Senior Coastal Engineer (PE)

HDR; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR in Houston, TX is seeking a Senior Coastal Engineer (PE) to lead dredging, navigation, beach nourishment, and coastal restoration initiatives within HDR's Water Business Group. You will mentor teams, manage complex projects, and deliver engineering plans, reports, and client deliverables for coastlines across the United States.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering, 10+ years of Water Resources experience, and a PE license.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent field.
• Minimum of 10 years Water Resources experience.
• Professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the position location (e.g., PE or P.Eng.).
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a project team.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant in our employee-owned culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead analysis and design for dredging, navigation, beach nourishment, and coastal restoration projects.
• Develop channel layouts and alignments; borrow area design and dredging production estimates; placement area designs.
• Provide project and task management on complex assignments.
• Perform and oversee advanced wave, sediment transport, and hydraulic and hydrologic modeling; coastal project and channel development design.
• Lead preparation of engineering plans, specifications, and design calculations; technical reports and client deliverables.
• Collect, analyze, and present data to clients, stakeholders, and in public forums.
• Manage and mentor multidisciplinary teams on medium to large projects; serve as Project Manager on larger efforts as needed.
• Support business development by preparing proposals, scopes of work, and cost estimates.

Skills

Coastal engineering

HPC experience

AI in coastal modeling

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent field

Masters or PhD in Coastal, Ocean, or Civil engineering

Job description

At HDR, our employee‑owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected and where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. We foster a culture of inclusion throughout the company and our communities while asking ourselves what our impact on the world is. Each role in our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better.

We believe water is more than a resource; it is a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience.

HDR is seeking a Senior Coastal Engineer (PE) to join our nationally ranked team of coastal and waterfront professionals across the United States. We’re looking for individuals passionate about restoring and protecting coastlines through innovative, resilient, and sustainable solutions.

About The Role

As a Senior Coastal Engineer, you’ll play a key leadership role in delivering complex dredging, navigation, beach nourishment, and coastal restoration projects. You’ll bring deep technical expertise and project leadership to initiatives that create lasting environmental and economic impact, while mentoring teams and collaborating across disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead analysis and design for:
  • Dredging and navigation projects
  • Coastal processes and beach nourishment design
  • Coastal restoration and resilience initiatives
• Develop:
  • Channel layouts and alignments
  • Borrow area design and dredging production estimates
  • Placement area and beneficial use designs
• Provide project and task management on complex assignments
• Perform and oversee:
  • Advanced wave, sediment transport, and hydraulic and hydrologic modeling
  • Coastal project and channel development design
• Lead preparation of:
  • Engineering plans, specifications, and design calculations
  • Technical reports, memos, and client deliverables
• Collect, analyze, and present data to clients, stakeholders, and in public forums
• Manage and mentor multidisciplinary teams on medium to large projects
• Serve as Project Manager on larger efforts, as needed
• Support business development by preparing:
  • Proposals
  • Scopes of work
  • Cost estimates

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters or PhD degree in Coastal, Ocean, or Civil engineering
• Experience with high‑performance computing (HPC) environments
• Experience with the application of artificial intelligence software to coastal and marine modeling
• Experience with wave growth and transformation, coastal and estuarine hydrodynamics, littoral processes, sediment transport, marine dredging, and basic geotechnical or structural systems
• Experience in coastal project and channel planning design and specification development
• Experience preparing scope, schedule and fee estimates to support proposal development
• Experience preparing technical reports

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent field
• Minimum of 10 years Water Resources experience
• Professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the position location (e.g., PE or P.Eng.)
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a project team
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant in our employee‑owned culture

Primary location: United States – Texas – Houston

Other locations: United States – Texas – Corpus Christi, United States – Mississippi – Flowood, United States – Florida – Doral, United States – Texas – Austin, United States – Florida – Tampa, United States – Louisiana – Metairie, United States – Florida – Pensacola, United States – Florida – Fort Lauderdale, United States – Louisiana – Lafayette, United States – Florida – Jacksonville

Industry: Water

Schedule: Full‑time

Employee Status: Regular

Business Class: Coastal Engineering

Job Posting: Jun 24 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest, and conviction records.