Civil Development Engineer, Renewable Energy

Intersect; San Francisco, New York, Denver, Austin (CA, NY, CO, TX); Remote; CAD 268,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity Grant

Health & wellness

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Family care support

Mental health support

Food stipend

Cell phone reimbursement

Home office setup

UrbanSitter credits

Pet insurance

One Medical

ActiveHero

Job summary

Intersect is seeking a Development Engineer to guide civil and structural design for grid-scale solar, storage, and data center sites. You’ll define design criteria, optimize layouts, and coordinate diligence to move projects from site control through IFC with minimal surprises.

As part of a collaborative team, you’ll work with Development, Real Estate, Permitting, Construction, and external consultants to ensure safe, timely, and cost-effective delivery, while growing expertise in large-scale

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of civil/structural design experience.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary design processes for utility-scale power projects.

Responsibilities

• Set design criteria and align stakeholders.
• Define and develop civil and structural design criteria with internal and external teams.
• Provide civil engineering direction for data center power facilities, coordinating with consultants and general contractors.
• Support project development from concept to completion, identifying and mitigating risks.
• Translate site constraints into engineering guidance and documentation.
• Optimize layouts for land, cost, and permitting.
• Coordinate site surveys and diligence as part of project delivery.
• Lead consultants and contractors through design reviews and value engineering.

Skills

Civil/Structural design

Project management

AutoCAD/Revit/Civil 3D

Stakeholder collaboration

Code compliance

Budget & schedule

Cross-team communication

Growth mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

Civil 3D

Procore

MS Project

Job description

We’re a team of friends bound together by a mission to preserve our planet for future generations through innovative energy solutions and modern infrastructure. Intersect develops, constructs, and operates the most ambitious power and data center infrastructure in the country by co-locating industrial demand with dedicated gas and renewable power generation.

Intersect was acquired by Google in March 2026 and operates as an independent subsidiary. We are developing and constructing multiple gigawatts of energy and data center projects in the U.S., enabling more data center and generation capacity to come online faster. We’re on an aggressive growth trajectory and looking for people hungry to tackle the largest energy challenges on the planet.

Location & Team Gatherings

Intersect has been a fully flexible workplace since its founding in 2016. We’ve been very intentional about the way we do things. We are not work-from-home, hybrid, or in-office - we are any and all of those options! Deepening social connections and offering shared experiences is a cornerstone of the way we work. We connect as a team at our Team Week experiences four times a year and at our recently established Hub locations - SF Bay Area, NYC Metro Area, NY; Denver, CO; Austin, TX; Calgary, AB; and Toronto, ON.

We are currently looking for candidates located within 60 miles of any of the listed hubs to foster more in-person connections while maintaining our flexible remote culture.

About This Role

As part of Intersect’s Development Engineering team, you’ll provide civil and structural guidance that turns early concepts into buildable, code-compliant designs for grid-scale solar, storage, and compute-adjacent data center sites. You’ll set clear design criteria, optimize layouts for land and cost efficiency, and coordinate technical diligence so projects move from site control through Issued for Construction (IFC) with fewer surprises.

You’ll work as an individual contributor while partnering closely with Development, Real Estate, Permitting, Construction, Finance, and external A/E consultants, EPC partners and general contractors. Your work ensures safe, timely, and cost-effective delivery.

Team Overview

The Development Engineering team transforms vision into reality. By owning the civil and structural foundations of project design from early due diligence through Issued for Construction (IFC) and into construction support we de-risk land, permitting, cost, and schedule so Intersect can scale clean energy infrastructure at speed. Our work blends deep technical rigor with practical project management, in close collaboration with EPC partners, consultants, utilities, and internal teams to ensure seamless delivery. Joining this team means contributing directly to Intersect’s mission of powering a sustainable future while growing your expertise in large-scale power project execution.

What You’ll Do

• Set the design criteria & align stakeholders
• Collaborate with internal teams, hyperscalers, external consultants, and AHJs to define and develop civil and structural design criteria aligned with project goals and regulatory requirements
• Provide civil engineering direction and oversight for data center-adjacent power facilities, coordinating closely with A/E consultants and general contractors
• Support project development from concept to completion, identifying and mitigating design, budget, and schedule risks with a civil-engineering focus
• Translate commercial, permitting, and site constraints into clear engineering guidance and decision-ready documentation
• Optimize layouts for land, cost & permitting
• Optimize civil site layouts for efficient land use, considering equipment selection, topography, environmental constraints, and permitting requirements
• Balance constructability, cost, and schedule while iterating designs to reduce risk and improve outcomes
• Run technical diligence & surveys
• Manage and coordinate site technical diligence, including hydrology, geotechnical, and transportation studies
• Procure boundary/topographic surveys and crossing/encroachment matrices; coordinate crossing locations with utilities, landowners, and other stakeholders
• Lead engineering consultants and general contractors through constraint mapping, civil and structural design, value engineering, and design reviews
• Ensure designs comply with relevant codes, industry standards, and project specifications, maintaining clear, review-ready documentation
• Work closely with Wind, PV, BESS, Data Center, and High-Voltage engineering teams to resolve interfaces and deliver integrated designs
• Assist in obtaining development and construction permits, ensuring compliance with local regulations and expediting approvals
• Support value engineering and prepare civil/structural scope and contract exhibits, ensuring cost-effective solutions aligned with project specifications

What You’ll Bring

• A bachelor’s degree in civil or structural engineering or equivalent experience that prepares you to guide complex site designs
• 7+ years of technical civil/structural design experience, including 2+ years leading multidisciplinary design processes for utility-scale power projects
• Strong command of design development, construction methods, relevant codes and standards, and safety fundamentals for large-scale site work
• Ability to balance design, production, cost, schedule, and land‑use considerations; and to clearly explain tradeoffs to diverse audiences
• Proven project management skills with the judgment to prioritize across multiple, simultaneous projects
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit, and Civil 3D; familiarity with project tools such as Procore and MS Project (or similar)
• Collaborative communicator who builds trust with internal teams, EPCs, consultants, AHJs, and landowners
• A growth mindset, curiosity to learn, willingness to mentor peers and drive to improve playbooks and standards

Bonus Points

• Hands‑on experience with grading, stormwater management, erosion control, and SWPPP preparation
• Experience taking projects from early site diligence through construction

Total Rewards

Compensation: USD$188,000 to USD$200,000 (total compensation includes base salary + bonus)

Equity: Beyond your salary, you’ll receive an Equity Grant, giving you a meaningful stake in our parent company.

Health & wellness: 100% premium coverage for you and your dependents on medical, dental, and vision

Time to recharge: Unlimited PTO, plus two company-wide breaks (Fourth of July & end of year)

Family support: Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, plus 6 additional weeks for birth parents; access to family planning and family care support through Carrot and Maven

Mental health: Free access to Spring Health, including 5 free therapy and psychiatry sessions, plus a Headspace account for mindfulness and meditation through our physical health vendor, Wellhub+

Perks & extras: $150 monthly food stipend, $150 monthly reimbursement for cell phone and internet, pet insurance allowance, full home office setup, free access to UrbanSitter with $625 in quarterly company-paid credits, ActiveHero, and One Medical

Intersect maintains a work environment free from discrimination, one where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling Intersect's commitment to equal employment opportunity. Intersect does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by and consistent with applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline.

We sometimes use AI-powered note taking tools during interviews to support our team. They're used only for documentation and don't replace human judgment.