Director of Coastal Engineering - Waterfronts

iLocatum; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k)

Term life insurance

Disability insurance

AD&D insurance

Profit sharing bonus

8 paid holidays

Paid personal leave

Ownership equity package available in

Job summary

iLocatum invites a Director of Coastal Engineering to lead its Waterfronts practice in Baton Rouge, LA, overseeing strategy, market growth, and multidisciplinary teams delivering coastal solutions.

The role demands PE licensure, 15+ years in waterfront engineering, and a proven track record in winning work and driving revenue while guiding technical and business outcomes.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Coastal, Civil, Structural, or Marine Engineering.
• 15+ years of waterfront, coastal, or marine engineering with leadership.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• Proven experience leading practice groups, business units, or major market sectors.
• Strong portfolio of waterfront, marina, or coastal infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated ability to win work, build client relationships, and drive revenue growth.
• Strong technical expertise in coastal, structural, and marine engineering with regulatory understanding.
• Strong business acumen and financial management experience, including budgeting and forecasting.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and client engagement skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and develop technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the strategic plan for the Waterfronts practice, aligned with firmwide goals.
• Identify market trends in coastal resilience, sustainable waterfront redevelopment, port and marina planning.
• Set direction for service offerings, technical capabilities, and geographic expansion.
• Lead budgeting, staffing, revenue forecasting, and financial performance for the practice.
• Establish practice-wide quality standards, design procedures, and workflows.
• Monitor KPIs and operational efficiency across the practice.
• Coordinate resource allocation across regions and project teams.
• Serve as senior technical authority for waterfront, marina, and coastal projects.
• Provide high-level review of design approaches and calculations.
• Guide technical strategy on coastal processes, geomorphology, and resilience solutions.
• Oversee permitting and regulatory pathways at federal, state, and local levels.
• Develop strategic relationships with clients, agencies, and consultants.
• Lead business development, major pursuits, and proposals.
• Represent the firm at conferences and in professional involvement.
• Build, guide, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers, planners, designers, and PMs.
• Develop career paths, succession planning, and retention strategies.
• Promote cross-discipline collaboration for integrated project delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Client engagement

Communication

Business development

Financial management

Team leadership

Education

Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Coastal, Civil, Structural, or Marine Engineering

PE license

D.PE / PMP / CFM (preferred)

Job description

About The Role

This company is an engineering and design firm with a dedicated Waterfronts practice serving coastal resilience, port and marina planning, and marine infrastructure markets. The Director of Coastal Engineering is the strategic, technical, and operational head of that practice, responsible for setting its long-term direction, growing new markets, and guiding multidisciplinary teams delivering waterfront and coastal engineering solutions. This is a firm leadership position combining technical authority, business development, and team leadership.

Director of Coastal Engineering

Baton Rouge, LA (on-site)

About The Role

This company is an engineering and design firm with a dedicated Waterfronts practice serving coastal resilience, port and marina planning, and marine infrastructure markets. The Director of Coastal Engineering is the strategic, technical, and operational head of that practice, responsible for setting its long-term direction, growing new markets, and guiding multidisciplinary teams delivering waterfront and coastal engineering solutions. This is a firm leadership position combining technical authority, business development, and team leadership.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and implement the strategic plan for the Waterfronts practice, aligned with firmwide goals
• Identify emerging market trends in coastal resilience, sustainable waterfront redevelopment, port and marina planning, and marine infrastructure
• Set direction for service offerings, technical capabilities, and geographic expansion
• Lead annual budgeting, staffing plans, revenue forecasting, and financial performance for the practice
• Establish practice-wide quality standards, design procedures, and technical workflows
• Monitor key performance indicators and operational efficiency across the practice
• Coordinate resource allocation across regions and project teams
• Serve as senior technical authority for waterfront, marina, and coastal engineering projects
• Provide high-level review and approval of design approaches, engineering calculations, and deliverables
• Guide technical strategy on coastal processes, structural systems, geomorphology, resilience, and nature-based shoreline solutions
• Oversee permitting and regulatory pathways at the federal, state, and local levels
• Develop strategic relationships with clients, agencies, and consultants
• Lead business development initiatives, major pursuits, and proposal strategies
• Represent the firm in the waterfront and coastal engineering industry through conferences, publications, and professional involvement
• Build, guide, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers, planners, designers, and project managers
• Develop career paths, succession planning, and retention strategies for the practice
• Promote cross-discipline collaboration across the firm to support integrated project delivery

Required Qualifications

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Coastal, Civil, Structural, or Marine Engineering
• 15+ years of experience in waterfront, coastal, or marine engineering, with increasing leadership responsibility
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required, with active or reciprocal licensure in the state of the position
• Proven experience leading practice groups, business units, or major market sectors
• Strong portfolio of successfully delivered waterfront, marina, or coastal infrastructure projects
• Demonstrated ability to win work, build client relationships, and drive revenue growth
• Strong technical expertise in coastal, structural, and marine engineering, with a solid understanding of regulatory and permitting processes
• Strong business acumen and financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial oversight for a practice or business unit
• Excellent communication, presentation, and client engagement skills
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and develop technical teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional credentials such as D.PE (Diplomate, Coastal Engineering), PMP, or CFM (Certified Floodplain Manager)

Compensation & Benefits

• $140,000 to $170,000 per year, plus bonus, based on experience and qualifications
• Ownership equity package available in year three
• Group health insurance
• 401(k)
• Term life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment) insurance
• Profit sharing bonus
• 8 paid holidays
• Paid personal leave