Habitat Restoration Engineer II

King County Water and Land Resources Division -WA; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 103,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

King County's Water and Land Resources Division is seeking a Habitat Restoration Engineer II to design and deliver restoration projects that improve watershed health, restore salmon habitat, and strengthen climate resilience in the Seattle region.

This full-time, hybrid role focuses on engineering analyses, hydraulic modeling, plan development, cost estimates, and environmental permitting, with field investigations and construction oversight as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or Water Resources required.
• Experience designing and constructing water resources projects with reports and cost estimates.
• Strong collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficiency with AutoDesk Civil 3D or equivalent CAD tools.

Responsibilities

• Perform engineering analyses including hydraulics and hydrology for restoration projects.
• Develop plans, specs, estimates, and cost projections for designs.
• Support environmental permitting, contracting, and project budgets.
• Coordinate with interdisciplinary teams to advance designs.

Skills

Water resources design

Hydraulic modeling

Collaborative teamwork

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or Water Resources

Tools

AutoDesk Civil 3D

Job description

Habitat Restoration Engineer II

Salary
$102,526.94 - $129,958.82 Annually

Location
Seattle - Regional area, WA

Job Type
Career Service (Exec)

Job Number
2026WH27517

Department
DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks

Division
WLRD -Water & Land Resources

FLSA
Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit
C1 : PROTEC17-DES, DLS, DNRP

Full- or Part-Time
Full Time

Hours/Week
40 hours/week

This recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to fill future career service Habitat Restoration Engineer II (Eng. II) positions within the Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP) over the next 6 months.

Join Our Team
Design projects that restore rivers, protect communities, and leave a lasting environmental legacy.

The Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) is seeking an enthusiastic and collaborative Habitat Restoration Engineer II to help design and deliver innovative restoration projects that improve watershed health, restore salmon habitat, reduce flood risks, and strengthen climate resilience throughout King County.

This is more than an engineering position—it's an opportunity to apply your technical expertise to projects that create healthier ecosystems and more resilient communities. Whether you're analyzing river hydraulics, developing restoration designs, conducting field investigations, or collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, your work will directly shape the future of our region's rivers, wetlands, floodplains, and shorelines.

If you're motivated by meaningful public service, enjoy solving complex engineering challenges, and want to see your work make a lasting impact, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

As a Habitat Restoration Engineer II, you will support the planning, design, and construction of capital projects that restore aquatic ecosystems while protecting people, infrastructure, and natural resources throughout King County.

Working as part of the Habitat Restoration Unit, you'll contribute to projects spanning mountain rivers, floodplains, wetlands, estuaries, and marine shorelines. Your responsibilities will include performing engineering analyses, hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, developing engineering plans and specifications, preparing cost estimates, supporting environmental permitting, conducting field investigations, and providing construction oversight.

This position offers exposure to the full project lifecycle—from early site assessments and conceptual design through construction and project monitoring, allowing you to grow as an engineer while working alongside experienced professionals in engineering, ecology, geology, planning, and environmental science.

Success in this role requires technical curiosity, strong collaboration skills, and a passion for creating sustainable, science-based solutions that benefit both communities and the environment.

About the Team

The Habitat Restoration Unit (HRU) of the Capital Delivery Section (CDS) is a part of King County's Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) within the Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

Our multidisciplinary team designs and delivers innovative habitat restoration and mitigation projects that improve watershed health, restore salmon habitat, reduce flood hazards, and advance climate resilience throughout King County. At WLRD, we partner with scientists, engineers, planners, Tribal governments, regulatory agencies, community organizations, and other public agencies to develop solutions that balance ecological restoration with community needs.

Our work supports many of King County's highest priority initiatives, including Clean Water • Healthy Habitat, the Strategic Climate Action Plan, the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan, and the Land Conservation Initiative. Every project reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, collaboration, and public service.

We believe the best solutions come from diverse perspectives and inclusive collaboration. We foster a supportive learning environment where employees are encouraged to develop new skills, share ideas, and contribute to projects that improve the quality of life for current and future generations.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice: King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a Habitat Restoration Engineer II, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

Job Duties

• Conduct engineering and technical analyses involving open channel hydraulics, hydrologic data, floodplain and river conditions, hydraulic modeling, and stability of hydraulic structures.
• Prepare plans, specifications, estimates (costs, quantities, and schedules), and technical reports for habitat restoration projects, including the development of conceptual and final designs.
• Contribute to development, implementation and administration of project scopes-of-work, schedules and budgets, environmental documentation, and contracting during all phases of projects.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary design teams to advance project design, coordinate with interested parties, and support environmental permitting.

Qualifications You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, OR a closely related field; alternatively, four years of progressively responsible civil engineering experience may substitute for the degree requirement, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and construction of water resources projects, including stormwater management, flood control, and habitat restoration, with expertise in preparing technical analyses and reports, performing hydraulic modeling and open channel hydraulic engineering, and developing engineering design plans, specifications, and cost estimates.
• Established experience collaborating effectively with diverse, multidisciplinary technical teams across multiple professional disciplines.
• Proficient in using AutoDesk Civil 3D or equivalent drafting software to support engineering design and produce detailed design plans.
• Ability to take verbal and written directions to perform tasks independently on assigned projects, while keeping colleagues apprised of technical issues and schedule commitments.

Required Licenses or Certifications

• Engineer in Training (EIT) Certification or the ability to obtain it in one (1) year

Competencies You Bring

• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Resourcefulness: Securing and deploying resources effectively and efficiently.
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Nimble Learning: Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring

• Advanced training or applied experience with the fields of hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, ecology, or river science.
• Comprehensive knowledge of preparing plans, specifications, and cost estimates for projects in aquatic and marine environments.
• Ability to participate with perseverance, patience, and levity on multiple projects with overlapping deadlines.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience working in situations requiring cross-cultural sensitivity and centering racial equity and social justice principles, and environmental justice.
• Experience using hydraulic modeling and geospatial analysis software, such as HEC-RAS, SRH-2D, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Field Maps

Supplemental Information

Onsite Work Details

Work Location: The Capital Delivery/Management & Support Section works in a hybrid model, with days in the office, and field, as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a in-home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.

Union Representation: These positions are represented by PROTEC Local 17A bargaining unit.

Physical Requirements: These positions require the ability to walk on uneven terrain for extended periods of time. Field conditions include brushy, forested environments; river, stream and wetland corridors; and slippery, uneven surfaces and dynamic conditions in the outdoors. Work tasks also likely will include in-water situations involving wading and the use of rafts or canoes.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.