Coastal Planner / Coastal Resilience Planner

Rincon Consultants, Inc•Ventura, CA

8d•$85,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Coastal Planner / Coastal Resilience Planner to support Rincon’s Sustainability & Climate Resilience (SCR+) Practice with local coastal program (LCP) updates and amendments, coastal development permitting strategy, sea-level rise (SLR) vulnerability assessments, SLR adaptation planning, shoreline management, and nature-based solutions. You will help cities, counties, special districts, ports, and tribes plan for and adapt to coastal hazards (SLR, storms, erosion, flooding) while protecting public access, habitats, cultural resources, and working waterfronts—and then work with those clients to fund, permit, and implement priority projects. This position requires strong technical analysis and data management skills; excellent communication and writing; applied knowledge of coastal policy and California’s Coastal Act/LCP framework; and an entrepreneurial mindset. If you’re excited to develop innovative, equitable, and implementable coastal resilience strategies with communities across California, we’d love to meet you. Rincon’s SCR+ Practice emphasizes working with our clients to develop innovative and ambitious climate resilience and landuse strategies and working with those same clients to implement those plans and create real change. We have operated our SCR+ Practice with the simple idea that we want our work to result in tangible, positive change in the community. We operate in this capacity because we truly love what we do, and we know that there’s an opportunity to make positive change. We want to build a resilient and thriving future by regularly applying our knowledge and experiences in achieving the highest levels of resilience and sustainability in our business operations, as well as our daily lives in the most equitable way. We are looking to grow our team with people that are interested in collaborating to build sustainable and equitable communities.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Coastal Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geology, Geomorphology, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Science, Marine/Coastal Science, Coastal Economics, or related discipline.
Experience: ~4 years of related experience in Coastal/Marine Science, Environmental Management, Coastal Economics, Climate Adaptation, Planning, or related discipline preferred.
Policy/Regulatory Knowledge: Demonstrated understanding of the California Coastal Act, California Coastal Commission LCP guidance, and coastal resource protections (e.g., public access, ESHA, wetlands, visual resources, cultural resources). Familiarity with CCC SLR Guidance and OPC Sea Level Rise Guidance.
Coastal Resilience Skills: Experience with SLR vulnerability assessments, coastal hazards analysis, adaptation strategies (including nature-based solutions), and translating technical outputs into policy recommendations.
Coastal Modeling: Experience using USGS CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) to interpret coastal flooding, erosion, wave runup, groundwater rise, and storm scenario outputs for planning applications.
Technical & Data Skills: Strong data management and analysis, ability to interpret scientific and technical data (e.g., sea-level rise models, coastal geomorphology data, habitat assessments), advanced Excel skills; python, familiarity with GIS (ArcGIS or QGIS) and interpreting modeling outputs (e.g., flood/erosion/groundwater interaction).
Communication: Excellent technical writing, clear visual communication, and public presentation skills.
Collaboration & Leadership: Highly motivated, organized, detail-oriented; able to work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams; eager to improve processes and workflows; comfortable interfacing with public agency staff and community stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience coordinating with the California Coastal Commission and coastal cities and counties; knowledge of grant programs (CCC, SCC, OPC, FEMA) and project implementation; understanding of coastal processes including waves, tides, currents, sediment transport, and shoreline change, experience with hydrodynamic and wave modeling tools, such as SWAN, Delft3D, XBeach, ADCIRC, or similar.

Responsibilities

Support LCP updates to integrate best-available science on SLR, coastal erosion, storm flooding, sediment dynamics, and groundwater interactions.
Draft or review Land Use Plan policies and Implementation Plan regulations that address coastal hazards while protecting public access, scenic resources, Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA), wetlands, cultural resources, and water-dependent and water-related uses.
Develop adaptation pathways and nature-based strategies (e.g., living shorelines, dune enhancement, green-grey hybrid approaches).
Prepare technical analyses and application materials to support coastal development permits (CDPs) and other permits/approvals, coordinating with clients and agency staff (e.g., California Coastal Commission (CCC), local governments, State Lands Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCBs).
Interpret and apply California Coastal Act and LCP policies, and align with related frameworks (e.g., CEQA, Clean Water Act Sections 401/404, Endangered Species Act (ESA)/ California Endangered Species Act (CESA) coordination as applicable).
Track permit conditions and monitor compliance for approved projects.
Conduct SLR vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans, shoreline change analyses, coastal hazards screening, asset criticality and risk assessments, and prioritization of resilience projects.
Utilize or interpret coastal modeling outputs (e.g., flood/erosion scenarios) and translate technical findings into clear policy and design guidance.
Develop implementation plans (phasing, triggers, cost ranges, co-benefits, operations/maintenance) and capital project pipelines.
Identify and pursue funding (e.g., State Coastal Conservancy, CCC, Ocean Protection Council (OPC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)/ Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), local/State bond programs); support grant writing and grant management.
Coordinate with engineers, ecologists, and landscape architects to advance feasibility studies and preliminary concepts toward permittable, fundable projects.
Design and facilitate inclusive engagement with residents, community-based organizations, working waterfronts, and tribes.
Prepare plain-language materials and give presentations to councils, commissions, and the public, with emphasis on environmental justice and equitable adaptation.
Prepare technical memos, staff reports, policy language, graphics, and presentations.
Lead or support scope/schedule/budget management, subcontractor coordination, and quality control.
Conduct site visits and limited fieldwork in the coastal zone.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Package designed to support employee well-being, growth, and financial security. Our benefits are designed to offer flexibility and choice, including health coverage options, employer-sponsored insurance, retirement benefits, generous time off, and programs that support learning, growth, and community engagement.

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