Coastal Engineer – Project Level

Natural Systems Design; Vermont; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Natural Systems Design, a Washington-based environmental services and consulting firm, is seeking an experienced coastal engineer to join our hybrid team serving Puget Sound and surrounding coastal areas.

The role focuses on restoration design, coastal modeling, and project management, with responsibilities spanning from site assessments to client communications. A PE license in WA or reciprocity is required within 6 months.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience on coastal engineering and restoration projects.
• Current PE registration in WA or ability to obtain via reciprocity within 6 months.
• BS in coastal, civil, or ocean engineering, or related discipline.
• Ability to conduct site investigations and field measurements at coastal sites.
• Proficiency in coastal process analysis, design plans, and specifications development.
• Strong writing and communication skills for client/agency presentations.
• Ability to serve as project manager on coastal restoration projects.
• Experience with coastal flooding risk analysis and sea level rise resilience.
• Familiarity with coastal modeling tools (Delft3D, SWAN, XBEACH, CMS-Wave).
• Familiarity with COastal Engineering Manual and guidelines.
• Proficiency with data analysis packages and software (R, CEM, ACES-CDAS, Excel, MATLAB).
• Track record of delivering projects on budget and on time.
• Authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
• Valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze restoration engineering approaches for natural coastal ecosystems.
• Perform site condition assessments, alternative analyses, and feasibility studies.
• Prepare AutoCAD grading plans and coastal structure layouts.
• Calculate materials, earthwork quantities, and cost estimates for permitting and bids.
• Develop project specifications aligned with client and industry guidelines.
• Write technical narratives and reports; produce figures and maps using Autodesk, ArcGIS Pro, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Support investigations into regional restoration site analyses and related studies.
• Seek best science for innovative, cost-effective design solutions that meet goals.
• Communicate with the project team and clients; manage schedule and budget.

Skills

Coastal engineering

Project management

Client presentations

PE license / reciprocity

Site investigations

Coastal modelling

Data analysis (R, MATLAB)

Strong writing

Work authorization

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's in coastal/civil/ocean eng

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

AutoCAD

ArcGIS Pro

Excel

PowerPoint

MATLAB

Visual Basic

CEM

ACES-CDAS

Delft3D

SWAN

XBEACH

CMS-Wave

Job description

We are Natural Systems Design, a Washington-based environmental services and consulting firm. Founded in 2003, we are an interdisciplinary team with over 50 people with office locations in Seattle, Bellingham, and Port Angeles, Washington. We focus our efforts throughout Washington State. Our company was founded and grown with the intention of being a different kind of professional services and consulting company that prioritizes its people, science, the environment, and collectively making a positive impact.

Position Location:

(Seattle, Bellingham, or Port Angeles, Washington; and/or Hybrid)

We are currently using a hybrid model of in-office and remote work. For this position, our preferred candidate is located near one of our three office locations and a commutable distance to field work in the Puget Sound region. However, the days you come into the office and the days you work from home are always up to you.

Responsibilities:

