Careers

PWA is seeking a Water Resources / Civil Engineer (Licensed Civil PE) to serve as a member of our cross-disciplinary team performing environmental restoration and rural planning, design, and construction projects throughout northern and central California. The Water Resources / Civil Engineer will develop, design, and oversee construction of stream habitat restoration, water resources, water quality, transportation, and rural development projects. 

PWA is a full service geologic and engineering consulting firm with offices in Humboldt and Sonoma counties of northern California. PWA specializes in science-based management solutions for the protection and restoration of watershed, forest, riverine and coastal habitats as well as rural development projects. PWA includes a staff of 35 full-time geologists, engineers, geomorphologists, hydrologists, stormwater specialists, watershed scientists, biologists, technicians, and associated support personnel. PWA is committed to providing and maintaining a professional organization and environment for all our employees, as well as supporting individual professional development and work-life balance. Our aim is to continue to grow our established organization, and further develop our engineering capabilities, by working collaboratively with a common purpose and vision to provide the very best services to our clients and our community and to conduct progressive, environmentally beneficial projects.

Typical Projects Include
•    In-stream and off-channel fish habitat restoration and enhancement projects, particularly for imperiled salmonids
•    Hillslope, embankment, and stream channel stability assessment/designs and repairs
•    Culvert replacement, roughened channel, stream simulation, and other fish passage designs
•    Bridge, culvert, and other stream crossing designs for rural roads
•    Rural excavation and grading plans, erosion control plans, and site remediation designs
•    Engineering soils reports and drainage plans
•    Ponds, reservoirs, and water catchment facility design
•    Low impact development designs and stormwater engineering

Key Responsibilities
•    Designs water resources engineering projects to enhance and restore anadromous fish habitat
•    Prepares plans, specifications, basis of design reports, and engineer’s estimates (PS&E)
•    Performs construction management and project inspection
•    Performs/oversees topographic surveying, hydraulic modeling, and in-field feasibility review 
•    Assists project managers and staff scientists requiring civil and environmental engineering
•    Oversees and mentors staff engineers and engineers-in-training
•    Conducts engineering project management, tracking, and budgeting
•    Performs and assists in soil and groundwater investigations
•    Reviews designs, plans, specifications, and estimates for completeness and accuracy
•    Authors and reviews technical documents, including basis of design reports
•    Provides engineering-related assistance for preparation of grant funding applications, permitting, and other planning documents

Position Details
•    Full-time salaried position
•    Position available at the McKinleyville or Petaluma, California offices
•    Reimbursement for relocation expenses negotiable
•    Out-of-town work intermittently required (primarily northern and central California)
•    Benefits include paid time off, 401(k), term life insurance, and health insurance
•    Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience

How to Apply
•    Please email a cover letter, including description of work experience and requested salary range, as well as examples of past work (e.g., design drawings) and resume to careers@pacificwatershed.com
•    Write “Water Resources / Civil Engineer” in the subject line
•    Resumes without a cover letter will not be considered
•    Position will remain open until filled

Required Qualifications
•    Licensure as a California Professional Civil Engineer (CA PE), or if licensed outside of California, attainment of CA PE license within 6 months
•    4+ years of post-licensure experience as a water resources engineer
•    BS or MS in engineering or physical sciences
•    A passion for watershed, fisheries, and ecological restoration

Required Skills, Abilities, and Experience
•    Demonstrated experience with AutoCAD Civil 3D
•    1-D HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling of channels and floodplains 
•    Total station surveying for topography, modeling, and AutoCAD project designs 
•    Demonstrated design experience for in-stream and off-channel fish habitat restoration projects
•    Preparation of design reports, construction plans, and contract specifications
•    Hydraulic modeling, stormwater projects, grading, and construction inspection/oversight
•    Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
•    High level of organizational skills, as well as strong verbal and written communication skills 
•    Works independently and collaboratively; self-starter as a supportive leader, mentor, and team player
•    Ability to occasionally work and hike on steep, uneven terrain in inclement weather

Preferred Skills and Abilities
•    2-D HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling
•    Large Woody Material (LWM) analysis and design for improving stream channel habitat
•    Biotechnical stream bank stabilization and restoration techniques
•    Process-based river and stream channel geomorphic analysis and restoration design
•    Management and oversight of small to large scale projects including scope development, budgeting, timeline, and task management
•    Stormwater projects, grading, and construction inspection and oversight

Additional Information
An Environmental / Civil Engineer position is also open at PWA, for more details, go to https://www.pacificwatershed.com/news-events/pwa-has-engineering-opportunities.

PWA is an equal opportunity employer. See our website for more information about the organization: www.pacificwatershed.com.