Ecological Restoration Engineer

Note: We do not use automated systems to review resumes. Every application is personally reviewed by a member of our hiring team.

Billion Oyster Project’s Ecological Restoration Engineer plays a critical technical role in the planning and implementation of oyster reef restoration projects in New York Harbor. This position works closely with the Restoration Project Manager, Restoration Ecologist, Restoration Implementation Project Manager, and external engineering consultants to review project design from concept through installation.

The ideal candidate has strong technical design and drafting skills, understands coastal and ecological engineering principles, and excels at managing consultants and deliverables. This position focuses on design, organizational goals, and constructability considerations in a complex urban and regulatory context.

The Ecological Restoration Engineer reports to the Associate Director of Restoration Projects.

Core Responsibilities

• Perform coastal design and engineering work to advance oyster reef restoration throughout New York Harbor.
• Work with an interdisciplinary project team of staff and consultants to design projects that maximize ecological function and/or reduce ecological impacts to Harbor resources.
• Oversee and approve the design work of external engineering consultants on active restoration projects.
• Approve and document consultant design activities and submittals.
• Use AutoCAD and other software to prepare and or/support a consultant's preparation of 30%, 60%, and 100% design drawings.
• Prepare suitable graphics and presentations to communicate design intent for permitting, reporting, and community engagement.
• Evaluate and provide feedback on hydrodynamic and other relevant models.
• Collaborate with the Restoration Project Manager, Restoration Ecologist, and Restoration Implementation Project Manager to ensure ecological and constructability considerations are integrated into project designs.
• Provide Quality Assurance/Quality Control for design during construction, ensuring projects are built as designed.
• Support the Restoration Implementation Project Manager in their development of RFPs for marine construction and review proposed construction plans.
• Willingness to support occasional pre-installation monitoring fieldwork and join site visits to potential and active restoration sites.
• Assist project managers and consultants in the delivery of the above tasks.

Required Qualifications

Billion Oyster Project encourages potential candidates to apply even if they don’t fit all of the criteria listed below.

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Coastal, Environmental, or related Engineering discipline.
• A valid New York State Professional Engineer License and four years of full-time experience in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, QGIS, ArcGIS, and related engineering and mapping software.
• Applied experience using hydrologic and hydraulic modeling programs (e.g., TR-55/TR-20, HEC-RAS, SWMM, HydroCAD).
• Experience managing consultant teams and reviewing technical design documents.
• Strong understanding of coastal processes, habitat restoration techniques, and construction methodologies.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
• A Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience relating to ecology, estuarine systems, or a related field
• Experience with hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools (e.g., HEC-RAS, Delft3D, MIKE21), including wave exposure and fetch analysis.
• Experience in urban fieldwork (planning, logistics, data collection, and data analysis).
• Experience preparing or reviewing bid packages and supporting construction administration.
• Familiarity with urban ecological restoration or harbor/maritime environments.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace.

Who We Are and the Work We Do

About

Billion Oyster Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives. Billion Oyster Project is fueled by the passion and commitment of the team. Enthusiasm for the work of environmental restoration, public education, and environmental justice is an expectation for the position. Candidates should be comfortable working on a team with various stakeholders and delivering on complex, multi-step projects.

Our Vision

A future in which New York Harbor is the center of a rich, diverse, and abundant estuary. The communities that surround this complex ecosystem have helped construct it, and in return, benefit from it, with endless opportunities for work, education, and recreation. The harbor is a world-class public space, well used and well cared for—our Commons.

Our Ethos

Restoration through Education

We believe that restoration without education is fleeting. To ensure the long-term health and productivity of our natural environment, we must teach young people to care for, monitor, and restore their Harbor.

Education through Restoration

We believe that students learn best when applying their studies to large-scale ecosystem restoration projects that challenge them to become active participants and take them out of the classroom, down to the water’s edge to experience the ecosystem first-hand.

Our Flagship School

The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School’s mission is to provide a college-preparatory education built upon New York City's maritime experience that instills in students the ethics of environmental stewardship and the skills associated with careers on the water. New York Harbor School offers career and technical education (CTE) programs in 8 areas of marine science, technology, policy, and engineering.

Additional Information

Employment Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an Employment Visa at this time.

Work Location

Employees of Billion Oyster Project must reside within the tri-state area and be able to commute to Governors Island unless otherwise noted in the job description.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Billion Oyster Project is working towards a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the communities we serve. We want to foster an environment of mutual respect where every race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression is not only celebrated but eligible for equal employment opportunities. From educators to interns to restoration practitioners — working from Soundview Park to Staten Island to Sunset Park — we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion across our team are critical to the success of Billion Oyster Project. With this in mind, we will only begin evaluating applicants once a diverse candidate pool has been achieved, and we look forward to developing and retaining the most talented full-time individuals in the Greater New York City area.

We are collecting the following optional information to ensure our recruiting efforts are effective. Any information that you choose to provide is not linked to your application and is gathered for recruitment purposes only.

Submission of this information is voluntary, and declining to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. The information obtained will be kept confidential within Human Resources and may only be used in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws. If you have questions about this or how we define any of the following demographics, reach out to our HR department at HR@billionoysterproject.org.

Fingerprinting

Any person working in the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) buildings, working with NYC DOE students, or who has access to NYC DOE confidential information is required by New York State law to undergo a security clearance, including fingerprints, prior to commencing services. All prospective employees must have a security clearance before starting work. No one can be fingerprinted by the NYC DOE or undergo security clearance unless they have been added to the organization or agency's Personnel Eligibility Tracking System roster.

• A generous vacation and PTO policy
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401K plan
• FSA plan
• Pre-tax commuter program
• CitiBike discount
• An inspiring working environment on Governors Island in New York Harbor