Water Resources Engineer

Ayres Associates; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

ESOP

401K with company match

PTO and paid holidays with floating/2x

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

Ayres Associates is seeking a confident water resources engineer in North Carolina to support technical delivery within the Stream and Stormwater Group. You will collaborate with hydraulics engineers, manage analyses, and help grow client relationships while guiding teams to deliver high-quality work.

The role emphasizes leadership in project execution, risk management, and effective communication, with potential field work and active participation in business development efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil/hydraulic/hydrologic engineering from an accredited university.
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in North Carolina.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in water resource engineering.
• Ability to independently execute technical water resource tasks.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Proven oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support and occasionally lead technical execution on transportation, rivers and infrastructure, and hydraulic/hydrology projects.
• Collaborate with hydraulics/hydrology team to develop analyses approaches and documents.
• Oversee project staff and ensure conformance with Ayres' quality standards.
• Identify and manage risks to ensure smooth project execution.
• Occasional field assessments or site visits.
• Build relationships with Project Managers and Ayres leadership.
• Support proposals, scopes, and client development activities.

Skills

Water resources engineering

Communication skills

Professional Engineer (PE)

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil/hydraulic/hydrologic engineering

Master’s degree in civil engineering

Job description

We are seeking a confident and motivated water resource engineer to support the technical delivery of projects within our Stream and Stormwater Group in North Carolina. Ayres is seeking a passionate and talented engineer to help grow our team, expand relationships with safety-focused clients, and innovate solutions to complex engineering challenges. This position requires good written and oral communication skills and a passion to continue lifelong learning and transfer that passion and technical understanding to younger engineers. This role is ideal for individuals who excel at building trusted partnerships, developing new opportunities, and leading teams to deliver high-quality work. You will play a key role in shaping our portfolio, strengthening client relationships, and helping grow our presence in key markets.

Join Ayres – a USA TODAY Top Workplace recognized in both 2025 and 2026 – where people-first leadership, collaboration, and professional growth create an environment where great teams do their best work.

On any given day, you’ll focus on:

Technical Project Implementation

• Support, and occasionally lead, the technical execution on transportation, rivers and infrastructure, and hydraulic/hydrology projects.
• Collaborate with a team of hydraulics/hydrology engineers to develop analyses approaches, confirm applicable codes, analyze complex watersheds and flow conveyance systems, document findings efficiently, review others’ work and have your work reviewed, and prepare well-written and complete reports.
• May oversee or execute and review technical hydraulic/hydrologic work.
• Oversee project staff and review work products to confirm they meet applicable codes and are in conformance with Ayres' quality standards.
• Proactively identify and manage risks, ensuring smooth project execution.
• Perform design or review designs for hydraulic/hydrology projects.
• Occasional field assessments or site visits.
• Build and maintain respectful working relationships with Project Managers and Ayres leadership.

Client and Business Development

• Assist your group manager and business development lead with identifying marketing opportunities and strategies to pursue stream and infrastructure projects.
• Network and team with other Ayres business and service lines in North Carolina.
• Maintain strong, long-term relationships with municipal, state, federal, and private-sector clients.
• Support proposals, including defining scopes, developing fees, and participating in interviews.
• Help position the team in targeted markets and strengthen brand presence.
• Represent the firm in professional organizations and industry events.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in civil/hydraulic/hydrologic engineering from an accredited university.
• Registered professional engineer (PE) in North Carolina.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in the field of water resource engineering.
• Ability to independently execute technical water resource engineering tasks.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Proven oral and written communication skills.
• A valid driver’s license and good driving record.

Desired Skills and Experiences:

• A master’s degree in civil engineering.
• Design experience in water resources, hydraulic or hydrologic engineering.
• Experience establishing mutually respectful and collaborative relationships.

Benefits of being part of the Ayres team:

• Health, dental, and vision Insurance.
• Short and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and 401K with company match.
• PTO, paid holidaysincludingtwo floating holidays, and a flexible work schedule.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.