• Design and analysis of engineering approaches to restoration and enhancement of natural coastal and estuarine ecosystems using nature-based approaches.
• Strong proficiency in coastal design, including coastal structures, beach nourishment, inlet processes, etc.
• Perform site condition assessment, alternative analysis, and feasibility studies.
• Sea level rise and climate change vulnerability analysis and adaptation design.
• Prepare engineering plan sheets in AutoCAD illustrating grading plans, coastal structure layout, cross-sections, and design details, etc.
• Calculate material, construction, earthwork quantities and impact areas to assist with permitting, cost estimating, and developing bid schedules.
• Develop project specifications in conformance with client and industry guidelines.
• Write technical narratives and reports summarizing methodology, results of analyses, and design elements. Support production of illustrative figures and maps using Autodesk, ArcGIS Pro, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Support engineering and scientific investigations into regional restoration project site analysis and related studies.
• Seek out the best available science to support innovative, cost-effective approaches and optimal engineering solutions that meet project goals.
• Actively communicate with and contribute to the project team. Develop design deliverables on time and within budget. Maintain and track project schedule. Proactively and clearly communicate status and results to colleagues, collaborators, and clients through discussions, presentations, data visualizations, and technical writing.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of professional experience working on coastal engineering and restoration projects including some consulting service.
• Current Professional Engineer (PE) registration in Washington State, or ability to obtain through reciprocity within 6 months of hire.
• B.S. in coastal, civil, or ocean engineering, or directly related discipline.
• Ability to complete site investigation and field measurements at coastal sites.
• Proficiency in coastal process analysis, design plans, and specifications development.
• Ability to conduct effective client and agency presentations including strong technical writing and communication skills conveying complex engineering concepts.
• Ability to serve as project manager in coastal restoration projects.
• Experience with coastal flooding risk analysis and sea level rise resilience and adaptation approaches.
• Understanding of coastal modeling such as waves and/or sediment transport modeling using Delft3D, SWAN, XBEACH, CMS-Wave or similar programs.
• Familiarity with Coastal Engineering Manual and other coastal design guidelines and design standards.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and proficiency in using data analysis packages and software (e.g., R, CEM, ACES-CDAS, excel spreadsheets, Visual Basic, MATLAB, or other programing languages) to automate data processing, analysis and engineering calculations.
• Track-record of successful project deliveries on budget and on time.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an on-going basis without sponsorship.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Coastal engineering experience in Puget Sound.
• Advanced degree in coastal, civil, ocean engineering, oceanography, or related discipline.
• Familiarity with gravel and mixed gravel-sand beach dynamics and beach design.
• Engineering with nature/nature-based design/living shorelines, and habitat enhancement project design experience.
• Proficiency with analysis of aerial imagery data and other coastal mapping, LiDAR data.
• Proficiency of developing design concepts/alternatives in AutoCAD or other drafting software.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS platform, including acquiring and importing geospatial and remote sensing data, geospatial analysis.
• Demonstrated understanding of and sensitivity to a range of perspectives on relationships and interconnections with the natural world and traditional cultures, such as Tribal Ecological Knowledge.

Compensation:

We offer a competitive salary and benefits, including up to a 4% match on 401(K), 7 paid holidays plus a day of service, and 4 weeks of paid time off accrued annually. For candidates with 5 – 10 years' of PE level experience the salary range is $110,000 - $115,000.

Start Date:

The position's start date is flexible and will be negotiated with the selected candidate based on their availability.

Hours:

We trust each other as professionals and respect each other as people. For us, this means staff have the autonomy to manage when they come into the office and when they work from home.Our staff have flexibility as exempt hourly positions. Hourly means when needed you could work less than a 40-hour week and conversely additional hours worked beyond 40 hours are compensated at a 1.5x hourly rate.

Closing Date:

Applications will be accepted until the right candidate is found.

We are an equal opportunity employer. Candidates who identify with groups that are frequently underrepresented in the science, engineering, technology, and math fields are highly encouraged to apply. All candidates will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or protected veteran or disabled status or any other category protected under law. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Why NSD? Here are a few reasons why you might want to work with us:

Advocacy and Actions:

We take pride in our work to make the world a better place, and we advocate, with our clients, for the actions needed to make that happen.

Challenging Projects with Rewarding Clients:

We have a constant stream of challenging and interesting projects with great clients. We solely work on projects that benefit the environment and communities and only select project partners for collaboration that align with our vision and values.

Culture:

We strive to be an inclusive, welcoming, and understanding group of individuals who are proud of our culture, passionate about our clients, and dedicated to the impact-driven purpose of our work. We’re clear on who we are, why we’re here, and what we want most to experience in our daily lives.

Flexibility:

How, when, and where you work best - works best for us. We invest in honesty and integrity, with each of us holding personal responsibility. We are accountable to ourselves, each other, and our clients.

Innovation and Excellence:

We have developed a regional reputation for being purpose-driven and delivering innovative and excellent work. Our projects require holistic, innovative problem solving, and are often ones that don’t follow a linear development path. Here is where you will find us excel.

Interdisciplinary Teams:

We work in highly interdisciplinary teams and aim to consider ecological, geomorphic, hydrological, and engineering perspectives on every technical challenge. We rely on team values in all aspects of our work, and share knowledge and experience with, and across, project teams.

Investment in Growth:

We are invested in the wellbeing of our staff, and support professional growth in technical skills, soft skills, leadership opportunities, and overall career advancement. We encourage initiative and openness to learning new things.

Knowledge of Washington Waters:

We know the waters of Washington State. We help shape the landscapes and communities in the places we work and live in.

Restoration and Resiliency:

We work exclusively to advance aquatic and floodplain habitat restoration and watershed resiliency through applied science, analysis, planning, design, and monitoring, with climate change risk and resiliency integrated throughout our work.

Trust and Respect:

Clear is kind. We trust each other as professionals and respect each other as people. We communicate with empathy, active listening, and timely follow up, and follow through on our deliverables.