Lead Restoration Engineer

SWCA Environmental Consultants; Baton Rouge (LA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Lead Restoration Engineer to support our ecological restoration group in Houston, TX, with projects across the South and nationwide. The role involves stream and wetland restoration, hydrologic modeling, erosion control design, and resilience planning, with hybrid work from Houston or Baton Rouge and travel to client sites.

You will lead technical approaches, mentor staff, ensure QA/QC, and drive project success while aligning with SWCA standards and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil or environmental engineering is required.
• Active PE license in Texas or Louisiana, or ability to obtain via reciprocity.
• Six (6) years of relevant experience in ecological restoration engineering, including some experience managing others.
• Prior work experience in either Texas or Louisiana.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Project Leadership: consults on and leads complex projects, overseeing technical approach and QA/QC.
• Exemplary Leadership: leads by example in technical and soft skills, balancing client and team priorities.
• Technical Expertise & Innovation: develops standards to improve project quality and efficiency; acts as technical expert.
• Project Accountability: guides projects, ensures milestones, manages risks and budgets.
• Cross‑Disciplinary Collaboration: collaborates with specialists to support projects.

Skills

Project leadership

Mentorship

Client relationship management

Technical proficiency in restoration

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil/environmental engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license in TX or LA

Job description

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks a Lead Restoration Engineer to support our ecological restoration group in Houston, TX. In this role, you will assist with stream restoration, wetland restoration, watershed management planning, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, erosion and sediment control plans, and resilience planning for private and public sector clients. Projects will include sites throughout the South, and support of other projects across the U.S.

The Lead Restoration Engineer will have experience in stream channel design, hydraulic modeling, shear stress calculations, stormwater management facility design, geomorphic process assessment, erosion and sediment control design, and project management.

This is a full-time, regular (with benefits), salaried/exempt position that is hybrid-eligible from either our Houston, TX or Baton Rouge, LA office locations. We will also seriously consider highly qualified distributed (remote) candidates. The position will entail travel and short-term overnight efforts to collect field data and meet with clients.

Application Deadline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews may be scheduled as qualified candidates are identified. This position may close without prior notice once a strong candidate pool is established.

What you will accomplish

• Strategic Project Leadership: Strategically consults on and leads complex projects in pursuit of client objectives, overseeing the technical approach and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.
• Exemplary Leadership: Leads by example in both technical and soft skills, navigating client and team priorities to deliver projects that meet professional and oversight agency standards.
• Technical Expertise & Innovation: Innovates standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Serves as a go‑to technical expert and consultant, providing novel project strategies and applying technical excellence that considers client needs to meet project requirements.
• Project Accountability: Continuously guides projects, executing accountability for the performance of projects or delegated tasks and ensuring that project milestones are met and outcomes align with SWCA's values and client expectations. Assesses risks and implements strategies for problem‑solving. Revises or suggests revisions to project scopes, schedules, and budgets as necessary to meet evolving project requirements and ensure successful outcomes.
• Business Growth & Innovation: Drives business growth and client success through technical excellence, innovation, and development of new methods and standards that advance SWCA's technical reputation. Contributes to SWCA's strategic planning.
• Cross‑Disciplinary Collaboration: Champions cross‑disciplinary collaboration, working closely with specialists to provide comprehensive technical support for projects.
• Mentorship & Team Development: Mentors staff for impactful influence, coaching others in technical excellence, leadership, and strategy, and also develops specialized programs and protocols. Fosters team development and cross‑training, modeling and promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members to enhance project outcomes, as well as team depth and redundancy.
• Relationship Management: Establishes and grows effective consultative relationships with external and internal clients and/or agency regulators and industry partners (if applicable) to support successful projects.
• Executing and Delivering Projects Under Guidance: Responsible for the execution and delivery of moderately complex engineering projects, operating under the guidance and oversight of senior leads or project managers to ensure alignment with client objectives and SWCA standards.
• Applying and Refining Established Practices: Applies established standards and practices to project work, refining technical approaches as needed to enhance project efficiency and quality while serving as a resource for team members seeking guidance on best practices.
• Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Bachelor's degree in civil or environmental engineering
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas or Louisiana, or ability to obtain via reciprocity.
• Six (6) years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in ecological restoration engineering, including some experience managing others.
• Prior work experience in either Texas or Louisiana.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in civil or environmental engineering
• Eight (8) years of related experience in ecological restoration engineering; or any equivalent combination of experience, performance, training, and/or education
• Completion of Wildland Hydrology Short Courses