Director of Coastal Waterfronts and Engineering

Director of Coastal Engineering and Waterfronts

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota; Superior, Wisconsin; Pensacola, Florida; or Louisiana

Department: Waterfronts

Status: Full-time, 40+ hours/week

Job Description: Waterfronts Practice Leader

Position Overview

We are hiring a Director of Coastal Engineering and Waterfronts to serve as the strategic, technical, and operational head of the firm’s waterfronts and coastal engineering practice. This executive-level leader is responsible for defining the long-term vision of the practice, developing new markets, elevating technical excellence, and guiding multidisciplinary teams in delivering innovative and resilient waterfront solutions. The Practice Leader is a key member of the firm’s leadership team and acts as both a thought leader and a growth catalyst within the industry.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop and implement the strategic plan for the Waterfronts Practice, aligning with firmwide goals.
• Identify emerging market trends in coastal resilience, sustainable waterfront redevelopment, port/marina planning, and marine infrastructure.
• Set direction for service offerings, technical capabilities, and geographic expansion.
• Champion innovation, digital transformation, and best practices within the practice.

Practice Operations & Performance

• Lead annual budgeting, staffing plans, revenue forecasting, and financial performance oversight.
• Establish practice-wide quality standards, design procedures, and technical workflows.
• Monitor key performance indicators and operational efficiency to ensure best-in-class delivery.
• Coordinate resource allocation across regions and project teams to optimize utilization and expertise.

Technical Oversight & Excellence

• Serve as senior technical authority for waterfront, marina, and coastal engineering projects.
• Provide high-level review and approval of design approaches, engineering calculations, and deliverables.
• Guide technical strategy surrounding coastal processes, structural systems, geomorphology, resilience, and nature-based shoreline solutions.
• Oversee complex permitting and regulatory pathways at federal, state, and local levels.

Market Leadership & Business Development

• Develop strategic relationships with clients, agencies, and consultants.
• Lead business development initiatives, major pursuits, and proposal strategies.
• Position the firm as a leader in waterfront and coastal engineering through conferences, publications, and industry involvement.
• Drive diversification of services and entry into new coastal and marine markets.

Team Leadership, Culture & Development

• Build, guide, and mentor a high-performing team of engineers, planners, designers, and project managers.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop career paths, succession planning, and talent retention strategies for the Waterfronts Practice.
• Promote cross-discipline collaboration across the firm to support integrated project delivery.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Coastal, Civil, Structural, or Marine Engineering.
• 15+ years of experience in waterfront, coastal, or marine engineering with increasing leadership responsibilities.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required; additional credentials (e.g., D.PE, PMP, CFM) are desired.
• Proven success leading practice groups, business units, or major market sectors.
• Strong portfolio of successfully delivered waterfront, marina, or coastal infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated ability to win work, build client relationships, and drive revenue growth.
• Deep technical expertise and strong understanding of regulatory and permitting landscapes.

Skills & Core Competencies

• Visionary, strategic leader with entrepreneurial mindset.
• Strong business acumen and financial management capabilities.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and client engagement skills.
• Proven ability to influence, inspire, and develop teams.
• High-level decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Commitment to resilience, sustainability, and innovation in coastal environments.

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based leadership role with periodic travel for client meetings, conferences, project sites, and regional practice oversight.
• Occasional field visits to waterfront, marina, or coastal project sites, sometimes under variable conditions.

Compensation

The wage and benefits package are dependent on the qualifications and experience of the candidate. This position is eligible for the full company benefits package, including:

• Compensation: $140-170k + Bonus
• Ownership Equity Package in Year 3
• Group Health Insurance
• 401K
• Term Life Insurance
• Short-and-Long Term Disability Insurance
• AD&D Insurance
• Profit Sharing Bonus
• 8 Paid Holidays
• Paid Personal Leave