Civil Engineer

Sanctuary; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A visionary community developer in Austin, Texas seeks a Civil Engineer to lead the design and development of sustainable living spaces. The role involves significant responsibilities, from grading and drainage to coordinating with architectural teams and ensuring compliance with local codes. Ideal candidates will have 6–10 years of experience in civil engineering, particularly in residential or mixed-use developments. Join us to shape innovative communities that prioritize nature and well-being.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years in site/civil design, grading, or land development.
• Residential, mixed-use, or master-planned community experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead civil engineering for community development.
• Prepare and submit permit-ready civil drawing sets.
• Work closely with architects and construction teams.
• Coordinate civil work packages including roads and utilities.

Skills

Grading design

Stormwater management

Drainage modeling

Road layouts

Utility corridors

Cut-fill optimization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering

Master’s preferred

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Job description

Type: Full-time

Compensation: $90,000 - $180,000 annually

Location: Austin, TX

Company: sanctuary.co

Who we are

Sanctuary builds nature‑led, wellness‑centered communities that feel alive. Our first 135‑acre residential community in the Texas Hill Country is designed with non‑toxic materials, clean water filtration systems, EMF‑conscious design, and 135 acres of preserved land and eco‑sensitive planning.

We are a global team of designers, architects, engineers, and dreamers building spaces that restore and inspire. For us, it’s not just where people live – it’s how they live.

We’re a team spread across 8 countries, building our first community in Austin, Texas. This is only the beginning. Our vision is to bring Sanctuary to major cities around the world: healthy, sovereign communities that sit on the edges of every modern metropolis.

What this role really means

For too long, we’ve relied on outside consultants for grading, drainage, and site layout – and frankly, it slowed us down and diluted the beauty of what we’re building.

We’re bringing this role in-house because we need someone who sees land as a canvas, not a constraint.

You will literally shape how the community feels underfoot:

• Roads that follow the land instead of fighting it
• Homes tucked gracefully into natural contours
• Stormwater systems that follow the logic of nature

This is a rare chance to blend engineering, architecture, sustainability, and design into one high‑impact role.

Your impact will show up everywhere

Your work determines:

• Pace: How fast we can build.
• Aesthetics: How beautifully each home sits within the land.
• Sustainability: How thoughtfully we work with nature.

Your role (end‑to‑end)

You will lead civil engineering for our entire community – full stop.

Site & Land Development

• Full‑site grading, drainage, roadway layout, and retaining design
• Creating grading that makes every home feel naturally placed
• Topography‑driven design that minimizes cuts, scars, and cost

Permitting & Approvals

• Prepare and submit permit‑ready civil drawing sets for TCEQ, Hays County, City of Dripping Springs, and own the entire permitting process end‑to‑end.

Cross‑functional Design Leadership

• Work closely with global architects, designers, and MEP teams
• Collaborate daily with construction in Austin to ensure buildability
• Guide design decisions using deep knowledge of Texas codes and standards

Technical Execution

• Translate geotechnical & survey data into actionable plans
• Develop drainage models, stormwater paths, and cut‑fill strategies
• Coordinate civil work packages: roads, driveways, water/sewer, utilities
• Review consultant work and integrate it into Sanctuary standards

Systems & Standards

• Build the foundation of Sanctuary’s civil engineering processes
• Create templates, workflows, and documentation that scale to future communities

What You Bring

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (Master’s preferred but not required)

Experience

• 6–10 years in site/civil design, grading, or land development
• Residential, mixed‑use, or master‑planned community experience is a plus

Technical Strength

• Grading design, stormwater management, drainage modeling
• Road layouts, utility corridors, cut‑fill optimization
• Revit + AutoCAD Civil 3D (or equivalent tools)

Mindset

• Thinks with both logic and imagination
• Designs for beauty and practicality
• Loves land, water, slope, and the challenge of making them work together
• Thrives in ambiguity and early‑stage building
• Wants your engineering to actually mean something

Why This Role Is Special

• Civil engineers rarely get to work this close to architectural vision, environmental conservation, holistic community design, and a founding team shaping an entirely new way of living.

At Sanctuary, your work won’t disappear into a giant firm’s folder structure. Your decisions will shape the roads people walk, the views they wake up to, the water that runs through the land, and the experience of a community designed to make life feel better. This is engineering with meaning, heart, and care for people and the planet.

If you’re the kind of engineer who wants to build more than infrastructure…

If you want to build a new way of living, we’d love to meet you!

Compensation Range: $90K - $180K