Structural Engineer - Waterfront - Marine

VHB; Watertown (MA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Wellness programs

Tuition reimbursement

Recognition programs

Job summary

VHB is seeking a Waterfront Structural Engineer to support planning, permitting, and design of coastal infrastructure across our footprint. The role offers location flexibility within the VHB footprint and requires a PE license or ability to obtain within six months.

You will work on projects including marinas, piers, bulkheads, seawalls, and living shoreline stabilization, collaborating with a high-performing team on coastal management challenges.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil, Structural, Waterfront, or Coastal Engineering; MS degree preferred.
• 8+ years waterfront engineering experience.
• Professional Engineer required, or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Knowledge of the regulatory processes in Rhode Island is preferred.
• Experience with USACE, FEMA, USGS, NOAA preferred; knowledge of FEMA NFIP coastal flood hazard mapping.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated technical and analytical skills, including technical writing and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Support ongoing Waterfront/Coastal practice projects and business development efforts.
• Assist in the development of qualifications and proposals for waterfront infrastructure and coastal resilience-related RFPs.
• Assist and ultimately manage and perform engineering analysis, preliminary, and detail design of waterfront/coastal structures.
• Manage projects (scope, budget, schedule) and coordinate with sub-consultants, ensuring quality control throughout execution.
• Contribute to design and permitting of piers, marinas, boardwalks, and flood/erosion-control structures.
• Support dredging design and permitting; prepare project specifications, bid and contract documents.
• Assist with construction contract administration; conduct site inspections and prepare reports.

Skills

Waterfront engineering experience

Communication skills

Technical writing

Presentation skills

Education

B.S. in Civil, Structural, Waterfront, or Coastal Engineering

MS degree preferred

Job description

Structural Engineer - Waterfront - Marine

Job Locations

US-RI-Providence | US-MA-Boston | US-MA-Watertown

ID

2026-6505

Category

Engineering

Type

Regular Full-Time

Career Stage Type

Experienced

# of Openings

1

ABOUT THE POSITION

We're actively looking for Waterfront Engineers to join our growing team. This fully supported role does have some flexibility on location within the VHB footprint. This position will assist with the planning, permitting and design of waterfront and coastal infrastructure throughout our footprint. Projects would vary, but include design of marinas, piers, bulkheads, seawall, revetments and marine terminal structures, and living shoreline stabilization.

The ideal candidate for this position will have technical experience in designing and permitting a variety of waterfront projects and be a licensed professional engineer. The candidate who fills this position will join a high performing team that provides clients with multi-disciplinary engineering and science-based solutions to coastal management challenges including coastal/waterfront engineering, coastal flood risk, resiliency and adaptation design, and dredged material management.

Responsibilities

• Successfully support ongoing Waterfront/Coastal practice projects and business development efforts.
• Assist in the development of qualifications and proposals for waterfront infrastructure and coastal resilience -related RFPs.
• Assist and ultimately manage and perform engineering analysis, preliminary, and detail design of waterfront/coastal structures.
• Assist and ultimately manage projects (scope, budget, schedule) and work with sub-consultants and team members and assure quality control of work throughout project execution, including:
  • all aspects for the design and permitting of waterfront developments including piers, marinas and boardwalks
  • analysis and design of structures for flood and erosion control such as seawalls, bulkheads, revetments and breakwaters, wave fences and fendering, and private and waterfront recreation structures such as fishing piers, marina docking structures, and boat launch ramps
  • contributing to living shoreline erosion solutions designs
  • conducting/reviewing technical analyses/calculations
  • completing mooring and berthing analyses and design
  • dredging design and permitting
  • preparation of project specifications, bid and contract documents
  • construction contract administration
  • site inspections and reports

Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil, Structural, Waterfront, or Coastal Engineering. MS degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in Waterfront Engineering, including associated geotechnical and structural analysis.
• Professional Engineer required, or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Knowledge of the regulatory processes in Rhode Island is preferred.
• Experience with project delivery for multiple Federal, State and local coastal agencies/clients, specific experience with USACE, FEMA, USGS, NOAA preferred.
• Knowledge of FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program and experience implementing FEMA's coastal flood hazard analysis and mapping methodologies.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated technical and analytical skills, including technical writing and presentation skills.

The full-time annual base salary range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000+ The base salary offered will be determined based on job-related factors, including geographic location, internal equity, experience, credentials, skills, education, work schedule, and other factors permitted by law. The posted salary range reflects base pay only. Additional compensation and benefits available to eligible employees are outlined in our Total Rewards Program.

Annual base salary is one component of VHB's Total Rewards package. In addition to base pay, eligible employees may receive annual incentive compensation bonuses, spot bonuses, and merit-based salary increases, providing opportunities to increase earnings beyond base pay. VHB also offers a differentiating work experience, including a comprehensive benefits package that includes eligibility to participate in the VHB 401(k) plan, medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, and recognition programs.

Details on VHB's benefits package can be found here: Benefits Checklist

VHB has been named a U.S. Best Managed Company for 2026, marking its second consecutive year receiving this prestigious recognition. VHB, was honored for excellence in strategy, execution, corporate culture, and governance/financial performance. Sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal

Building what's next, together.

Our people make the difference. We foster a technology-empowered, peopledriven, futureready culture where agility, innovation, and collaboration shape how we work every day.

When you join VHB, you'll find:

• Meaningful work on complex projects with real community impact
• A collaborative, inclusive culture that values curiosity and shared success
• Support to grow your skills and lead through change
• Learning and development supported by evolving tools and technologies, including AI
• Best-in-class benefits and a flexible, hybrid work environment

We're growing across the East Coast and are consistently recognized as a great place to work. Ready to shape what's next? Learn more about what sets our employee experience apart and connect with us.

VHB is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Since our founding, we have intentionally fostered a culture of inclusion and belonging, supported by deep-rooted core values, one of which is diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

#LI-DB2

#LI-Hybrid