Technical Engineering Lead

At RES, we’re looking for purpose-driven individuals who are passionate about restoration and sustainability, and who want their work to make a lasting environmental impact. Our team members go above and beyond, bringing initiative, integrity, and a strong work ethic to every project. Collaboration is key—we thrive on teamwork, open communication, and diverse perspectives. In a field that constantly changes, we value those who are resilient, adaptable, and resourceful in the face of challenges. If you're intellectually curious, eager to learn, and ready to help restore ecosystems and protect natural resources, you’ll find your place here.

RES is seeking a Technical Engineering Lead with deep technical expertise in ecological restoration, stream and wetland design, stormwater design, and construction planning. This role will require you to be in the office at least three (3) days a week unless you are in the field on a project.

This senior-level role is ideal for an experienced Professional Engineer who can serve as a technical subject matter expert, guide complex design decisions, provide QA/QC leadership, and support projects from early feasibility through construction and closeout. The position also plays a vital role in the region’s sales and business development efforts, with responsibility for promoting RES’s solutions across the Mid-Atlantic, including Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky, with focus on selling advisory services and design-build solutions.

This is an opportunity for a seasoned engineering leader to step away from day-to-day design production and focus on managing a book of business, shaping technical strategy, and driving high-impact client solutions.

Your Day-to-Day

In this role, you will provide senior technical leadership for engineering design efforts, with a focus on stream and wetland restoration, stormwater design, hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, and related water resources work. You will serve as a technical design subject matter expert, guiding complex project decisions from early feasibility through design, construction planning, implementation, and closeout. You will lead or support QA/QC processes to ensure engineering deliverables are accurate, complete, constructible, and aligned with RES standards, client expectations, regulatory requirements, and project goals.

This role will play a key part in business development by engaging stakeholders, building consensus, and advancing opportunities toward commercial bookings. As part of RES’s sales process, you will help lead multidisciplinary teams in prospecting, qualifying opportunities, developing client solutions, and submitting winning proposals. You may also support complex negotiations, including procurement strategies, pricing discussions, and design-build or advisory service solutions.

As a senior member of the team, you will mentor engineering staff, provide technical coaching, delegate work effectively, and contribute strategic input on technical standards, quality practices, regulatory expectations, and opportunities to improve project delivery.

We’d Love to Talk to You If You Have Many of the Following

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer license in the applicable state or states.
• 10-15 years of progressive engineering experience.
• Three or more years of Environmental consulting experience as a “seller-doer” responsible for leading the pursuit and delivery of projects, as this will be a key expectation of the job.
• Deep technical expertise in stream and wetland restoration design, stormwater design, or related water resources engineering.
• Experience leading, implementing, or improving QA/QC processes for engineering deliverables.
• Demonstrated relationships with public agencies and regulators, private developers, consulting and engineering firms, non-profits, and academia with MD, VA, and KY.
• Working knowledge of Section 401/404 of the Clean Water Act and applicable state and local regulatory requirements.
• Experience supporting early-stage feasibility, concept design, cost considerations, constructability review, and construction planning.
• Experience with construction oversight or hands-on construction support.
• Experience managing client relationships, contracts, scopes, schedules, budgets, and expectations.
• Experience engaging with regulatory agencies, clients, contractors, landowners, and project stakeholders.

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Master’s degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline. PMP certification.
• Experience serving as engineer of record or senior technical reviewer for complex restoration, mitigation, stormwater, or water resources projects.
• Demonstrated ability to develop practical, constructible design solutions for complex field conditions.
• Experience leading interdisciplinary design teams that include engineers, scientists, regulatory specialists, construction professionals, and project managers.

Virginia Pay Range (Salary)

$130,500—$152,000 USD

Please note that the “Day in the Life” section is not intended to be an exhaustive list of job duties, but rather a representative snapshot of typical responsibilities and work experiences at RES.

RES is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.