Overview

RTI International’s Center for Water Resources (CWR) is looking for a Water Resource Engineer/Reservoir Modeler to support a variety of water resources modeling efforts for planning studies, operational implementation, and research projects. This position will primarily contribute to CWR’s projects involving river and reservoir operations forecasting and modeling.  Other areas where CWR works include water supply modeling and hydrologic risk evaluation and as part of the team, your contributions will cover all aspects water resources systems including data collection and analysis, modeling, system integration, and stakeholder communication and training.

Our team includes a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and capabilities, but a common thread is our interest to continue learning and push the boundaries of what can be done to support our field. As a non-profit research institute, RTI also offers opportunities for internally funded research and development to help bring great ideas together for on-the-ground applications to help make a difference in the world. As part of the CWR team, the successful candidate will be exposed to and will contribute to a wide variety of water resources modeling projects. Therefore, the successful candidate should be able to demonstrate and explain skills or exposures through classwork/work experience across a wide range of skills.  

This position will be based in RTP, North Carolina or Fort Collins, CO but telework is an option.

Responsibilities

Please apply if you have expertise related to these requirements (experience related to all is not necessary).  If you are adept at manipulating data and can demonstrate an aptitude for hydrologic modeling – inputs, model states, calibration, analysis of results – then you can be a valuable contributor to CWR’s mission of improving the human condition by protecting water resources around the world. At CWR, we pride ourselves on implementing the best and most appropriate solutions for our clients. Our staff members are well-versed in multiple models and modeling systems. The culmination of many of our projects is a water resources modeling system that our clients rely on to make informed water management decisions.

Qualifications

Educational Qualifications

Minimum qualifications are:

·       A relevant bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience, or

·       A master’s degree and 6 years of experience, or

·       a Ph. D and 1 year of experience

Degrees should have been received in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field with emphasis in Water Resources.

Technical Qualifications

The successful candidate must demonstrate experience with rule-based and/or optimization reservoir models and have a good understanding of optimization in water resources planning/hydropower operations using dynamic programming, linear programming, application of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms, etc. The candidate should be able to demonstrate experience in a variety of technical areas including:

·       Reservoir operations and water rights modeling tools, such as RiverWare, MODSIM, HEC-ResSim, ResJ, or WEAP

·       Hydrologic models such as HEC-HMS, SAC-SMA, or VIC

·       Hydraulic models such as HEC-RAS, SWMM, or MIKE 11

·       Statistical analysis models including time series analysis, Bayesian modeling, or machine learning approaches

·       Open-source programming languages (i.e., Python, R, C# or VB(.NET)) to perform data analysis, management, transformation, quality control, and/or statistical analyses

·       GIS tools to perform basic geospatial processing, analysis, and map preparation

·       Use of relational databases (e.g., SQLite, SQL Server)

·       Conducting trainings on modeling applications and outcomes

General qualifications

·       A positive and collaborative mindset while working independently on multiple projects in a team environment with diverse staff of project managers, hydrologists, engineers, scientists, economists, and IT developers

·       Attention to detail as the candidate will be responsible for preparing, using, and conducting quality control on large and diverse datasets

·       Excellent verbal and written technical skills

·       The ability to listen and communicate well both verbally and in writing and the ability to understand and follow written guidelines, policies, and procedures as provided by project managers.

·       A willingness to learn and apply new software as a project requires, including self-led tutorials and exploration.

·       The ability and desire to adapt applicable methods and principles from past experiences to current RTI project needs.

·       Flexibility for domestic and international travel

·       Spanish language fluency is a plus

Desired general experiences or exposures through completed classwork or work experience include hydrologic, hydraulic, watershed and/or reservoir model set up, calibration, and assessment/interpretation; spatial, time series, and generalized data collection, organization, quality assurance, and interpretation; and project documentation and report writing. 

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.

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EEO & Pay Equity Statements

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.

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.

Hiring Salary Range

$98,000 - $121,000