Ocean Career: WA Ecology Coastal Engineer

Ecology's AcRE Team Coastal Research Position

Ecology's ACRE team performs state of the art research to better understand physical changes along Washington's beaches, bluffs, and nearshore zones to enhance their management, protection, and restoration while reducing coastal hazards and increasing community resilience. You will work on interesting and challenging coastal problems, develop and co-produce innovative solutions—including natural and nature-based features—with coastal communities and tribes, and provide engineering guidance for their designs.

In this role, you will apply and further develop knowledge and skills through collaborative work with a range of partners (e.g., Tribes, state and federal agencies, local governments, academics) at the interface of coastal research, science, engineering, and management. Duties will span applied coastal research, innovative engineering design and evaluation, consulting services, technical guidance, training, permit and project review, and publication.

Work will enhance coastal community resilience and protect and restore Washington's coastal natural resources.

• Plan, conduct, and coordinate coastal monitoring, modeling, and research to advance our understanding of coastal processes, mixed sand-gravel and composite beach dynamics, bluff erosion, sediment transport, and the impacts of sea-level rise and climate change on coastal systems.
• Evaluate the effectiveness, performance, and impacts of a range of existing and planned adaptation measures including conventional coastal structures, innovative natural and nature-based alternatives, hybrid approaches, and process-based restoration projects.
• Conduct geo-coastal processes analysis and site assessment to evaluate coastal and geologic hazards, potential impacts, and mitigation strategies along Washington's high energy ocean coast as well as the sheltered shorelines of coastal estuaries and the Salish Sea.
• Develop and test natural and nature-based alternatives to conventional coastal structures and incorporate results into engineering design guidelines and best practices.
• Provide coastal engineering consulting services, design review, recommendations, and technical assistance to Tribes, local governments, and a range of other partners for natural and nature-based approaches, slope stabilization, shoreline restoration, beach nourishment, and beach access projects to address changing coastal conditions and environmental impacts.
• Write, review, and evaluate proposals, scientific documents, and technical guidance in support of shoreline planning, permitting, and other resource management activities.
• Communicate Washington State's Applied Coastal Research and Engineering team's work, through presentations and written documents, to a range of local partners as well as the Coastal Engineering professional community.
• Develop and conduct training on coastal processes and coastal project design for professional audiences, such as local governments, coastal resource managers, developers, and engineers, and contribute to the Washington Coastal Hazards Resilience Network.

At the Environmental Engineer 2 level:

• A total of six years of experience and/or education as described below:
• Experience:
  
  professional working experience in one of the following engineering fields: coastal, marine, ocean, civil, environmental, geotechnical or related. Experience must include applying engineering expertise to evaluate geo-coastal processes and/or develop engineering solutions in the coastal zone.
• Education:
  
  involving a major study in coastal, marine, ocean, civil, environmental, geotechnical or related field

At the Environmental Engineer 3 level:

• Option 1:
  Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington, AND three (3) years of experience as a working professional in one of the following engineering fields: coastal, marine, ocean, civil, environmental, geotechnical or related. Experience must include applying engineering expertise to evaluate geo-coastal processes and/or develop engineering solutions…