Engineer (Restoration Design)

ESA seeks a highly motivated Restoration Design Engineer with 0-3 years' experience to join our team of hydrologists, geomorphologists, ecologists, landscape architects and engineers in the Northern California region. This position will support a variety of multi-objective wetland and coastal restoration design projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley, and throughout California. We are looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic team member with a passion for ecosystem restoration and the desire to learn and grow. This is a full-time salary exempt role with hybrid work expectations. Candidates must be open and willing to work in office hybrid as needed for in-person team collaboration including travel to other ESA office locations. Qualified candidates must be able to work hybrid in one of the following offices: San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, or Petaluma.

Who You Are

• You are a recent graduate with education and some professional exposure to civil engineering design, analysis and calculations; application of hydraulic and hydrologic analysis methods to natural systems restoration, coastal resilience, and flood management; and/or the production of design plans, specifications, and cost estimates.
• Must hold a Bachelor's degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering; EIT certification (or the ability to obtain it within one year); or you have a related degree and directly relevant qualifications. 2 years of applicable work experience and/or a Master's degree is preferred, but not required. Experience and/or strong interest in design and modeling software and programming such as AutoCAD, ArcGIS, HEC RAS, HEC HMS, MATLAB, Python are also desirable, but not required.
• Must have some education, training, or work experience in one or more of these areas: wetland and/or marine ecology, geomorphology, and hydrology.
• You are an effective team member with excellent oral and writing skills who can work independently and collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary environment. You can communicate basic technical information clearly and concisely to individuals and small groups. You are adept at using various communication tools to effectively combine in-person and remote teamwork.
• Able to work hybrid in office: San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, or Petaluma.

What You Will Do for ESA

Support design and analysis for ecosystem restoration, climate change resilience, habitat enhancement, engineering with nature, flood management, and other water resources and civil engineering projects under direct supervision of a more senior engineer or hydrologist.

Assist in the preparation of engineering analyses, design plans and cost estimates, reports, permit applications, and other project documentation. Apply hydrologic and hydraulic models, GIS, and other tools to evaluate design alternatives. Using GIS or other software platforms to evaluate habitat conversion in both the near and long-term accounting for climate change. Have the opportunity to collect hydrographic, topographic, and related field data to support engineering analysis and design.

Consistently demonstrate your solid writing and attentive listening skills, contributing to complex environmental reports, and participating in meetings with ESA staff and with our clients. This position will lead to project management experience over time.

Thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment and be able to balance multiple responsibilities and deadlines, while working on a team or independently. Provided the appropriate direction, resources and support, you demonstrate a strong ability to independently solve simple to complex problems. Please note, as a part of the interview process, you may be asked to prepare a presentation and/or provide a writing sample.

What's Special About Our Environmental Hydrology and Design Team in Northern CA

Our EH&D team includes engineers, engineers, hydrologists, geomorphologists and landscape architects. Much of our work is oriented toward the restoration of habitat and ecosystem function, often as part of multi-benefit projects. As a highly-integrated team, we value creative thinking, teamwork, and multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary engagement and integration.

To read about some of our exciting projects, check out these links Dutch Slough, Lower Walnut Creek, Heron's Head Park Shoreline Resilience, Tomales Bay Living Shoreline, and Surfers' Point.

What's Special About ESA

Joining ESA means becoming part of a close-knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places.

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you AND your family), annual allocations of company share through our ESOP, a 401(k) plan with company match, and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few.

We also provide specific programs whether you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee-owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.