Job Description

Coastal Planner / Coastal Resilience Planner

About Us
We are a California-based environmental consulting firm with 500+ professionals and over 30 years of experience serving clients across the transportation, energy, water, infrastructure, private development, and government sectors. We are proud to be a Certified Great Place to Work, as reflected in the experiences our employees share on Glassdoor and the trust, connection, and sense of purpose felt across our company.
Our mission is to deliver practical, science-based environmental and planning solutions that support communities, infrastructure, and natural systems. At Rincon, people come first. We value collaboration, fairness, and transparency, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone can grow, contribute meaningfully, and do their best work.

About the Role
We are seeking a Coastal Planner / Coastal Resilience Planner to support Rincon’s Sustainability & Climate Resilience (SCR+) Practice with local coastal program (LCP) updates and amendments, coastal development permitting strategy, sea-level rise (SLR) vulnerability assessments, SLR adaptation planning, shoreline management, and nature-based solutions. You will help cities, counties, special districts, ports, and tribes plan for and adapt to coastal hazards (SLR, storms, erosion, flooding) while protecting public access, habitats, cultural resources, and working waterfronts—and then work with those clients to fund, permit, and implement priority projects. This position requires strong technical analysis and data management skills; excellent communication and writing; applied knowledge of coastal policy and California’s Coastal Act/LCP framework; and an entrepreneurial mindset. If you’re excited to develop innovative, equitable, and implementable coastal resilience strategies with communities across California, we’d love to meet you.

Rincon’s SCR+ Practice emphasizes working with our clients to develop innovative and ambitious climate resilience and landuse strategies and working with those same clients to implement those plans and create real change. We have operated our SCR+ Practice with the simple idea that we want our work to result in tangible, positive change in the community. We operate in this capacity because we truly love what we do, and we know that there’s an opportunity to make positive change. We want to build a resilient and thriving future by regularly applying our knowledge and experiences in achieving the highest levels of resilience and sustainability in our business operations, as well as our daily lives in the most equitable way. We are looking to grow our team with people that are interested in collaborating to build sustainable and equitable communities.

How We Collaborate
This role may offer a hybrid work setup, blending time in the office with remote work as business needs evolve. We enjoy coming together in person to collaborate, connect with teammates, and partner with clients. We may prioritize candidates who live within 50 miles of a Rincon office. Eligible office locations for this role include Carlsbad, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Oakland, Palm Springs, Riverside, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

What You’ll Do

• Coastal Planning & Policy
  • Support LCP updates to integrate best-available science on SLR, coastal erosion, storm flooding, sediment dynamics, and groundwater interactions.
  • Draft or review Land Use Plan policies and Implementation Plan regulations that address coastal hazards while protecting public access, scenic resources, Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA), wetlands, cultural resources, and water-dependent and water-related uses.
  • Develop adaptation pathways and nature-based strategies (e.g., living shorelines, dune enhancement, green-grey hybrid approaches).
• Regulatory Strategy & Permitting
  • Prepare technical analyses and application materials to support coastal development permits (CDPs) and other permits/approvals, coordinating with clients and agency staff (e.g., California Coastal Commission (CCC), local governments, State Lands Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCBs).
  • Interpret and apply California Coastal Act and LCP policies, and align with related frameworks (e.g., CEQA, Clean Water Act Sections 401/404, Endangered Species Act (ESA)/ California Endangered Species Act (CESA) coordination as applicable).
  • Track permit conditions and monitor compliance for approved projects.
• Technical Analysis & Resilience Planning
  • Conduct SLR vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans, shoreline change analyses, coastal hazards screening, asset criticality and risk assessments, and prioritization of resilience projects.
  • Utilize or interpret coastal modeling outputs (e.g., flood/erosion scenarios) and translate technical findings into clear policy and design guidance.
  • Develop implementation plans (phasing, triggers, cost ranges, co-benefits, operations/maintenance) and capital project pipelines.
• Funding & Implementation
  • Identify and pursue funding (e.g., State Coastal Conservancy, CCC, Ocean Protection Council (OPC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)/ Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), local/State bond programs); support grant writing and grant management.
  • Coordinate with engineers, ecologists, and landscape architects to advance feasibility studies and preliminary concepts toward permittable, fundable projects.
• Community Engagement & Equity
  • Design and facilitate inclusive engagement with residents, community-based organizations, working waterfronts, and tribes.
  • Prepare plain-language materials and give presentations to councils, commissions, and the public, with emphasis on environmental justice and equitable adaptation.
• Project Management & Delivery
  • Prepare technical memos, staff reports, policy language, graphics, and presentations.
  • Lead or support scope/schedule/budget management, subcontractor coordination, and quality control.
  • Conduct site visits and limited fieldwork in the coastal zone.

