Coastal CFD/Modeler

HDR; Lafayette (LA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a coastal and/or CFD modeler to join our team of nationally ranked professionals.

You will perform analysis, modeling and design of coastal resilience projects including sea level rise infrastructure assessments; coastal, hydrodynamic, and CFD numerical modeling; shoreline protection projects including revetments and living shorelines; and navigation projects including dredging, marinas, and harbors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering/science, oceanography or closely related field
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in hydrodynamic or water quality modeling projects
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite
• Self-motivated, able to work independently and with a project team to completion of task
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

Responsibilities

• Perform analysis, modeling and design of coastal resilience projects including sea level rise infrastructure assessments
• Coastal, hydrodynamic, and CFD numerical modeling
• Shoreline protection projects including revetments and living shorelines
• Navigation projects including dredging, marinas, and harbors

Skills

Coastal modeling

CFD

Hydrodynamics

Data analysis

MATLAB/Python

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental/ocean/civil engineering

Tools

MIKE 21

Delft3D

OpenFOAM

ANSYS Fluent

USACE tools

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we work to weave diversity, equity, and inclusion into our work and foster a sense of belonging throughout the company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story: https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

Primary Responsibilities

HDR is looking for a coastal and/or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeler to join our team of nationally ranked professionals. We are looking for a technical professional with the ability to perform analysis, modeling and design of coastal resilience projects including sea level rise infrastructure assessments; coastal, hydrodynamic, and CFD numerical modeling; shoreline protection projects including revetments and living shorelines; and navigation projects including dredging, marinas, and harbors.

Suitable candidates must possess strong analytical and communication skills and demonstrate familiarity with wave growth and transformation, coastal and estuarine hydrodynamics, littoral processes, sediment transport, and CFD methods for complex hydraulic, coastal, marine, multiphase, or fluid-structure interaction applications. A keen interest in interdisciplinary architecture, transportation, and water projects is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD degree
• BS degree in Coastal, Ocean, or Civil (Hydraulic, Geotechnical, or Structural emphasis) Engineering Strong academic and/or professional experience with: coastal processes, sea level rise, numerical modeling, metocean analysis, naval architecture, computational mechanics, or CFD
• Demonstrated experience with coastal, hydraulic, and marine models such as: MIKE 21, MIKE 3, Delft3D, USACE tools, ADCIRC/SWAN, HEC-RAS, and/or 3D CFD tools such as ANSYS Fluent, FLOW-3D, Proteus, OpenFOAM, or similar
• Experience with CFD code development, advanced numerical methods, artificial intelligence applications, or automation workflows for coastal, hydraulic, and marine modeling
• Strong data analysis skills, including the application of MATLAB, Python, Jupyter notebooks, high-performance computing workflows, or similar tools to analyze large model outputs and data sets
• Experience preparing technical reports
• Desire to work on local, national and international projects
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture
• Ability to become professionally licensed within 1 year from date of hire

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering/science, oceanography or closely related field
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in hydrodynamic or water quality modeling projects
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite
• Self-motivated, able to work independently and with a project team to completion of task
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Primary Location:United States-Louisiana-Metairie Other Locations:United States-Louisiana-Lafayette, United States-Louisiana-Baton Rouge Industry:Water Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Coastal Engineering and Restoration Job Posting:Aug 6, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.