Restoration Engineer

Anchor QEA of North Carolina, PLLC; Asheville (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus

Healthcare benefits (Medical, dental,

401k retirement plan

Paid holidays & vacation

Sick time

Job summary

Anchor QEA of North Carolina, PLLC is seeking a senior Restoration Engineer to lead hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphic analyses for estuarine, river, stream, coastal, and floodplain restoration projects. The role blends design, field oversight, and team leadership across multi‑stakeholder efforts.

The ideal candidate will have 8+ years in restoration design, pe/np licensing in NC or ability to obtain in a year, and strong skills in AutoCAD Civil 3D, ArcGIS, and HEC‑RAS/SRH‑2D.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's in civil/water resources engineering.
• 8+ years in river, stream restoration design with 3+ years project management.
• NC PE license or ability to obtain within 1 year.
• Proven ability to lead projects, client engagement, scope/budget oversight.
• Experience with hydraulic, hydrologic, and sediment modeling.

Responsibilities

• Lead hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphic analyses for restoration projects.
• Design fish passage solutions and habitat enhancements.
• Prepare design plans, specs, cost estimates, and construction documents.
• Manage project teams, budgets, scopes, and schedules.
• Support competitive proposals and business development.
• Provide field oversight during construction and adaptive design.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to QA/QC.
• Engage with tribes, state/federal agencies, and NGOs to deliver restoration outcomes.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Hydraulic modeling

GIS proficiency

Client engagement

Education

B.S. or M.S. in civil/water resources engineering

Tools

AutoCAD Civil 3D

ArcGIS

HEC-RAS

SRH-2D

Job description

Title: Restoration Engineer

Location: Asheville, NC (Hybrid)

Job Type: Regular Full-time

What's the Opportunity?

Anchor QEA is seeking a full-time senior‑level engineer and project manager to support Anchor QEA in the delivery of innovative projects across the southeast and nationwide, including marsh and estuary restoration, coastal restoration, riverine and stream restoration, compensatory mitigation, fish passage, living shorelines and engineering with nature and nature‑based solutions. The applicant will have 8 or more years of experience providing restoration‑related field assessments, data collection and analysis, hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, geomorphic and habitat assessment support, fish passage and restoration design, and construction and project management.

We are committed to investing in the right person and to providing support to foster your professional success and long‑term impact.

Responsibilities:

• Leading hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphic analyses to support estuarine, river, stream, coastal, and/or floodplain restoration.
• Designing fish passage solutions, engineered log jams, channel realignments, habitat and floodplain enhancement projects.
• Preparing detailed design plans, specifications, cost estimates, and construction documents.
• Managing project teams, budgets, scopes, and schedules for complex, multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Assisting with the development of competitive proposals.
• Providing field oversight during construction, including adaptive design and troubleshooting.
• Mentoring junior engineers and contributing to technical review and quality assurance.
• Engaging directly with tribes, state and federal agencies, conservation districts, and non‑profits to deliver high‑impact restoration outcomes.

What Are We Looking For?

We're seeking a collaborative, solutions‑oriented engineer who's ready to step into a leadership role. The ideal candidate will have:

• B.S. or M.S. degree in civil, hydraulic, water resources engineering, or related discipline.
• 8 or more years experience in river, stream, floodplain, or fish passage restoration design with a minimum of 3 years of project management experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in NC (or ability to obtain within one year).
• Proven ability to lead projects, including client engagement, scope and task management, budget oversight, and schedule coordination
• Proven skills in hydraulic, hydrologic and sediment transport modeling of riverine or coastal systems (e.g., HEC‑RAS 1D/2D, SRH‑2D) and geomorphic assessments.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D, ArcGIS, and related design tools.
• Experience with construction observation, field data collection, and field engineering.
• Willingness to travel seasonally for field work and construction projects for up to 2 weeks at a time.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work across disciplines and with diverse stakeholders.

Bonus experience includes:

• Experience with large wood design, sediment transport analysis, or drone‑based field surveying.
• Familiarity with southeast fisheries biology and environmental regulatory frameworks.
• Experience supporting proposal development and business growth initiatives.

What Can You Expect?

A collaborative work environment where we encourage everyone to bring their authentic self. We offer competitive compensation and benefits which are detailed below.

Who Are We?

Anchor QEA provides environmental planning, science, and engineering consulting services with the mission of transforming our environment and communities with integrity and vibe. With more than 500 people in offices across the United States, our collective vision is to be an inclusive, sustainable, and growing environmental innovator making generational impacts. By embodying our core values, we strive to be our clients' first choice for solving their most challenging problems and to be our employees' reason to be excited about going to work each morning. Learn more about Anchor QEA atwww.anchorqea.com.

Additional Information

We work hard to embrace diversity and inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, Anchor QEA is committed to a diverse, multi‑cultural work environment. Anchor QEA does not discriminate in employment based on age, race, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a comprehensive background check.

Applicants with a disability, who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, may e‑mail their request to [e-mail]

Salary and Other Compensation:

• Annual Bonus
• Other potential bonus types: Billable Time Bonus, Spot Bonus, Milestone Anniversary Bonus, Receiving Professional License/Certification Bonus, Peer‑reviewed Publication Bonus, Employee Referral Bonus.

Base Level Benefits for Regular Full-Time Positions:

• Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, basic life and AD&D insurance, short- and long‑term disability programs.
• Paid Company and Floating Holidays: 7 paid company and 2 floating holidays annually
• Vacation: 2 weeks accrued paid vacation based on length of service. Vacation may vary by level.
• Sick and Safe Time: 80 hours annually
• Retirement Plan: 401k plan with an employer match
• Further information on benefits: https://anchorqea.com/careers/benefits/