Civil Engineer - Land Development

A privately held national consulting, engineering, and construction firm with 2,000+ people across 75+ offices, working across real estate and land development, power and renewable energy, and oil and gas.

Their roots go back to 1905, when they started life as a small Michigan surveying practice founded by a civil engineering professor. Land and site work has been in their DNA ever since. They are still headquartered in Michigan, but the platform is now genuinely national, ranked inside the top 75 of the ENR Top 500 Design Firms with revenue north of $400 million.

Why people join, and why they stay

• Growth that is actually visible. Headcount has moved from roughly 1,200 to 2,100 in two years, with 20% revenue growth last year, driven by a mix of organic hiring and a very deliberate acquisition strategy.
• Attrition sitting at 6.5%, including recently acquired businesses. That number tells you more about the culture than any mission statement.
• Leadership grown from within. The CEO started at the firm as an engineer, and internal promotion is the norm rather than the exception.
• Award recognition that holds up. Ten consecutive years as a Zweig Group Best Firm to Work For, a Crain's Fast 50 placing, and ENR Design Firm of the Year for the Southeast in 2025.
• A diversified book of work. No longer dependent on single family residential, with real depth across commercial, industrial, healthcare, energy, and data centers. That means less exposure when one sector cools.

The kind of work you would touch

Across the land development platform they have completed 50,000+ single and multifamily units nationwide and designed and permitted more than $3 billion in assets for 40+ national clients. Project types include:

• Master planned communities, single family, multifamily, build to rent, manufactured housing, and senior living
• Commercial, retail, office, and industrial development
• Healthcare campuses, hospitality and resort sites, and community and education projects
• Data centers, one of their fastest growing areas, coordinating land, power, water, and fiber on compressed programmes
• Public infrastructure and municipal work

Standout references include a major sustainable commercial campus in Michigan, a large health campus expansion in Florida, and a well known Texas master planned community.

What you will be doing

• Leading design on land development projects, supported by and reporting into the Project Manager
• Recommending and implementing design changes across grading, utility sizing, and site layout as client needs evolve
• Preparing, reviewing, and finalising preliminary and final site plans, computations, and technical documents, including hydrology and hydraulic studies, due diligence and site analysis reports, opinions of probable cost, storm sewer and stormwater reports, detention and retention computations, earthwork volumes, StormCAD and WaterCAD output, and preliminary grading
• Responding to review letters and revising plans for agencies, municipalities, and clients
• Researching local and state zoning requirements, and carrying out site visits and field assignments
• Reviewing survey data to assess existing conditions, including legal descriptions, ALTA surveys, easements, and condo documents
• Providing construction phase support, resolving field issues, and acting as field engineer where needed
• Working with the team on proposals and client communication
• Mentoring junior engineers and contributing to internal technical training

What they are looking for

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering
• PE license required
• Four or more years of land development design experience
• Advanced AutoCAD Civil 3D capability
• Strength across grading design, hydrology and hydraulics, site planning, soil erosion, storm sewer, stormwater management and detention, sanitary sewer and septic design, water main design, pump station design, and earthworks
• Familiarity with the report types that sit around these projects, covering soils, stormwater, FEMA, environmental, traffic, wetlands, easements, covenants and restrictions, annexation agreements, and water flow tests
• Local construction market knowledge and municipal contacts are a strong plus
• Experience mentoring others is highly valued

Compensation and benefits

Base salary: $100,000 to $130,000, depending on experience and licensure.

Financial

• Annual bonus programme, plus spot bonuses and peer recognition awards
• 401(k) with employer match of 50% up to 6%
• Employer paid short term disability at 70% and long term disability at 66%
• Employer paid life insurance and AD&D of $50,000, with supplemental options
• Employee referral bonuses up to $5,000

Health and wellbeing

• Comprehensive medical plans including PPO and HDHP options, with dental and vision
• HSA, FSA, and dependent care accounts
• Supplemental accident, hospitalisation, and critical illness cover
• Annual wellness reimbursement up to $500 toward a gym membership, home gym, or ergonomic home office setup
• Employee Assistance Programme and mental health support

Time and flexibility

• Flexible PTO for salaried staff, effectively unlimited
• Paid holidays and bereavement leave
• Four weeks paid parental leave
• Hybrid working, three days a week in office
• Tenure awards in the form of travel vouchers based on your own travel preferences

Career and development

• Tuition assistance up to $5,000 annually, plus student loan repayment support
• Paid licensing and certification fees and renewals, with a financial reward for obtaining licensure
• Paid training, conferences, and networking
• Structured onboarding with an assigned ambassador, and a formal mentor pairing at six months
• Customised development tracks, whether you want to go technical or client facing