Civil Engineering Project Manager

We’re essentially looking for 12-18 years of experience for someone who has a client base and wants to be a seller/doer. A lot of the candidates who recently applied for the position focus too heavily on Business Development. We have plenty of work, looking for more people to lead multibillion dollar projects with multimillion dollar budgets.

The engineer should have an outgoing personality, comfortable being client-facing, managing large teams, and willing to work from our Chicago office.

We are seeking a Senior Site/Civil Engineer or Civil Project Manager with deep, hands-on experience in private-sector commercial and industrial land development. This position is ideal for an engineering professional who has spent the majority of their career designing and delivering ground-up private development projects, such as distribution centers, corporate campuses, manufacturing sites, logistics/warehouse facilities, retail centers, mixed-use developments, and private residential communities.

We are specifically seeking candidates with private commercial/industrial site development backgrounds—not municipal infrastructure, traffic engineering, or public utility-focused experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and permitting of private commercial, industrial, residential, warehouse/distribution, and mixed-use development projects from concept through construction.
• Work closely with firm leadership to support strategic growth initiatives, staff development, and utilization planning.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with private-sector clients, contractors, architects, and regulatory agencies overseeing private development.
• Participate actively in business development, including identifying new private clients, expanding existing relationships, and supporting proposal efforts.
• Develop and manage detailed project scopes, budgets, schedules, and work plans.
• Execute and oversee site/civil engineering tasks for private development projects, including site layout, grading, drainage, utility/infrastructure design, roadway and parking design, and erosion/sediment control.
• Lead stormwater management design, hydrologic/hydraulic analysis, and SWPPP preparation tailored to commercial and industrial project requirements.
• Integrate geotechnical, environmental, and surveying disciplines into cohesive development solutions for private-sector projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (required).
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license (required).
• 10 years of local, hands-on site/civil engineering experience with a strong emphasis on private commercial or industrial land development (required).
• Experience focused on municipal public works, traffic engineering, or public-utility–only work is not aligned with this role.
• Demonstrated success designing and managing private-sector site layouts, grading plans, drainage systems, utilities, stormwater management, erosion/sediment control, and overall site development through all project phases.
• Proven track record of client development, client management, and coordination with private developers, architects, and contractors.
• Active participation in industry or professional engineering organizations.
• Strong technical writing and proposal preparation skills.
  

The position comes with numerous benefits and a comprehensive compensation package which includes: Full-time employment, company paid medical, dental, and vision coverage; life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, and paid pregnancy disability leave; 401(k)/Roth with company match; paid time off including parental and military leave; employee referral and professional license bonuses; and educational reimbursement.