Research Environmental Engineer - Hydrology and Flood Risk

RTI International is an independent, scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach-one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world's most challenging problems.

We believe in the promise of science and technical solutions, and we push ourselves every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses in the US and around the world. If you are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference, RTI is the place for you.

Are you passionate about water resources and environmental science? RTI's Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Solutions (WARES) Group is seeking a motivated Research Environmental Engineer to join our hydrology and flood risk team. We develop innovative tools and analytical methods that support hydropower owners, dam safety programs, and the broader water resources community.

Our team is recognized for expertise in precipitation frequency analysis, probable flood hazard assessments (PFHA), and downstream consequence analysis. As a nonprofit research institute, RTI also supports internal R&D to drive innovation and create real-world impact.

As part of the CWR team, you will contribute to a broad range of water resources modeling projects. Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience or exposure in several of the areas listed below (not all are required).

Why Join Us?

• Work on impactful domestic and international water resources projects.
• Apply state-of-the-art computational tools to complex water management challenges.
• Help advance modeling technologies and analytical methods.
• Collaborate with leading experts in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.

This position can be either based in RTI's U.S. office in Research Triangle Park, NC, or it can be fully remote. Teleworking is permitted within the United States only.

You will support hydrologic, hydraulic, and reservoir modeling projects, including data analysis, model setup, calibration, and interpretation of results. Our staff work with multiple modeling platforms and develop tools that support a range of water management decisions for our clients.

Essential Duties:

• Collaborate with the WARES team to implement and enhance RTI's water resources modeling tools.
• Collect, analyze, and summarize technical and hydrologic data.
• Develop and calibrate hydrologic, hydraulic, and river basin simulation models.
• Design and develop spreadsheets, scripts, and databases to manage data and improve workflow efficiency.
• Develop models to simulate large-scale water system operations and stochastic hydrologic modeling.
• Perform data processing, quality control, and automation using scripts and tools.
• Lead small projects or task orders of moderate complexity.
• Contribute to proposal development and sections of larger proposals.
• Share work internally and externally through presentations and conference papers.
• Make informed decisions based on data, best practices, and team input.
• Support business development by identifying opportunities to expand or enhance existing projects and developing research ideas or white papers.

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree at least 5 years of experience; or
• Master's degree at least 3 years of experience; or
• PhD + 0 years of experience; or
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Experience in at least one of the following areas:
  • PFHA
  • Hydrologic, hydraulic, watershed, or reservoir modeling (setup, calibration, analysis).
    • Statistical analysis of hydrometeorological time series.
    • Collection, QA/QC, and interpretation of hydrologic data.
• Experience with technical documentation and report writing.
• Experience with water resources statistics.
• Basic geospatial processing and mapping experience using ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and familiarity with relational databases (SQL).
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and work in a team environment.
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to do accurate and error-free work with complex datasets.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status(e.g., H-1B visa status, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with downstream consequences modeling using LifeSim.
• Experience with modeling tools such as RiverWare, MODSIM, HEC-ResSim, ResJ, WEAP, HEC-HMS, SAC-SMA, CHPS, VIC, or HEC-RAS.
• Experience with operational/planning systems such as Delft-FEWS or HEC-CWMS/WAT.
• Proficiency with open-source programming languages (Python, R, C#, VB.NET) for data management, transformation, QC, and statistical analysis.

For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

For Applicants in Massachusetts Only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.