Senior Civil Engineer

Position Overview

The Senior Civil Engineer will lead and support civil engineering activities for utility-scale renewable energy projects across wind, solar, and battery storage technologies, from early-stage development through detailed design, construction, and project closeout. This position reports to the Director of Civil Engineering. This role requires strong technical expertise, cross‑functional collaboration, and experience with utility scale renewable energy civil plant design and construction, as well as the ability to manage complex and time sensitive projects in a fast-paced environment.

The position leads technical scope development and design reviews, and supports site feasibility, permitting, preliminary design, detailed engineering, and construction execution for solar, wind and BESS facilities, including balance-of-plant (BOP) civil scope.

Responsibilities:

• Perform site feasibility analyses, including topography, grading concepts, cut/fill optimization; drainage and hydrology evaluations; geotechnical and soil constraint reviews; and access, constructability, and equipment logistics.
• Lead development of- and input into - conceptual and preliminary civil designs, including site selection; layout optimization; and high-level cost trade-off analyses.  
• Support environmental and land entitlement efforts by providing civil input to permit applications; developing technical narratives; and reviewing exhibits and drawings.
• Coordinate with development, environmental, and real estate teams to verify scopes of work for ALTA and topographic surveys; address easements, rights-of-way (ROW), and access constraints; and address jurisdictional requirements and stakeholder comments.
• Review EPC bids and provide technical support on schedule of values, bid assumptions, exclusions, and clarifications. Manage civil technical interfaces to support EPC selection.

• Perform in-depth technical reviews as the Owner’s Engineer for civil studies and design packages, including site grading and mass earthwork plans (including grading/ pile reveal assumptions); stormwater management and drainage systems/ reports; erosion and sediment control (ESC) plans; access roads, crane paths, and laydown areas; and civil coordination with other engineering scopes (e.g. pile reveal, inverter pad grading, substation pad, etc.).  Reviews shall ensure conformance to LRE’s standards, safety, quality, environmental/ permit compliance, basis of design, technical accuracy/ completeness, and optimization.
• Assist in development of Owner’s Engineer (OE) scope and support selection of OE for project execution design reviews.

• Manage and review work performed by external engineering consultants, as well as EPC contractors and subcontractors to provide civil designs that reduce risk, cost, and schedule impacts.
• Support construction activities by responding to RFI’s and field issues; reviewing submittals and as-builts; providing constructability and value-engineering input; and attending weekly project meetings.
• Coordinate across disciplines (electrical, structural, environmental, geotechnical, etc.) and departments to ensure integrated design solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering study and design standards, QA/QC processes, and design guidelines to position LRE to be competitive and provide reliable projects. Work cross-functionally to perform Capex vs. Opex evaluations of proposed changes to engineering specifications.
• Actively identify lessons learned throughout all phases of a project and implement corrective actions as appropriate.
• Mentor and coach junior engineers and designers; and perform reviews of their work.
• Assist in recruiting, developing, and mentoring high-performing engineering team members.

Requirements

• Ability to read and interpret technical documentation, drawings, studies, and other common specifications.
• Deep understanding of stormwater management, erosion & sediment control, hydrology modeling and studies, scour analysis, large-scale grading analyses, civil road and drainage design, crane pad and crane walk designs, transportation and delivery plans, flood zone review, wetlands review, geotechnical methods and reports, and general civil engineering design and best practices.
• Ability to research local/ state requirements as it pertains to civil design.
• Deep understanding of the lifecycle of renewable energy projects, key risks, and multi-disciplinary engineering touchpoints/ impacts.
• Familiarity with utility-scale PV construction sequencing, environmental permitting for renewable projects, and interconnection and substation site considerations.
• Ability to remain focused and reliable in completing tasks and meeting deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to manage priorities in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and manage technical projects, including interaction with outside vendors, consultants, and contractors.
• String technical judgment and problem-solving ability.
• Collaborative mindset with both internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science from an accredited university in Civil Engineering or related field.
• Professional Engineering (PE) licensure required.
• Minimum 6–8 years of relevant civil engineering experience, preferably in the renewable energy field.
• Prior experience working for renewable energy developer(s) or consultant(s) preferred.
• Experience supporting projects in multiple U.S. jurisdictions preferred.
• Strong experience with:
  • Grading, drainage, and stormwater design
  • Large-scale site development
  • Permitting and regulatory coordination
• Ability to work independently and lead complex scopes

Physical Demands

• Position will require sitting for extended periods of time.
• Willingness and ability to travel as required for site visits and/or to meet with LRE counterparties.

#LIHybrid