Dredging Engineer

RINA; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 115,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401K with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

RINA is seeking a Dredging Engineer to lead dredging design and sediment management for projects in the Environmental and Engineering Geoscience Division. Roles span design, permitting, procurement, construction supervision, and close-out, with travel up to 25% and offices in Houston, TX; Fort Lauderdale, FL; or Chicago/Lisle.

The candidate will oversee dredge design, sediment characterization, and placement options, coordinating with USACE, EPA, and navigation authorities to ensure compliant,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; coastal engineering master preferred.
• 10+ years in navigation and berth dredging design.
• Sediment testing to USACE/EPA protocols.
• Dredging cost/production estimating and contract administration.
• Ability to travel up to 25% and site presence during dredging campaigns.
• Texas PE license strongly preferred for sealing dredging design documents.

Responsibilities

• Dredge design: interface with berth pockets, dredge geometry, over-dredge allowances, and quantity calculations.
• Sediment characterization: sampling plans, sediment testing, and material classification.
• Dredged material placement: assess on-site, beneficial use, or USACE placement areas, and capacity sizing.
• Permitting support: prepare Section 408, 10/404 applications, turbidity controls, and regulatory coordination.
• Procurement: select dredging methods, estimate production/costs, prepare contract packages with clear payment rules.
• Construction supervision: monitor dredge progress, surveys, quantity certification, and environmental monitoring.
• Close-out: final acceptance survey, maintenance dredging plan, and handover of records.

Skills

Dredging design

Sediment characterization

Cost and production estimating

Contract administration

Site supervision

Education

Bachelor’s degree in environmental or civil engineering

Master’s degree in coastal engineering preferred

Job description

RINA is a global knowledge company where expertise travels across borders, disciplines, and industries. Every day, we collaborate on solving complex challenges that no single field could tackle alone. With a presence in more than 70 countries and 160 years of heritage, we turn individual know-how into collective progress.

We are currently recruiting for a Dredging Engineer to join our office in Houston, TX, Fort Lauderdale, FL or Chicago/Lisle within the Environmental and Engineering Geoscience Division.

Compensation Data

$115,000 - $160,000 commensurate with education and experience

Mission

The Dredging Engineer owns the dredging and dredged material management for a whole project(s): design of the dredge template, sediment characterization, placement solution, the dredging contract package, and supervision and measurement of the dredging works.

Key Accountabilities

Dredge Design

• Berth pocket and access dredging geometry: depth from underkeel clearance criteria, side slopes, transitions to the federal channel
• Over-dredge allowance, advance maintenance and tolerance definition
• Volume computation from bathymetric surfaces, with quantity breakdown by material type and elevation
• Siltation and shoaling rate estimates, and their consequence for maintenance frequency
• Interface with bank protection, scour protection and the stability of the federal channel side slopes

Sediment characterization

• Sampling and analysis plan agreed with USACE and EPA, following the Inland Testing Manual
• Supervision of sediment coring and laboratory testing programme
• Material classification, dredgeability, and expected production rates by equipment type
• Handling requirements for any contaminated material, and consequences for placement and cost

Dredged material placement

• Placement options: on-site confined placement, beneficial use, or an existing USACE placement area subject to agreement
• Sizing of placement areas: capacity, dike design, settlement and consolidation, weirs and return water
• Return water quality and monitoring, with the Section 401 certification requirements
• Long-term placement capacity for maintenance dredging over the terminal life

Permitting support

• Dredging and placement content of the Section 408 request and the Section 10 / 404 application
• Turbidity control measures, environmental windows and species restrictions
• Coordination with the navigation district and the Coast Guard on works in the navigable channel

Procurement

• Selection and comparison of dredging methods: cutter suction, mechanical or clamshell, and the associated plant and pipeline requirements
• Production and cost estimating, including mobilization, downtime and disposal costs
• Dredging specification and contract package, with clear measurement and payment rules (in-situ volume versus other bases) and tolerance and over-dredge payment limits
• Risk allocation for ground conditions and differing site conditions, based on the geotechnical and sediment data provided
• Contractor prequalification, technical bid evaluation, clarification and award support

Construction supervision

• Pre-dredge, progress and post-dredge survey scope, verification and acceptance
• Daily production monitoring, dredge logs, plant performance and programme forecasting
• Quantity measurement and certification for payment, including over-dredge treatment
• Turbidity and environmental monitoring compliance, and placement area operation and inspection
• Coordination of dredging plant and pipelines with barge traffic on the canal

Close-out and operation

• Final acceptance survey against the design template, and as-built records
• Maintenance dredging plan: frequency, volumes, budget and permit renewal cycle
• Handover of placement area records and remaining capacity to the operator

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental or civil engineering. Master’s degree in coastal engineering preferred.
• 10+ years in navigation and berth dredging design, with construction phase involvement
• Sediment testing to USACE and EPA protocols, and dredged material placement design
• Cost and production estimating for dredging works, and dredging contract administration
• Ability to travel up to 25% (i.e. job sites) based upon business need. Available for site presence during the dredging campaign
• Texas PE license strongly preferred for sealing dredging design documents
• Preferred: Gulf Coast projects and active participation in a dredging association such as WEDA

Additional Qualifications

• Ability to travel up to 25% (i.e. job sites) based upon business need
• Valid driver’s license

Competencies

• WORKPLACE DYNAMICS - Resourcefulness in shaping progress and working efficiently.
• FORESIGHT & INSIGHT - Context awareness adopting a systemic perspective and informed decision making.
• PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT - Ownership for life, work and results, striving to grow professionally and personally.
• INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE - Skills and strategies we use to interact effectively with others.
• DOMAIN & BUSINESS ACUMEN - Applying a scientific approach and critical thinking in operations and solution development within area of expertise.

Benefits

RINA North America provides a comprehensive benefits package, including the following insurance options: Medical, Dental, Vision, Medical Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Spending Account, Health Savings Account, Transit, Parking, Basic Life, Basic AD&D, Voluntary Life, Voluntary AD&D, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Voluntary Accident, Voluntary Critical Illness, Identity Theft Protection, Pet Insurance, and Employee Assistance Program. Additional benefits provided include paid time off, company holidays, tuition reimbursement, nursery grant, travel resource services, and 401K plan with company discretionary match.

Flexibility and respect drive how we work. We are committed to building a workplace where every person feels valued, empowered to develop their potential, and safe from discrimination or harassment of any kind. It is the policy of RINA to provide equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disabilities, marital status, sexual orientation, genetics, military status, disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, other protected veterans (veterans who served during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a badge has been authorized), and Armed Forces service medal veteran, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. We are strongly committed to this policy and believe in the concept and spirit of the law.

RINA does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or agencies. Any resume submitted to any employee of RINA without a prior written search agreement will be considered unsolicited and the property of RINA. Please, no phone calls or emails.