Project Engineer – Recharge Master Plan & Basin Planning

West Yost • Irvine, CA

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

West Yost is seeking a motivated Water Resources Engineer with 3–8 years of experience to support the development and implementation of regional groundwater recharge planning efforts and related groundwater management initiatives. The engineer will work closely with senior technical staff to evaluate recharge opportunities, develop planning studies, develop conceptual engineering designs, coordinate with agencies, analyze hydrologic and hydraulic data, and prepare technical reports that support long-term groundwater sustainability, stormwater capture, and water supply reliability. This position is ideal for an engineer who enjoys combining technical analysis, planning, field investigations, and collaboration with public agencies.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Water Resources Engineering
• 3-8 years of relevant engineering experience
• California Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain within 2 years
• Working knowledge of hydrology, hydraulics, and stormwater systems
• Strong technical writing and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Water Resources Engineering
• Experience with groundwater management and planning
• Experience with MS4 permits and stormwater regulations
• Experience preparing planning reports, conceptual engineering design, and/or feasibility studies
• Familiarity with California water agencies and regulatory framework
• Python (preferred)
• Statistical analysis
• Time-series evaluation
• Data visualization and communication
• GIS spatial analysis

Responsibilities

• Support preparation of Recharge Master Plans and basin-wide planning studies.
• Evaluate existing recharge facilities and identify opportunities to increase stormwater, recycled water, and supplemental water recharge.
• Assist with development of conceptual designs for recharge projects, including spreading basins, conveyance improvements, recharge wells, and regional stormwater facilities.
• Develop planning-level cost estimates, implementation schedules, and project prioritization matrices.
• Assist with preparation of grant applications and supporting technical documentation.
• Analyze precipitation, runoff, groundwater recharge, and streamflow datasets.
• Estimate hydraulic capacity and design flows of stormwater control and conveyance infrastructure.
• Assist with watershed modeling using data processing and visualization tools, including scripting languages (e.g., Python).
• Evaluate stormwater capture potential under existing and future land use conditions.
• Support groundwater basin evaluations, recharge accounting, and storage assessments.
• Assist with interpretation of groundwater level trends and monitoring data.
• Evaluate recharge impacts on groundwater sustainability, safe yield, hydraulic control, and basin management objectives.
• Support preparation of annual basin reports and recharge accounting documentation.
• Evaluate municipal stormwater (MS4) projects for recharge benefits.
• Review Water Quality Management Plans (WQMPs) and Low Impact Development (LID) strategies.
• Support development of regional stormwater recharge strategies and implementation plans.
• Prepare technical memoranda, planning reports, figures, GIS maps, and presentation materials.
• Develop tables, charts, and graphics summarizing recharge capacity, project costs, water budgets, and implementation priorities.
• Assist with preparation of Board presentations and stakeholder workshops.
• Visit recharge facilities, spreading grounds, channels, and stormwater infrastructure.
• Observe infiltration testing, facility inspections, and construction activities.
• Coordinate with operations staff to understand facility performance and maintenance needs.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• flexible spending accounts
• health saving accounts (with West Yost contribution)
• paid vacation
• paid sick leave and holidays
• two employee assistance programs
• travel assistance program
• 401(k) profit sharing with employer match
• leaves of absence with additional supplemental paid time off
• parental leave
• life and AD&D insurance
• short-term and long-term disability insurance
• pet insurance
• support in on-going education through our 529 college savings plan/student loan repayment program
• tuition reimbursement
• paid professional memberships
• paid training
• Leadership Academy programs
• milestone anniversary benefits
• peer to peer recognition programs
• potential for employee stock ownership
• annual monetary and paid time off bonuses
• performance-based bonus eligibility
• merit increase eligibility
• employee referral bonuses
• wellness reimbursement
• hybrid and flexible work schedules

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level