Structural Engineer - Waterfront - Marine

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.; Watertown (MA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. is seeking a Senior Level Waterfront Engineer to join our growing team in the Boston/Watertown area.

The role supports planning, permitting and design of waterfront and coastal infrastructure across our footprint, including marinas, piers, bulkheads, seawalls and living shoreline projects. The ideal candidate has 8–11 years of waterfront engineering experience, a PE license, and knowledge of federal, state and local coastal regulatory processes.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil, Structural, Waterfront, or Coastal Engineering. MS degree preferred.
• 8–11 years of experience in Waterfront Engineering, including related geotechnical and structural analysis.
• Professional Engineer required, or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Knowledge of regulatory processes in Rhode Island is preferred.
• Experience with project delivery for multiple Federal, State and local coastal agencies/clients; USACE, FEMA, USGS, NOAA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support ongoing Waterfront/Coastal practice projects and business development efforts.
• Assist in developing qualifications and proposals for waterfront infrastructure and coastal resilience-related RFPs.
• Perform engineering analyses, preliminary and detailed design of waterfront/coastal structures; manage projects (scope, budget, schedule) and coordinate with sub-consultants.
• Quality control of work throughout project execution, including design/permitting of waterfront developments (piers, marinas, boardwalks) and related flood/erosion structures.

Skills

Waterfront engineering

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

PE license

Education

Bachelor of Science in Civil/Structural/Coastal Eng

MS degree preferred

Job description

Structural Engineer - Waterfront - Marine

Job Locations

US-RI-Providence | US-MA-Boston | US-ME-Portland | US-VA-Williamsburg | US-ME-Portland | US-MA-Watertown

Job Details

• ID: 2026-6092
• Category: Engineering
• Type: Regular Full-Time
• Career Stage Type: Experienced
• # of Openings: 1

Overview

ABOUT THE POSITION

For the second year in a row, VHB proudly celebrates our selection as a 2026 U.S. Best Managed Company. Sponsored by Deloitte Private* and The Wall Street Journal, the Best Managed Company program recognizes outstanding U.S. private companies demonstrating excellence in four key areas: strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and governance/financial performance. This year, 63 companies across the U.S. have been recognized, with VHB being one of only two AEC firms honored.

We're actively looking for Senior Level 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.
• 8-11 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.

Our best estimate of the salary range for this position located in Boston/Watertown, MA is $120,000-150,000 and in Portland, ME is $105,000 to 130,000. The final compensation will be based on a variety of factors such as individual qualifications, education, and experience.

Building what's next, together.

• 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

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.

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