Computational Water Resources Engineer

Schnabel Engineering; Jersey City (NJ); On-site; USD 125,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Life & ADD insurance (company-paid)

Short-term disability (company-paid)

Long-term disability

Supplemental life insurance

401(k) and profit-sharing plan

ESOP

Paid time off

9 Paid Holidays

Wellness program

Professional development and tuition‑r

Job summary

Schnabel Engineering in Jersey City, NJ is seeking a Computational Water Resources Engineer to join our Water Resources practice. The role emphasizes advanced modeling, programming, and data analytics for dams, reservoirs, flood risk, and climate adaptation across the Northeast and the U.S.

You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to apply water resources engineering and software development to solve complex problems and deliver impactful solutions for clients, while embracing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil/Environmental/Water Resources Engineering required; Master's preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant water resources engineering experience with hydrologic/hydraulic modeling.

Responsibilities

• Develop, calibrate, validate, and apply hydrologic and hydraulic models for flood risk and water resources projects.
• Develop and apply river/reservoir models to evaluate operations, flood management, and water supply.
• Create forecasting tools integrating observed/forecast data for real-time decisions.
• Lead data management, automation, and post-processing to support large-scale analyses.
• Mentor staff and support business development in water resources and computational modeling.

Skills

Hydrologic modeling

Hydraulic modeling

Geospatial analysis

Programming

Data management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil/Environmental/Water Resources Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

HEC-HMS

HEC-RAS 1D/2D

HEC-SSP

RMC-BestFit

RMC-RFA

LifeSim

ArcGIS Pro

ArcGIS ModelBuilder

ArcPy

GeoPandas

GDAL

Git

Job description

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in geotechnical, geostructural, tunnel, and dam engineering. Schnabel's high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 700+ employees in 32 offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include

• Medical insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)
• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)
• Long-term disability
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• Paid time off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Wellness program
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description

Our Jersey City, NJ office is seeking a Computational Water Resources Engineer to join our expanding Water Resources practice across the Northeast and the U.S. This position offers an exciting opportunity to apply advanced modeling, programming, and data analytics to challenging projects involving dams and reservoirs, river systems, flood risk and resiliency, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, forecasting, and water resources management.

You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team of industry experts at the forefront of innovation, combining water resources engineering, computational modeling, geospatial and data analytics, and software development to solve complex problems and deliver impactful solutions for our clients.

We are looking for a curious, motivated, and technically driven professional who values attention to detail, continuous improvement, and collaboration. As an employee-owner, your voice will matter. You will have a say in how our business operates and will benefit from our financial success.

Job Responsibilities

The candidate will serve as a Water Resources Engineer within Schnabel's Water Engineering Practice, with a focus on computational modeling, forecasting, data analytics, and automation. Major focus areas for the role include:

• Develop, calibrate, validate, and apply hydrologic and hydraulic models to support flood hazard and climate risk assessments and the planning, design, and construction of water resources projects, including dams and reservoirs, levees, flood control, river restoration, resiliency, and climate adaptation efforts.
• Develop and apply river and reservoir system models to evaluate reservoir operations, flood management, water supply, hydropower, and alternative operating scenarios.
• Develop and implement hydrologic forecasting and decision-support tools, integrating observed and forecast hydrometeorological data with hydrologic, hydraulic, and reservoir models to support real-time and long-term water management decisions.
• Perform, review, and oversee complex water resources modeling studies, engineering analyses and design calculations, as well as the preparation of technical reports and presentations for mid- to large-scale projects.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance engineering automation tools, scripts, and computational workflows to improve the efficiency, consistency, scalability, and quality of hydrologic, hydraulic, consequence, and risk analyses.
• Design and implement data processing, model integration, model management, calibration, and post-processing solutions to support large-scale engineering analyses and reduce repetitive manual tasks.
• Apply programming, data analytics, statistical methods, optimization, and emerging technologies, including machine learning and AI-based approaches, where appropriate to enhance modeling, forecasting, automation, and engineering decision-making.
• Develop visualization and decision-support solutions that transform complex modeling results and large datasets into actionable information for engineers, clients, operators, and other stakeholders.
• Provide training, mentoring, and technical support to engineering staff on the use of computational tools, automated workflows, and best practices for engineering data management and modeling.
• Support project management activities including resource planning, work delegation, management of project budgets, invoicing, and backlog reporting.
• Contribute to maintaining and expanding Schnabel's reputation in water engineering and computational modeling through technical innovation, published papers and white papers, collaboration with key partners and universities, and presentations at recognized conferences and workshops.
• Contribute to business development, marketing, proposal preparation efforts, and staff mentoring.
• Domestic and international travel, as necessary.

Required Skills/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Computational Science, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in water resources engineering, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, and computational water resources. Candidates outside this range who demonstrate strong technical capabilities and meet the core requirements may also be considered.
• Strong understanding of hydrologic and hydraulic modeling principles, with experience developing, calibrating, validating, and applying numerical models to complex water resources problems.
• Proficiency with industry-standard water resources and geospatial modeling tools such as HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS 1D/2D, HEC-SSP, RMC-BestFit, RMC-RFA, LifeSim, and ArcGIS Pro, or comparable platforms.
• Experience with HEC-RAS automation tools, including HEC-RAS Controller, batch simulations, model management, and/or automated post-processing of model results.
• Experience with GIS automation and scripting using tools such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS ModelBuilder, ArcPy, GeoPandas, GDAL, or similar geospatial processing tools.
• Proficiency with engineering data management and analysis tools such as SQL, Pandas, Excel/VBA, Power BI, or related technologies.
• Familiarity with software development best practices including version control (e.g., Git), documentation, testing, and code review.
• Experience integrating engineering software through APIs, scripting interfaces, or custom automation tools.
• Effective time management, written communication skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, and the ability to work independently or as part of a team, efficiently balance multiple concurrent tasks, responsibilities, and commitments.

Other Requirements

• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record, and credit check.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening.

The compensation range for this position is between $125,000 to $180,000. Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
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