Hydrologic Engineer (mid-level)

Are you excited to make a positive difference in our world by helping valued clients successfully address their challenges? Ayres is seeking a passionate and talented hydrology and hydraulics engineer to design innovative solutions, write excellent reports that communicate complex thoughts to regulatory agencies and valued clients, and promote a positive working culture within our Water Resources team. This position requires licensure as a professional engineer.

Become a part of a nationally recognized USA Today Top Workplace! Our commitment to working together and improving our lives rings true, and we are proud to grow our team with driven and valued individuals. Join us today and contribute to a culture of excellence and innovation.

On any given day, you’ll:

• Communicate with valued clients to understand their project challenges, write proposals and draft contracts, coordinate the timely completion of engineering projects within budget, and work closely with the group manager to explore new market opportunities.


• Collaborate with a team of hydraulics/hydrology engineers to advance designs of hydraulic structures, develop analysis approaches, confirm applicable codes, analyze complex watersheds and flow conveyance systems.


• Document processes and findings efficiently, review others’ work and have your work reviewed, and prepare well-written and complete reports. 


• Take responsibility for hydraulic/hydrology analyses tasks, including collaboration with peers, reviewing work products to confirm they meet applicable codes, and producing high quality reports within a given deliverable schedule and budgeted range of hours.


• Build and maintain respectful working relationships with Project Managers and Ayres leadership.


• Look for ways to be mentored and mentor others so that as a team, we can grow together.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in civil/hydraulic/hydrologic engineering from an accredited university is the minimum requirement.  A master’s or doctorate degree in civil engineering with emphasis in hydrology is preferred.


• Registered professional engineer (PE) in a US state with ability to become licensed by comity in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and other states as needed for Ayres projects.


• Experience using state-of-the-practice software for analysis of open channel flow, two-dimensional flow, three-dimensional flow, rainfall-runoff processes, and statistical hydrology.


• A minimum of 6 years of experience in the field of hydraulic and hydrologic engineering. 


• Ability to independently manage tasks with budgets of 30 to 300 hours of engineering time.


• Working knowledge of state and federal design standards. 


• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).


• Proven oral and written communication skills.


• A valid driver’s license and good driving record. 

Desired Skills and Experiences:

• Experience establishing mutually respectful and collaborative relationships with clients, contractors, and review agencies.  Familiarity with grants and funding mechanisms is desired.


• Previous experience in completing designs and submitting approved analyses for state- or federally regulated projects is highly desirable.


• Understanding of state dam and floodplain regulations, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines, and Federal Emergency Management Agency design standards for flood studies and dam conveyances. 


• Great communication skills and team interaction skills are desired, especially for projects that face intense regulatory review and have multiple competing interests (budget, schedule, risk reduction measures, regulatory standards, etc.).


• Willingness to be located within commuting distance of Ayres’ Eau Claire Wisconsin office.  This position is expected to be at least three days per week in the office and two days per week remote working, noting that business travel is counted as in-office time.  Note that Ayres allows flexible time, hybrid location options but places high value on in-person mentorship and networking opportunities.

Not sure you meet every single requirement?

• We understand that no candidate is likely to match every qualification listed. If you are passionate about contributing meaningful and innovative solutions, leading impactful projects, and helping clients address complex challenges related to rivers and riverine structures, we encourage you to apply—even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every detail in the posting. Your unique perspective and skills could be a great fit for our team and the work we do in our Rivers and Water Resources groups.

Benefits of being part of the Ayres team: 

• Health, dental, and vision Insurance.


• Short and long-term disability and life insurance.


• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and 401K with company match.


• PTO, paid holidays including two floating holidays, and a flexible work schedule.


• Professional development opportunities.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer