Who We Are
Dudek is a leading environmental, planning, and engineering firm that help public and private clients plan, design, and build projects that improve communities’ built and natural infrastructure. Founded in 1980, Dudek has grown steadily to more than 800 professionals across the U.S. and received the Top Workplace Award for 2024.
As a 100% employee-owned company, Dudek’s culture rewards smart, productive team members with ownership, professional development, and financial benefits. We seek creative, pragmatic problem-solvers working at the intersection of science, engineering, regulations, and multiple stakeholders’ interest to help clients achieve project goals.
We encourage collaboration, sustainability, and innovation.
At Dudek, we abide by shared values:
Trust: We trust each other to use good judgment.
Respect: We act professionally and treat each other fairly.
Teamwork: We come together, share openly, and apply diverse perspectives.
Fun: We take our work seriously…not ourselves.
Well-Being: We care about each other’s health, safety, and total wellness.
Our culture is the foundation of who we are and how we work. We empower our employee-owners to invest in our local communities and themselves through initiatives that make Dudek a great place to work! Our cultural programs include:
- DuGreen: Our sustainability initiative, which works to improve our environmental footprint
- DuGood: Our philanthropic initiative, which seeks to support the communities in which we live and work through fundraising challenges, office-based giving and opportunity to take a paid volunteer day each year.
- eDUcate: Our educational outreach program where we aim to foster interest in our work and careers in the environmental and engineering field by participating in educational events in our communities.
- DuWell: Our wellness initiative, aimed at providing education on wellness, benefit resources, and preventive care.
At Dudek, we recognize that different perspectives, inclusivity, trust and belonging build a stronger culture and add value to our firm. Dudek's Employee Resource (ERGs) operate as diversity champions within Dudek and create a safe space for underrepresented employees and their allies to support, collaborate, network, and brainstorm ways to make Dudek’s work community more inclusive. We proudly support our 4 Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s):
- Women at Dudek
- Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) employees
- Disabled employees (all disabilities, seen / unseen)
Learn more about our culture.
About The Job
Dudek is seeking an entry-level water resources planner with 2+ years' experience in water resources and watershed planning to join our team. Our team works collaboratively with local regional and state agencies, municipalities, and CBOs/CBPs across all disciplines to provide comprehensive land and natural resources planning (IRWMPs, GSPs, Watershed Plans, GPs, Climate Resilience, Hazard Mitigation and other related Plans) to public and private sector clients. Hybrid position with 2-3 days in office per week.
Our work is grounded in the understanding that our natural resources are foundational to the State’s prosperity and identity. We also recognize that access to resources is intrinsic to social and racial equity, environmental justice and to a healthy population and economy. The effective stewardship and management of our shared resources undergirds the State’s resilience to climate change threats, including drought, wildfire, sea-level rise, flooding and deteriorating water quality.
Learn more about the projects you will have the opportunity to shape.
Who You Are
To thrive at Dudek, you should be comfortable with accountability, collaboration, flexibility while being a resourceful and independent thinker. We look for curious, solution-focused people who can adapt quickly to an ever-changing industry. There is no single way to solve a problem, so we encourage innovation.
Duties and Responsibilities (may include some or all of the below):
We are seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, organized, and detail-oriented water resources and watershed planner This position can expect to:
- Perform current planning duties from the entitlement stage through project implementation for complex public and private projects
- Prepare long-range planning documents, including IRWM Plans, sections of Groundwater Sustainability Plans, Drought Response Plans, Climate Resilience Plans. Wildfire Action Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans and/ or Specific Plans, Master Plans, Community Plans, and General Plan Updates.
- Research applicable State laws, funding opportunities, and local plans and ordinances
- Collect and interpret scientific, socio-economic, and public outreach data
- Coordinate and participate in public outreach events, including presentation of concepts and materials in English and Spanish
- Work on grant applications and project scoping
- Conduct spatial analysis and prepare maps and graphics using ArcGIS and the Adobe Suite
- Enhance Dudek’s professional reputation and demonstrate the ability to be creative and innovative with these tasks while representing Dudek in a professional manner
- Work closely with other Dudek Project Managers to promote our business interests in adherence with the company’s mission, vision, and values
- Perform all other duties as assigned by your supervisor(s)
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in planning or similar from an accredited four-year college.
- The successful candidate will possess 2 + years of relevant experience in water resources planning and project implementation, natural resources planning, awareness of CEQA and permitting, public outreach through full-time positions, internships, or client-facing academic projects.
- Proficiency in both English and Spanish languages, including strong written and verbal communication skills in both languages in a professional setting
- Must possess a valid driver’s license and have active personal automobile liability insurance by first day of employment
* As a federal contractor, successful candidates are required to pass the following pre-employment requirements prior to beginning employment: pre - employment drug test and background check.
Preferred Qualifications
- A Master’s degree is strongly encouraged.
- Enjoy working on a wide range of projects with a diverse group of specialists, staying current with relevant California planning and law, and possess a strong interest in conducting bilingual outreach.
- Strong inter-personal skills and should not be afraid to ask questions.
Physical Requirements
Working Conditions:
- This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc.
- This job requires occasional project site visits-based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, moving vehicles and equipment.
Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met in order to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
- This job requires working on a computer, sitting or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting.
- This job requires attending meetings, both in person and virtually as well as speaking on the phone with peers, clients, etc. Speaking, hearing and listening are required.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Proposed Salary Range: $60,000-$85,000 annually*
*Final agreed upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including but not limited to an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location.
Perks of Being a Dudekian
At Dudek we will provide you with a competitive salary in an environment that promotes growth, career development, and a flexible work–life balance. Dudek offers an array of benefits, from medical, dental, and vision coverage, to the discretionary bonuses, based on firmwide, divisional, and individual performance.
We also offer a yearly merit review, an employee stock ownership program, and dog friendly offices! To honor our key value of well-being, Dudek provides generous Paid Time Off (PTO) packages for both salaried and hourly employees. If you’re tired of an overly bureaucratic decision-making process and want to be part of a work culture that puts its employees first, speak with your recruiter to learn more about the great perks of being a Dudekian.
Dudek is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by applicable law.
Dudek is a U.S.-based employer. All positions are based in the U.S. and require U.S. work authorization.
