Project Level Restoration Engineer - Whitefish, MT

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consulting is seeking a Project-Level Restoration Engineer with a passion for ecosystem restoration and water resource engineering. This role will focus on advancing our ecological restoration practice in Montana and potentially elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, while also supporting projects across the U.S.

This position will be based in Whitefish, MT. The ideal candidate will have experience in stream restoration, dam removal and fish passage design, with strong skills in applied hydraulics, hydrology, and geomorphology, as well as proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D and hydrology/hydraulic modeling.

Responsibilities will include occasional travel to project sites for field assessments, data collection, and client meetings. This is a full-time, regular (with benefits), hourly position.

This position can be hired at the following levels:

• Assistant Project Restoration Engineer - Typically with at least 3 years of relevant experience and expertise
• Associate Project Restoration Engineer - Typically with at least 5 years of relevant experience and expertise

Final date to receive applications:
Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

Associate project restoration engineers will likely work on more complicated projects with longer time frames and great scopes of work. They may also lead engineering tasks and small projects. Core responsibilities for this role include:

• Participate in the engineering design, reporting, and development of construction plans for the above listed project types.
• Participate in field work to assess existing site conditions, assess reference reach sites, perform geomorphic assessments, and conduct construction observation.
• Develop restoration construction plans within AutoCAD Civil 3D.
• Perform hydraulic, hydrologic, and water quality assessments, modeling, and analysis in support of the above listed projects.
• Communicate and work with project managers to keep projects on schedule and on budget.
• Attend and participate in annual internal design training meetings to support personal-skills growth and career planning.
• Work independently and multi-task regularly in a fast-paced environment; work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Take responsibility for team safety, develop safety plans (when applicable), and anticipate potential safety hazards.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil, Environmental, or Ecological Engineering)
• EI certification (Engineering Intern)
• Three (3) years of ecosystem restoration design experience.
• Ability to travel on short-term overnight efforts to collect field data and meet with clients, up to 10% of the time.
• Experience with HEC-RAS and other hydraulic and hydrologic modeling and analysis software.
• Experience developing ecological restoration design construction plans in AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Preferred qualifications

• P.E. certification (Professional Engineer)
• At least five (5) years of professional experience in ecosystem design.
• Experience managing primary tasks and small to medium sized projects with limited oversight.
• Experience mentoring and successfully delegating tasks to junior team members.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email  or call  This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Whitefish, MT-based position can expect an hourly rate of $34.78-$44.94 for the Assistant Project Engineer role; and an hourly rate of $39.59-$50.83 for the Associate Project Engineer role. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses.

Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA's Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive benefits package, forward-thinking workplace…