Director of Coastal Engineering

Vesta, PBC is a USA-based climate startup with a mission to help mitigate climate change by protecting coastlines and removing atmospheric carbon dioxide through Coastal Carbon Capture (CCC). CCC is a nature-based negative emission approach which deploys carbon-removing sand made from the natural mineral olivine in the nearshore environment. This leads to significant CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere and has the potential to be the most cost-effective, scalable method of permanent carbon dioxide removal on earth, while also providing significant coastal protection co-benefits. Vesta is a fast-growing company consisting of scientists, operators, and engineers conducting CCC trials at domestic and international locations with plans to scale operations in the near future.  

For more information, please visit https://www.vesta.earth/

Job Description:

Vesta’s approach to climate change mitigation delivers coastal protection and carbon removal benefits to public and private clients across the world. We have developed a novel method for measuring, reporting and verifying carbon removal resulting from the dissolution of olivine sand in coastal waters; to continue progressing our mission to protect coastlines and remove carbon from the atmosphere, Vesta’s carbon removing sand must be deployed to effectively mitigate coastal erosion while also accommodating olivine dissolution rates necessary to remove atmospheric carbon over human-relevant time scales.  Vesta’s Director of Coastal Engineering will have the unique opportunity to integrate closely with Vesta’s Head of Operations, Head of Science and other members of its Executive Team to develop unique solutions for the deployment of carbon removing sand in a wide variety of locations across the world, many with challenging deployment constraints not common in traditional coastal engineering settings.  

While this position will frequently require a traditional coastal engineering skill set, the core contribution of the Director of Coastal Engineering will be to assist Vesta’s Executive Team in the development of an overall approach to deploying CCC at scale across the world.  As a result, Vesta expects that the Director of Coastal Engineering will act as a key strategic thinker in developing the most efficient, safe, and economical approach to scaled deployments of CCC. This is a significant leadership opportunity at a fast-growing climate-tech company with the potential for global scale climate restoration.

Vesta’s Director of Coastal Engineering will be responsible for executing on three specific objectives:

(1) to provide thought leadership on innovative methods for performing large-scale deployments with Vesta’s science, mining and grinding, hardware and tech teams, often focusing on deployment techniques other than hydraulic placements;

(2) to lead internal and external stakeholders in the design, permitting and construction of Vesta’s deployments of carbon removing sand. This includes collaborating with local coastal engineering partners and advisors, as well as Vesta's science teams, on site-specific designs across the world that optimize for efficient, safe, and economical deployments;

(3) to identify potential sites for deployments of CCC around the world alongside Vesta’s business development and deployments pipeline team. 

Vesta’s Director of Coastal Engineering will report to Vesta’s Head of Operations and will drive significant parts of Vesta’s global deployment program. The role will involve oversight and coordination of technical teams executing multiple projects with various collaborators and contractors. Additionally, this role will engage with key stakeholders, including regulatory agencies, governmental officials, community members, and, potentially, the press. 

Applicants with a master’s degree in coastal or civil engineering focused on coastal, ocean, marine, environmental, or related fields may qualify for this position.Vesta is seeking candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas: beach nourishment design, coastal processes, coastal resilience, marine construction, team management, and numerical modeling.

This position is full-time. 

Specific Duties

• Serve as internal coastal engineer for Vesta’s CCC projects.
• Coordinate all aspects of design, permitting and construction administration. 
• Manage relationships with local coastal engineering firms to ensure that the technical aspects of Vesta deployments meet quality expectations while complementing design intent. 
• Communicate with staff, clients, contractors, and all levels of governmental regulatory agencies regarding engineering, permitting, and site development.
• Perform site reviews and construction site visits.
• Advise research and development programs for deployments of CCC. This includes closely coordinating with Vesta’s geomorphology and numerical modeling teams to develop tools and methods for efficiently and effectively capturing carbon dioxide via CCC.
• Collaboratively identify and evaluate potential locations for deployments of CCC alongside Vesta’s business development and pipeline team. 
• Facilitate contracting with Vesta’s legal team.
• Present at conferences and workshops 
• Contribute to research and funding proposal writing, as necessary.
• Coordinate with Vesta’s finance and project management teams to ensure all engineering activities occur on time and within budget.
• Mentor junior staff and participate in performance coaching.

Required Skills and Experience

• A master’s degree in civil or coastal engineering or equivalent with relevant work in oceanography, wave mechanics, coastal processes and/or numerical modeling.
• Ten or more years of relevant experience working as a Civil/Coastal Engineer or in a Civil/Coastal Engineering firm.
• Minimum of five years experience in coastal resilience/protection projects, engineering-with-nature projects, or similar experience.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in preparing design and engineering documents through all phases of project development.
• Field experience leading and/or supporting contractor administration associated with the construction of coastal improvements.
• Experience in data analysis and related software.
• Experience modeling, working with models, or interpreting model results of littoral processes, wave transformation, or hydrodynamics.
• Ability to multitask under rigid deadlines.
• Ability to travel (less than 40% of time) and work remotely.
• Ability to communicate analysis of complex datasets and study results with clients and colleagues at all levels through succinct written and verbal communication. 

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Project management or team management experience.
• Experience in morphodynamic modeling (e.e. Delft3D).
   

Vesta offers a competitive compensation package that includes equity; health, vision and dental benefits; a fully remote role; and unlimited PTO.  

Vesta is an Equal Opportunity Employer: We celebrate diversity and demand equal opportunity employment. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills - because reversing climate change is going to require a diverse and unprecedented workforce. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

To be considered for this position, please submit a resume and a cover letter.