Lead Restoration Engineer

SWCA Environmental Consultants; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

401(k) Plan

Job summary

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks a Lead Restoration Engineer in Houston, TX to support ecological restoration initiatives. You will oversee stream and watershed projects, hydraulic modeling, erosion control, and resilience planning for public and private clients, with travel and possible remote work options.

The role requires a PE license and extensive experience in ecological restoration engineering, with leadership and project management responsibilities across multiple sites in the U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil or environmental engineering required or equivalent.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas or Louisiana, or ability to obtain via reciprocity.
• Six years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, including some experience managing others.
• Eight years of related experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic project leadership and client objective alignment.
• Lead complex projects and ensure quality assurance/quality control.
• Provide technical leadership and drive innovative standards.
• Guide projects with accountability for milestones and budgets.
• Foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and client relationships.
• Mentor staff and develop specialized programs and protocols.
• Support business growth through technical excellence and new methods.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and SWCA standards.

Skills

PE license

Ecological restoration

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil or environmental engineering

Master's degree in civil/environmental engineering

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 areidentified. Thisposition may close without prior notice once a strong candidate pool isestablished.

About SWCA

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm providing full spectrum environmental services across the United States. Our North Star is to be the best place to work and a leader in sustainability, delivering sound science and creative solutions to complex environmental challenges.

We are guided by our core values every day. We collaborate as #OneSWCA, we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack to our communities. With offices nationwide, SWCA offers a collaborative, team focused environment where employees can build meaningful and long-term careers.

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.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge normally obtained through a bachelor's degree and active Professional Engineer (PE) license required; master's degree preferred. Six years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, including some experience managing others. Eight years of related experience is preferred; or any equivalent combination of experience, performance, training, and/or education.

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

Other Job Conditions

When drug testing is required

Applicants must be willing to participate in drug and alcohol screening as part of the pre-employment process, when required by project or client requirements.

When driving is required

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license and meet SWCA's driver requirements.

When traveling is required

This position may require domestic travel, including travel by commercial airline. Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain all valid travel documents and identification required for work-related travel throughout the duration of employment.

Safety Expectations

Drive compliance of safety policies and report requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Work Environment

Work is regularly performed outdoors and involves hiking over uneven terrain, lifting and carrying equipment up to 25–50 pounds, and working in varying/extreme weather conditions. Employees may be exposed to vegetation, wildlife, insects, dust, chemicals, sharp or heavy tools, and other environmental conditions while following required safety procedures.

Pay Range

An employee in this Houston, TX-based position can expect an annual salary of $111,001.80 - $142,549.68 per year. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, life, and disability coverage, as well as access to our Employee Assistance Program. Employees may also participate in SWCA’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

Closing

Use of Technology in Hiring

SWCA may use approved technology, including AI-assisted tools, to support parts of the application and recruiting process. All selection and hiring decisions are made by SWCA employees, and candidates are not selected or rejected by automated systems. We are committed to a fair, transparent, and human-centered hiring experience.

Candidate Use of AI

Candidates may use AI tools to help prepare application materials and interviews. However, all application materials, assessments, and interview responses must accurately reflect their own experience, skills, and qualifications. AI must not be used to fabricate experience, complete assessments on their behalf, or otherwise misrepresent their background or abilities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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