ll mentor junior modellers and help shape scope, proposals, and delivery across multidisciplinary projects. This role blends innovation, leadership, and hands-on problem solving to advance water infrastructure globally.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid working
• flexible benefits
• AECOM University
• volunteering days
• career development
• inclusive culture

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end 3D CFD modelling for hydraulic infrastructure (dams, spillways, intakes, outlet works)
• Analyse turbulent/transient flows, energy losses, cavitation risk, air entrainment, water-hammer effects, scale interactions
• Integrate CFD with physical model results for calibration/validation and design optimization
• Produce high-quality technical reports, visualisations, and client presentations
• Act as technical authority for hydraulic CFD within the dams & reservoirs team and uphold QA standards
• Mentor and guide junior modellers to grow capability across the practice
• Contribute to scope definition, proposals, and cost estimation; support CFD-related business development
• Coordinate planning, execution, and delivery schedules across multidisciplinary teams
• Undertake occasional site visits for data collection and model support

Key requirements

• Degree in civil, hydraulic, mechanical engineering or related field
• Chartered engineer status or actively working towards chartered status
• Significant experience applying CFD to hydraulic structures (dams, spillways, intakes, outlet works)
• Proficiency in Flow3D, OpenFOAM, ANSYS Fluent or other CFD software; experience with HEC-RAS, ICEM CFD, Paraview, Rhino, Grasshopper or similar tools
• Strong ability to combine numerical and physical modelling to solve hydraulic challenges
• Analytical problem-solving, engineering judgement, and client-facing communication (reports and presentations)
• Proven mentoring ability, QA discipline, and delivery of compliant outputs

• Client-facing communication
• Mentoring and coaching
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Flow3D
• OpenFOAM
• ANSYS Fluent

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