What You’ll Bring

• Education Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Coastal Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geology, Geomorphology, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Science, Marine/Coastal Science, Coastal Economics, or related discipline.
• Experience ~4 years of related experience in Coastal/Marine Science, Environmental Management, Coastal Economics, Climate Adaptation, Planning, or related discipline preferred
• Policy/Regulatory Knowledge Demonstrated understanding of the California Coastal Act, California Coastal Commission LCP guidance, and coastal resource protections (e.g., public access, ESHA, wetlands, visual resources, cultural resources). Familiarity with CCC SLR Guidance and OPC Sea Level Rise Guidance.
• Coastal Resilience Skills Experience with SLR vulnerability assessments, coastal hazards analysis, adaptation strategies (including nature-based solutions), and translating technical outputs into policy recommendations.
• Coastal Modeling: Experience using USGS CoSMoS (Coastal Storm Modeling System) to interpret coastal flooding, erosion, wave runup, groundwater rise, and storm scenario outputs for planning applications.
• Technical & Data Skills Strong data management and analysis, ability to interpret scientific and technical data (e.g., sea-level rise models, coastal geomorphology data, habitat assessments), advanced Excel skills; python, familiarity with GIS (ArcGIS or QGIS) and interpreting modeling outputs (e.g., flood/erosion/groundwater interaction).
• Communication Excellent technical writing, clear visual communication, and public presentation skills.
• Collaboration & Leadership Highly motivated, organized, detail-oriented; able to work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams; eager to improve processes and workflows; comfortable interfacing with public agency staff and community stakeholders.
• Nice to Have Experience coordinating with the California Coastal Commission and coastal cities and counties; knowledge of grant programs (CCC, SCC, OPC, FEMA) and project implementation; understanding of coastal processes including waves, tides, currents, sediment transport, and shoreline change, experience with hydrodynamic and wave modeling tools, such as SWAN, Delft3D, XBeach, ADCIRC, or similar.

Investing in You
The base salary range for this full-time position is $85,000-$120,000 plus a generous benefits program. Salary ranges are based on the market median of similar jobs, according to third-party salary benchmark surveys. Base pay is determined based on internal equity and a candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Package designed to support employee well-being, growth, and financial security. Our benefits are designed to offer flexibility and choice, including health coverage options, employer-sponsored insurance, retirement benefits, generous time off, and programs that support learning, growth, and community engagement. Explore more about our culture, benefits, and life at Rincon on our Culture and Benefits page.

Additional Employment Information
Individuals offered employment must successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of employment. Additionally, those hired who may be assigned to federal projects will be subject to further drug testing, including screening for cannabinoids (THC/marijuana), in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and other applicable federal regulations, which take precedence over California state and local laws.

Rincon Consultants, Inc does not accept unsolicited applicant/candidate resumes from search firm recruiters and/or temporary agencies that do not have a signed contract and specified work order with Rincon Consultants. Further, such resumes received will be deemed the sole property of Rincon Consultants and no fees will be paid in the event Rincon Consultants subsequently hires such individual. Rincon Consultants is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.