Restoration Engineer

SWCA Environmental Consultants•, OH

12d•$86,465 - $126,192•Hybrid

About The Position

SWCA Environmental Consultants is hiring a Project Restoration Engineer to help grow its ecological restoration practices throughout the Great Lakes and support restoration projects across the United States. The role focuses on stream, wetland, coastal and living shoreline restoration, and nature-based infrastructure. The position is based in the Lombard, Illinois office and may be performed in a hybrid or distributed (remote) arrangement. Candidates near Chicago or Michigan offices are preferred, though qualified candidates elsewhere may be considered. Occasional field travel is required, with short-term overnight travel for data collection and client meetings of up to 20% of the time. The position may be hired at the Associate Project Restoration Engineer level or Project Restoration Engineer level. It is a full-time, regular, benefits-eligible, salaried/exempt role reporting to the Lombard office. The engineer leads project technical tasks and supports project execution, design, permitting, construction, and client coordination. The role also includes mentoring junior staff and participating in annual internal design training. SWCA is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm providing environmental services across the United States. The company describes its mission as delivering sound science and creative solutions to environmental challenges, with a collaborative, team-focused workplace and a focus on sustainability and career development.

Requirements

At least four years of relevant, progressively responsible experience.
A bachelor's degree in Engineering, with Agricultural, Biological, Civil, Environmental, or Coastal Engineering specified.
An active Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
At least four years of ecosystem restoration design experience.
Ability to travel for short-term overnight field data collection and client meetings, up to 20% of the time.
Experience with HEC-RAS and other hydraulic and hydrologic modeling and analysis software.
Experience developing ecological restoration design construction plans in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Ability to obtain and maintain valid travel documents and identification required for work-related domestic travel.

Nice To Haves

Six years of relevant experience and expertise for the Associate Project Restoration Engineer level.
Seven years of relevant experience and expertise for the Project Restoration Engineer level.
Seven years of professional experience in ecosystem restoration design.
Experience managing primary tasks and small to medium-sized projects with limited oversight.
Experience mentoring and successfully delegating tasks to junior team members.

Responsibilities

Oversee technical tasks, schedules, budgets, and deliverables to support successful project completion.
Manage project execution, including client communication, team coordination, and quality assurance.
Prepare design reports and plans for design deliverable packages.
Develop engineering designs for stream and wetland restoration, living shorelines, and nature-based infrastructure.
Conduct field investigations and detailed analyses for restoration projects, and provide technical guidance to optimize solutions.
Prepare construction drawings, specifications, and contract documents in accordance with industry and regulatory standards.
Support quality assurance reviews of analyses and deliverables.
Prepare regulatory documentation and coordinate with agencies to address permitting and compliance requirements.
Perform modeling and calculations to optimize designs and assess environmental impacts.
Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to integrate environmental science and engineering into project designs.
Provide construction-phase services by monitoring progress, checking adherence to specifications, addressing site challenges, and communicating with contractors.
Engage with clients and stakeholders about project goals, progress, and outcomes, and maintain relationships that support client satisfaction and business development.
Mentor junior staff through technical guidance, training, work-product review, and task delegation.
Follow applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.
Conduct geomorphic surveys and assess reference reach conditions for restoration planning and design.
Develop restoration and site civil construction plans using AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Perform hydraulic, hydrologic, and water quality analyses for restoration design and project evaluation.
Participate in annual internal design training programs.
Perform related work as assigned.