Water Resources Design Engineer

Posted:
4/27/2026, 12:13:17 AM

Location(s):
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States ⋅ Louisiana, United States ⋅ Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

Experience Level(s):
Senior

Field(s):
Mechanical Engineering

Workplace Type:
Hybrid

Freese and Nichols is seeking Water Resources Design Engineer in Lafayette or New Orleans. In this role, you will lead heavy civil and water resources design work with coastal engineering responsibilities, supporting complex projects that may include dams, levees, flood protection systems, shoreline protection, coastal restoration, and related studies and construction-phase services.

What You’ll Do

  • Lead heavy civil and water resources design projects with coastal engineering responsibilities across planning, analysis, design, and construction-phase services
  • Manage project scope, schedule, budget, resourcing, and coordination for multi-discipline project teams and outside consultants
  • Direct studies, investigations, modeling efforts, and design development for dams, levees, flood protection systems, shoreline protection, dredging, and coastal restoration assignments
  • Review engineering decisions, calculations, technical reports, plans, and specifications for soundness, quality, and alignment with project goals
  • Serve clients through regular coordination, project updates, and technical discussions with agencies, contractors, and regulatory partners
  • Mentor engineers and technical staff, assign work, and guide project delivery across disciplines and offices
  • Support business development through proposal preparation, client visits, statement of qualifications, and strategic growth activities in water resources and coastal services
  • Maintain and expand technical knowledge in heavy civil, water resources, and coastal engineering practices to bring current methods and ideas to project work

Qualifications

  • BS degree in Engineering
  • Professional Engineer (PE) License in Louisiana
  • 6+ years of related engineering experience, including work requiring independent judgment, adaptation of standard techniques, and development of new approaches or solutions to problems
  • Experience managing projects, coordinating multi-discipline teams, and working directly with clients, regulatory agencies, contractors, and consultants
  • Experience with heavy civil and water resources projects such as dams, levees, flood protection systems, or similar infrastructure
  • Experience with coastal restoration, beach nourishment, shoreline protection, dredging, coastal structures, or coastal hazard analyses
  • Working knowledge of hydrodynamic modeling and coastal process analyses
  • Ability to travel between Louisiana, Texas, and Florida (approximately 5-10%)

Preferred

  • Master’s degree or higher in Civil, Coastal, Ocean, or related Engineering
  • Experience delivering projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Experience supervising, coaching, and mentoring technical staff
  • Ability to obtain Texas and Florida Professional Engineer (PE) License

About Freese and Nichols

At the heart of our culture is our LEADS values (Learn continuously, Engage as family, Act with integrity, Deliver quality, and Serve always).  Each year, our employee engagement survey confirms that our leaders and our employees live our values.

We strive to be the firm of choice for clients and employees through innovative approaches, practical results, and outstanding service.  For more than 130 years, we have been planning and designing the infrastructure our communities need:  developing water supplies, designing roadways and bridges, preparing for natural disasters, and much more.

Besides our comprehensive benefits package (see more at Benefits That Work for You), we offer paid overtime for salaried employees, an annual bonus, and access to company cabins in Red River, New Mexico and Banner Elk, North Carolina.  We are proud of our flexible work environment which includes a hybrid schedule with up to 40% of remote work, and an alternative work schedule program which provides a day off every other Friday.

Join our team of 1,300+ employees as we grow from Virginia to Colorado. Learn more about working here at Working at Freese and Nichols.

Freese and Nichols is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

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