Assistant Civil Designer - Power (Chicago)

Burns & McDonnell; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 49,593 - 60,614; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

401(k) retirement program

Comprehensive insurance benefits

Job summary

Burns & McDonnell is looking for an Assistant Civil Designer in Chicago, IL. This role focuses on civil design and land development for utility-scale projects, primarily in the power sector.

The successful candidate will engage with multidisciplinary teams, optimizing designs for infrastructure projects. Responsibilities include site design, drafting, and collaboration with engineering professionals. A bachelor's degree and relevant experience in civil design are required.

Qualifications

• Two years of experience or an associate degree plus four years of relevant experience.
• Basic understanding of civil site design including grading and drainage.

Responsibilities

• Design and revise site plans and grading plans using Civil 3D.
• Prepare drawing sets for internal reviews and client submittals.
• Attend project coordination meetings and align site layouts with teams.

Skills

Civil3D design software

Attention to detail

Strong analytical skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in drafting & design technology or related field

Associate degree with four years experience

Job description

The Assistant Civil Designer will play a vital role in assisting with site Civil design and land development for innovative projects within the Power Global Practice. This position focuses on developing the critical infrastructure required for utility-scale solar, energy storage, and power generation facilities. As part of a multidisciplinary team, the Assistant Civil Designer will contribute to projects from initial conceptual site planning through the creation of final construction documentation, helping to deliver resilient and sustainable energy solutions. The role involves collaborating closely with engineering and design professionals to overcome complex site challenges, optimize earthwork and maintain regulatory compliance, ultimately supporting the modernization and expansion of critical power infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Design and revise site plans, grading plans, utility profiles, drainage networks, and modeling using Civil 3D.
• Incorporate daily redline markups and design revisions provided by project engineers and designers.
• Set up project base and model files, maintain sheet indexes, manage external references and container files, and assist in maintaining file structures within the Autodesk Forma environment.
• Prepare, plot, and assemble drawing sets for internal review, client submittals, permitting packages, bid packages, and construction deliverables.
• Generate 3D surfaces, perform earthwork takeoffs, create cross-sections and compute volume calculations for cut/fill balancing.
• Attend project coordination meetings and align site layouts with other project teams to avoid spatial conflicts.
• Assist in designing civil site projects specific to the power and renewable industry, including site development, grading, drainage, stormwater management and access roads.
• Analyze reports, maps, topographical data and drawings to support infrastructure design and site layout.
• Interpret and apply local, state, and national design codes related to site civil work and environmental regulations.
• Review design drawings to verify alignment with project scope, budget, and schedule.
• Assist with a variety of civil assignments using prescribed methods and standard techniques, including drawing sequence and presentation, sizing various system components and refining rough sketches.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in drafting & design technology or a related field and two years of experience, or an associate degree and four years of experience, or six years of progressive detailing and design experience.
• Basic understanding of Civil3D design software to develop the design deliverables.
• Basic knowledge of civil site design, grading, utility layout, and drainage calculations.
• Familiarity with document management and collaboration platforms, such as Autodesk Forma.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, topographical maps and survey data.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to producing accurate deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks, manage time effectively and meet project deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others (Project Managers, Engineers and Designers) in a multi-disciplinary project team environment to resolve design or drawing issues as appropriate and to accomplish objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Compensation

$36.00-44.00 Hourly

The expected compensation range for this position is displayed in compliance with all local/state regulations. The final agreed upon compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: individual education, qualifications, prior work experience and work location. The total annual compensation package will consist of an hourly pay rate and eligibility to participate in our discretionary year-end incentive bonus program.

Benefits

Our extensive benefits package takes care of you so that you can focus on doing great work. From insurance and disability to time off and wellness programs, we provide the tools to meet your needs. As part of being 100% employee‑owned, eligible employees participate in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in addition to our 401(k) retirement program. For more information, please visit Benefits & Wellness page.

This job posting will remain open a minimum of 72 hours and on an ongoing basis until filled.

EEO/Disabled/Veterans

Job: Computer Aided Drafting & Design

Primary Location: US-IL-Chicago

Schedule: Full-time

Travel: Yes, 5% of the Time

Req ID: 262367

Job Hire Type: Experienced #LI-DNI #PWR