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Green Building Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Civil - Project Engineer

Napa, CA · On-site

$112K - $137K/yr

Project Engineer CA | GA | NY | CR About Sherwood Sherwood is a civil and environmental engineering ... We specialize in sustainable infrastructure, water management strategies, green building design ...

Civil - Project Engineer

Napa, CA · On-site

$96K - $128K/yr

Project Engineer CA | GA | NY | CR About Sherwood Sherwood is a civil and environmental engineering ... We specialize in sustainable infrastructure, water management strategies, green building design ...

Showing results 41-60

Green Building Engineer information

See California salary details

$17

$31

$51

How much do green building engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average hourly pay for green building engineer in California is $31.93, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $25.14 and $36.06 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a green building engineer?

Green Building Engineers are professionals who design, construct, and maintain buildings in ways that minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability. They focus on energy efficiency, water conservation, the use of sustainable materials, and improving indoor environmental quality. Their work often involves integrating renewable energy systems, optimizing building systems, and ensuring compliance with green building standards such as LEED or BREEAM. Green Building Engineers collaborate with architects, construction teams, and environmental consultants to create environmentally responsible and resource-efficient buildings. This role is essential in helping reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a green building engineer?

Green Building Engineers require expertise in sustainable design principles, energy modeling, and environmental regulations, often supported by a degree in engineering or environmental science and relevant certifications like LEED AP. Familiarity with building information modeling (BIM) software, energy analysis tools, and green building rating systems is essential. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication are soft skills that help drive project success and stakeholder engagement. These competencies ensure the delivery of environmentally responsible, cost-effective, and compliant building solutions.

What is the difference between Green Building Engineer vs Sustainable Design Engineer?

AspectGreen Building EngineerSustainable Design Engineer
CertificationsLEED AP, WELL APLEED AP, WELL AP
Work EnvironmentConstruction sites, building projectsDesign studios, architectural firms
Industry UsageConstruction, real estate developmentArchitecture, urban planning

Green Building Engineers focus on implementing sustainable practices during construction and building operation, ensuring compliance with green standards. Sustainable Design Engineers primarily work on creating eco-friendly building concepts during the planning and design phases. While both roles emphasize sustainability and share certifications like LEED, Green Building Engineers are more involved in on-site implementation, whereas Sustainable Design Engineers concentrate on initial design strategies.

What are some common challenges faced by green building engineers when integrating sustainable technologies into existing structures?

Green Building Engineers often encounter challenges when retrofitting sustainable technologies into older buildings, such as outdated infrastructure, limited space for new systems, and budget constraints. These professionals must carefully assess the building’s existing conditions, work closely with architects and facility managers, and develop innovative solutions that comply with sustainability standards while minimizing disruption to occupants. Collaboration and creative problem-solving are essential in overcoming these hurdles and ensuring the successful implementation of green upgrades.

What are popular job titles related to Green Building Engineer jobs in California?

For Green Building Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Green Building Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Green Building Engineer jobs in California are:

Infographic showing various Green Building Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 16% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $66,404 per year, or $31.9 per hour.

Project Engineer - Water/Wastewater

Sherwood Design Engineers

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$123K - $150K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 15 days ago


Job description

Project Engineer - W/WW

San Francisco, CA

 

About Sherwood Design Engineers

Sherwood is a civil and environmental engineering firm that is committed to investing in and embracing people, communities and the environment. 

Our team has delivered net zero energy and net zero carbon systems, net positive water systems, resilient coastlines, natural resource protection, green streets, living roofs and more for thousands of clients in the region and across the globe. We specialize in sustainable infrastructure, water management strategies, green building design, and systems based solutions for infrastructure and landscapes. Our focus is on the conservation and management of the consumption of all site resources — carbon, energy, water, and waste. We’ve worked on over thirty award-winning projects, and our work has been published locally and internationally.

Founded in 2003, our award-winning projects include Hudson Yards in New York (the largest private real estate development in U.S. history), San Francisco Better Streets Plan, Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan, revitalization of the iconic waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the 35 square-km Baietan Urban Area Plan in the heart of Guangzhou, China.

Our mission is to engineer an environmentally and socially regenerative planet. Will you join us?

