Water Resources Engineer

Water Resources Engineer

Salary
$ - $ Annually

Location
Seattle - Regional area, WA

Job Type
Term-Ltd

Job Number
2026IG27413

Department
DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks

Division
WLRD
-Water & Land Resources

FLSA
Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit
C1 : PROTEC
17-DES, DLS, DNRP

Full- or Part-Time
Full Time

Hours/Week
40 hours/week

Are you ready to be part of a dynamic, diverse, and driven team who steps together toward challenges and who strives to continually improve processes and outcomes? We are a well‑funded, mission‑driven public service agency who work at the interface of risk‑reduction/infrastructure‑protection and habitat restoration along major rivers throughout King County and we are looking for a talented Water Resources Engineer to join our team.

You will have a chance to work on challenging flood hazard identification and mapping projects in locations spanning from steep rivers of the Cascade Mountains to tidally influenced lowlands. These projects are a diverse and technically challenging body of work.

In addition to the current opening, this recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to fill future TLT Engineer II positions throughout the Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP) over the next six (6) months.

We are seeking to hire a Water Resources Engineer (Engineer II) to join the countywide Technical Services team working on water bodies throughout King County. This position is within the Water & Land Resources Division in the River and Floodplain Management Section. This team is focused on identifying and mapping flood hazards, reviewing hydraulic and hydrologic studies, and supporting other work of the River and Floodplain Management Program, including our seasonal Flood Warning program, flood risk planning and communications, structural protection of public infrastructure, and agency and community partnerships to limit development in flood risk areas.

This position provides excellent opportunities to apply and further develop your engineering skills, including 1D- and 2D-hydraulic modeling, hydrologic and GIS analyses, and research, gathering technical information and field data. You will use your skills to support flood hazard identification and mapping, review of project proposals for flood risk reduction and habitat restoration, and assist with floodplain mapping projects and related assignments.

You will work with senior hydraulic engineers on floodplain mapping, floodplain development review, and consultant‑contracted projects to serve King County residents, community partners, and tribes while coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies such as Seattle Public Utilities, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, USGS, and US Army Corps of Engineers. In your work, you will collaborate with other engineers, geologists, planners, ecologists, and have the opportunity to build relationships with other county divisions, departments, landowners, and community members.

You will work with myriad sources and types of data, including precipitation, stormwater and streamflow data; various surface elevations; topographic data from lidar and PLS surveys; GIS point, line and raster data; and model files from 1D- and 2D-HEC RAS, SRH 2D, HSPF, and other hydrologic and hydraulic model types. You will have the opportunity to receive training to learn and become proficient in new models, updated versions of existing models, new platforms of GIS (ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Online), and data analysis in GIS, statistics, and other relevant software.

Your duties will make you familiar with the King County Surface Water Design Manual, King County flood code, and related regulatory requirements. You will receive Swiftwater Awareness, First Aid and CPR training, and be expected to participate in seasonal Flood Warning Center and Flood Patrol operations during your tenure with RFMS.

In the wake of historic flooding in December 2025, we have a greater need to provide technical support to numerous flood risk reduction programs and projects around King County. This 3‑year temporary position will immediately make a difference by supporting floodplain engineers who…