Entry Level Water Resources Designer

Overview

ABOUT THE POSITION

VHB’s Water Resources practice is growing in New York City and across the Northeast, and we are looking for an early-career Water Resources / Civil Engineer to join our NYC team.

This position will support water resources, civil, stormwater, coastal, and resiliency assignments for public and private clients. The role will be based in New York, with opportunities to support project teams across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the broader Northeast.

The successful candidate will work with engineers, planners, scientists, landscape architects, and other technical specialists to help deliver practical and resilient solutions to water resources and infrastructure challenges. Project work may include stormwater management and drainage design, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, site civil design support, bridge and culvert hydraulics, scour evaluations, coastal and flood resilience assignments, MS4 / stormwater program support, permitting, and field investigations.

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation of civil, drainage, stormwater, and water resources engineering plans, calculations, reports, specifications, and permit applications.
• Assist with hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for stormwater systems, drainage networks, floodplains, bridges, culverts, and tidally influenced sites.
• Support the planning, analysis, and design of stormwater management systems, green infrastructure, conveyance systems, outfalls, and flood mitigation / resilience improvements.
• Assist with bridge and culvert hydraulic studies, scour evaluations, and related transportation water resources assignments.
• Support stormwater permitting, MS4 program support, water quality planning, and compliance-related assignments for municipal, transportation, institutional, and private clients.
• Conduct field investigations, data collection, site reconnaissance, infrastructure inspections, and construction-phase observation, as needed.
• Prepare technical documentation, figures, exhibits, GIS-based mapping, and engineering summaries to support studies, design packages, and regulatory submissions.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary project teams across VHB’s New York office and broader Northeast region

Skills And Attributes

• Strong interest in water resources, stormwater management, drainage design, flood resilience, and sustainable infrastructure.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Analytical and detail-oriented approach to engineering tasks.
• Ability to think critically, communicate progress clearly, and identify issues or assumptions requiring input from senior staff.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and support multiple project managers and technical leads.
• Self-motivated and eager to learn technical methods, software, standards, and permitting processes.
• Interest in both office-based analysis / design and field-based investigations.
• Strong computer skills and interest in applying engineering software, GIS, spreadsheets, and data analysis tools.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• 0–1 years of professional experience in water resources, civil engineering, stormwater, environmental engineering, or a related field.
• EIT certification, or ability to obtain EIT certification, preferred.
• Coursework, internship, research, or project experience related to stormwater management, hydrology, hydraulics, water quality, environmental engineering, civil/site design, coastal resilience, or watershed management preferred.
• Experience or exposure to hydrologic / hydraulic modeling, GIS, CAD, or data analysis tools preferred.

Our best estimate of the salary range for this position is $85,000-88,000\. The final compensation will be based on a variety of factors including internal comparators, skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities and geographic location.

Building What’s Next, Together.

Our people make the difference. We foster a technology-empowered, people‑driven, future‑ready culture where agility, innovation, and collaboration shape how we work every day.

When You Join VHB, You’ll Find

• Meaningful work on complex projects with real community impact
• A collaborative, inclusive culture that values curiosity and shared success
• Support to grow your skills and lead through change
• Learning and development supported by evolving tools and technologies, including AI
• Best-in-class benefits and a flexible, hybrid work environment

We’re growing across the East Coast and are consistently recognized as a great place to work. Ready to shape what’s next? Learn more about what sets our employee experience apart and connect with us.

VHB is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Since our founding, we have intentionally fostered a culture of inclusion and belonging, supported by deep-rooted core values, one of which is diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.