 

Role Summary

Sherwood is currently seeking a Project Engineer to support our growing, progressive and dynamic civil and environmental engineering firm. The successful candidate will work as an integral part of Sherwood’s Water/Wastewater team, collaborating with engineering disciplines to co-create solutions to a variety of infrastructure challenges. We are seeking an individual who demonstrates a professional skill set in engineering design of water, wastewater and water reuse infrastructure, can work productively as a member of a multidisciplinary team, work independently, and develop clear, evidence-based solutions. This candidate will assist in building and maintaining client relationships, lead technical scopes of work, directing quality management processes to ensure work remains on track, within scope and budget, and developing team members’ strengths. 

 

Minimum Skills

  • Typically 6+ years of industry experience
  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering - Civil and/or Environmental
  • Strong water/wastewater technical background, including in-depth knowledge of physical and chemical water and wastewater treatment processes including for water reuse
  • Experience developing water and wastewater infrastructure solutions across all project phases including but not limited to conceptual design, detailed design, and construction administration
  • Experience preparing technical reports, documentation, and presentations for stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and clients.
  • Experience in preparing and advancing plan set packages through all project phases including providing redlines for drafter
  • Proficient in producing water/wastewater treatment plant designs in AutoCAD
  • Experience with water/wastewater process modeling and simulation software (e.g., BioWin, GPS-X) 
  • Familiarity with SCADA systems systems and automated controls for water and wastewater treatment systems
  • Experience performing process and hydraulic calculations for water and wastewater treatment plant unit processes, developing cost estimates of treatment plants, generating technical drawings of process units, developing process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), general process layouts, hydraulics and piping diagrams.
  • Ability to read and interpret technical documents and written information including design documents and drawings
  • Experience with operation of treatment plants and/or pilot studies, monitoring, sampling, measurements, analysis and reporting
  • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills for working within a team environment on multiple projects
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, multi-task, work independently under general supervision, and exhibit proactivity and good judgment
  • Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.


Preferred Skills

  • Experience in a consulting environment
  • Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (civil, mechanical, electrical) to integrate design solutions.
  • Experience with advanced water treatment technologies (e.g. membrane filtration, UV disinfection)
  • Knowledge of water, wastewater, and water reuse regulations and permitting processes in California and the United States
  • Experience with hydraulic modeling of gravity and pressure pipe networks
  • Experience with pump station design
  • Experience with cost estimation of water and wastewater infrastructure
  • Knowledge and exposure to civil and hydraulic design programs (Civil 3D, PCSWMM, SewerCAD, etc.)
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license
  • Certifications or other sustainability-oriented accreditation preferred (LEED, Envision, Living Building Challenge, EcoDistricts)
 

Expected Outcomes

  • Develop and lead high quality, cutting edge sustainable engineering solutions for our clients including process evaluation, facilities planning, engineering design, permitting & compliance, construction administration and operations planning
  • Prepares/reviews calculations, design criteria and technical memorandums
  • Work across teams and engage subconsultants as needed to develop integrated design solutions 
  • Implement quality assurance and quality control through all project phases.
  • Plan, assign, and direct work of design engineers to meet project deliverables 
  • Contribute to staff development through training and mentoring; appraise performance.
  • Create and implement innovative design techniques that enhance company productivity of assignments
  • Ensure engineering designs are in compliance with current applicable state & local regulations
  • Serve as an effective interface between client's project team and consulting team, conveying technical information in a timely and professional manner
  • Works independently under general supervision
  • Exercise sound judgment on design decisions to uphold  professional standard of care
 

What We Offer

  • Own a part of the firm with ESOP eligibility after one year
  • Flexible working - with every other Friday off
  • Competitive Health plans, including PPO and HMO options, Dental and Vision plans
  • Learning and Development stipend to use as you see fit
  • Generous PTO and 8 paid holidays
  • Automatic 401k enrollment
  • Fun team events, lunches and happy hours to get to know colleagues outside of work
  • A tangible opportunity to truly help the environment!
 

Compensation:

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to: skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At Sherwood Design Engineers, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $110,000 to $123,000. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. 


Reasonable accommodations may be made to individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Employer will not sponsor visas for position. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

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