Senior Civil Engineer - Land Development


Grand Rapids
Permanent
USD90000 - USD150000
Civil
PR/598144_1782468126
Senior Civil Engineer - Land Development

They are a well-established professional consulting firm with a strong presence across Michigan and Indiana, built around civil engineering, architecture, surveying, planning, landscape architecture, and broader development services. Over time, they have developed a reputation for supporting community-focused projects with a practical, client-led approach, combining technical design capability with a strong understanding of local infrastructure, permitting, and development needs.

Their strength sits in the way they bring multiple disciplines together. Rather than operating purely as a civil engineering practice, they combine land development, site/civil design, surveying, planning, landscape architecture, construction administration, transportation, utilities, and municipal infrastructure expertise. This allows them to support projects from early feasibility, site assessment, conceptual planning, and permitting through detailed design, construction documentation, field coordination, and long-term client support.

They work across a broad mix of public and private sector project types, including residential, commercial, educational, industrial, municipal, roadway, utility, stormwater, parks, trails, and community development projects. Their civil/site teams are involved in areas such as grading, drainage, utilities, roads, permitting, stormwater management, construction coordination, and wider site development planning. Their teams are known for being collaborative, hands-on, community-minded, and closely connected to the regions they serve.

As they continue to grow their Grand Rapids civil engineering and land development team, they are looking to add an experienced Civil Engineer who can support site development projects from concept through construction, while working closely with clients, permitting agencies, contractors, and internal technical teams.

Role Overview

This is an opportunity for an experienced civil/site development engineer to step into a senior role within a respected multidisciplinary consulting environment.

The position will focus on leading and supporting land development projects across Michigan, with a particular emphasis on university, higher education, and institutional campus work. The successful individual will be involved across the full project lifecycle, from early concept planning and site layout through detailed design, permitting, client coordination, and construction-phase support.

This role would suit someone who enjoys both technical design and project leadership. They are looking for an engineer who can manage deliverables, coordinate across internal disciplines, support clients, mentor junior staff, and help drive successful project outcomes from a Grand Rapids based team.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead the planning, design, and permitting of land development and civil/site projects, with a focus on campus, institutional, and community-focused work.
  • Prepare and oversee site layout, grading, drainage, stormwater management, utility, pavement, and erosion control plans.
  • Manage civil/site design packages from initial concepts through construction documentation.
  • Coordinate closely with internal teams across surveying, environmental, structural, architectural, and construction-related disciplines.
  • Work directly with clients, consultants, agencies, municipalities, and other external stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Manage project schedules, budgets, deliverables, and internal coordination to ensure projects are delivered accurately and efficiently.
  • Provide technical guidance, QA/QC support, and mentorship to junior engineers, designers, and technical staff.
  • Support permitting efforts and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal requirements.
  • Attend client meetings, site visits, planning meetings, and public hearings where required.
  • Contribute to proposals, project scoping, and long-term client relationship development where appropriate.

Project Types

The role will involve a varied mix of civil/site and land development projects, which may include:

  • University and higher education campus improvements
  • Institutional and public-sector facilities
  • Commercial and mixed-use development
  • Site redevelopment and expansion projects
  • Municipal and community infrastructure
  • Utility coordination and site servicing
  • Stormwater and drainage improvements
  • Sustainable site design initiatives
  • Multidisciplinary projects involving environmental, architectural, and construction management teams

Education and Qualifications

Required:

  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related field.
  • Professional Engineer license in Michigan, or the ability to obtain one within a reasonable timeframe.
  • Around 10 years of civil engineering, land development, or site design experience.
  • Strong background in site/civil design, including grading, utilities, stormwater, drainage, and permitting.
  • Demonstrated experience working on university, higher education, institutional, or comparable campus-style projects.
  • Proficiency with Civil 3D and Microsoft Office.
  • Strong understanding of Michigan permitting processes, local agency coordination, and regulatory requirements.
  • Ability to manage projects, lead technical deliverables, and coordinate across multiple disciplines.
  • Strong communication skills with the confidence to work directly with clients, agencies, and internal teams.

Preferred:

  • Experience with stormwater modeling software such as HydroCAD, SWMM, or similar platforms.
  • Familiarity with sustainable site design, green infrastructure, or LEED-related design principles.
  • Previous experience mentoring junior engineers or managing small project teams.
  • Experience supporting proposals, budgets, schedules, and client-facing project management tasks.

Benefits

They offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support long-term career growth, flexibility, and employee wellbeing. This includes:

  • Base Salary Range: $90k-$150k
  • Annual Discretionary Bonus
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k), profit-sharing, and employee ownership opportunities
  • Paid vacation, sick time, holidays, volunteer PTO, and parental leave
  • Wellness reimbursement and wellbeing-focused activities
  • Tuition reimbursement and support for continuing education
  • Professional development and licensing support
  • Hybrid and flexible working options
  • Long-term career progression within a growing, multidisciplinary environment
  • The opportunity to work on meaningful projects across Michigan with strong technical and client-facing teams

FAQs

Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your CV and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organisations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.

Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.

We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business. 

That's why we recommend registering your CV so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created. 

Yes, we help with CV and interview preparation. From customised support on how to optimise your CV to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.

Handpicked roles for you