Demo

Senior Coastal Engineer

GZA
Providence, RI Full Time
POSTED ON 5/21/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/21/2026

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) is seeking a Senior Coastal Engineer to assist in expanding the waterfront and coastal engineering practice. This position can be based out of the Providence, RI and/or Amesbury, MA GZA office locations. We expect this Waterfront/Coastal Engineer to be an enthusiastic, outgoing person willing to embrace external networking and marketing activities to help us grow our practice. 

As a Senior Engineer, you will manage a staff of interrelated professionals dedicated to providing high-level expertise on complex coastal projects focused on coastal modeling; coastal planning; shoreline and estuary adaptive management; and natural, nature-based features. The position requires the individual to represent GZA in client interactions from proposal development, contracting and project performance phases and to be responsible for day-to-day execution of technical, risk-management and financial aspects of each project.  The growth aspect of this role will involve working with other GZA’s leaders, corporate marketing and communications team to expand the practice and further establish GZA Environmental services within the local market.  The role will require strategic planning activities and professional networking, and the hiring, management, development and mentoring of staff. The candidate should be self-motivated, well organized, detail oriented, quality focused, safety-minded, and must be able to multi-task. Principal-level positions require ownership within the firm while Senior Consultant/Project Manager positions have ownership opportunities with the firm and the potential for advancement to the principal level based on performance.

Key Duties:

  • Leading business development activities with support and assistance form colleagues and GZA corporate marketing and communications team
  • Managing a project team, delegating to office and field staff
  • Conducting both internal and client communications
  • Monitoring team performance for compliance with contractual agreements and budgets
  • Conducting/reviewing technical analyses/calculations
  • Managing/Designing/Reviewing coastal modeling (hydrodynamic, wave, sediment transport)
  • Managing/Designing/Reviewing site hazard characterization and vulnerability assessments
  • Managing/Designing/Reviewing coastal protection structures, natural & nature-based features, and shoreline/estuary enhancement/restoration solutions
  • Leading and assisting with coastal and waterfront business development initiatives  
  • Preparing proposals and reviewing/writing reports 
  • Coordinating and leading team meetings with project staff and clients


Qualifications:

  • PhD. or M.Sc. in civil, coastal, ocean or marine engineering or sciences, or related field
  • P.E. license required
  • 15 years of experience in coastal structures, numerical modeling, and nature-based solutions
  • Relevant local experience with regulatory knowledge and working relationships with the New England business community, and federal, state, and local agencies
  • Demonstrate professional judgment, consistency, strong attention to detail, and background of high-quality work products
  • Doer-seller aptitude with industry knowledge
  • Proficient in coastal modeling software (SWAN, CMS, XBeach, CEDAS) is a plus
  • Professional licensure or the ability to obtain the licensing within the next 6 months
  • Ability to collaborate in a multi-office, team environment
  • Self-motivated, detail oriented, safety-minded, and able to multi-task
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with clients, design team members, contractors, and construction managers
  • Strong probabilistic design and environmental data analysis

The base salary for this position may range between $120,000.00 to $200,000.00. The actual base salary and total compensation will depend on many factors, including location, candidate experience, education, professional licensure, and other qualifications.

    About GZA:

    • Professional development and enrichment
    • Exciting work environment
    • Generous, company-subsidized benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, tuition reimbursement, and 401K retirement plan
    • Significant performance-based bonuses in addition to base salary

    GZA is an employee-owned multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm with a history of more than 60 years of providing innovative engineering solutions to improve the natural and built environment.  We are an ENR Top 500 Design firm focused on geotechnical, environmental, water, ecological, and construction management services. With a staff of interrelated professionals dedicated to providing high-level expertise on complex projects above, below, and at ground-level, GZA’s experts provide seamless integration across practice areas, client type, and location.

    GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. is an Affirmative/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, marital or veteran status, age or other protected status.

    Note to Staffing Agencies:

    GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies, recruiting firms, or other third parties. All unsolicited resumes will be considered a gift, and GZA will not be obligated to pay a referral fee. GZA explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. This policy is in place to ensure we respect the relationships with our preferred vendors and avoid any potential misunderstandings.

    Salary : $120,000 - $200,000

    If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
    Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets
    Employees: Get a Salary Increase
    View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

    Job openings at GZA

    • GZA Providence, RI
    • GZA GeoEnvironmental is seeking a Civil Engineer – Project Manager with 7 years of experience to join our Civil Engineering Team in our Providence, Rhode I... more
    • 16 Days Ago

    • GZA Livonia, MI
    • GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) is currently seeking a Environmental Project Manager with 8 to 15 plus years of experience to support our growing environm... more
    • 2 Days Ago

    • GZA Springfield, MA
    • GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. is currently seeking an Entry level Ecologist to support wetland delineations and assessments, botanical surveys, soils investig... more
    • 3 Days Ago

    • GZA Norwood, MA
    • GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) is currently seeking Civil/Dam Safety Engineers with 4 to 10 years of engineering experience to join our growing Dam and L... more
    • 4 Days Ago


    Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Senior Coastal Engineer jobs in the Providence, RI area that may be a better fit.

    • EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC Warwick, RI
    • About Us At EA, you’ll find yourself surrounded by dynamic professionals that embrace collaboration and curiosity to foster innovation and problem-solving.... more
    • 23 Days Ago

    • VHB Providence, RI
    • Overview ABOUT THE POSITION We’re actively looking to hire Mid-Senior Level Waterfront Engineers - On-call to join our team. These fully supported roles al... more
    • 1 Day Ago

    AI Assistant is available now!

    Feel free to start your new journey!