Senior Watershed Scientist, Engineer or Hydrologist

About Us

We are an award-winning California-based environmental consulting firm with 550+ professionals and more than 30 years of diverse experience serving clients in transportation, energy, water, infrastructure, private development, and government sectors. Our mission is to deliver practical, science-based environmental and planning solutions that support communities, infrastructure, and natural systems. As a people-centric organization, we value collaboration, fairness, and transparency, and are committed to fostering a workplace that supports both personal and professional growth while offering robust career opportunities.

We are proud of our recent Great Place to Work certification, which reflects an independent assessment of our culture and our team member experiences.

Rincon Consultants is seeking a Senior Watershed Scientist, Engineer, or Hydrologist with strong experience in stormwater compliance, watershed management, and water quality program implementation. This role will lead high-visibility projects, manage key client relationships, and coordinate multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex regulatory and watershed programs. Working closely with Principals and Directors, the selected candidate will drive program development, regulatory strategy, and practice growth across municipal, utility, and private sector clients, with a focus on leadership and project delivery rather than hands-on modeling.

This role may offer a hybrid work setup, blending time in the office with remote work as business needs evolve. We enjoy coming together in person to collaborate, connect with teammates, and partner with clients, and may prioritize candidates who live within 50 miles of Rincon offices in Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, or Ventura. Targeting candidates in the Los Angeles, Central Coast, and Nor Cal areas.

• Lead high-visibility stormwater compliance, watershed management, and water quality program projects for municipal, utility, and private sector clients
• Serve as the day-to-day project and task order lead across multiple contracts, ensuring successful delivery, schedule, and budget performance
• Provide technical leadership and regulatory strategy support for NPDES permitting and compliance programs (e.g., MS4, construction, industrial stormwater)
• Oversee watershed management programs, compliance monitoring and reporting, and special study efforts related to water quality, surface water, and groundwater
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams and collaborate closely with Principals and Directors to deliver complex environmental work
• Manage and strengthen key client relationships, supporting program development and long-term account growth
• Contribute to practice growth by identifying new opportunities, supporting proposals, and expanding Rincon’s stormwater and watershed service offerings
• Support leadership opportunities in integrated water resource management and sustainable groundwater management (as aligned with candidate expertise)

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Hydrology, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Geology, Environmental Science, or another related field
• QSD/P or QISP certification with 5 years of experience
• 10+ years of direct experience, including senior project management responsibilities in water resources, stormwater, or watershed programs
• California PE/PG, or EIT/GIT license with strong experience
• In-depth knowledge of, and demonstrated experience managing, one or more of the following: NPDES Phase I/II MS4 permit and municipal stormwater compliance programs; NPDES construction and industrial stormwater permits; TMDL implementation and water quality monitoring and reporting; water quality special studies; watershed-level planning, monitoring programs, or multi-agency initiatives
• Exceptional knowledge of hydrologic, water quality, and ecological processes in watersheds and water bodies, including pollutant sources and their impacts on water quality and human health effects and risk
• Experience with or understanding of surface water, watershed,…