Civil Engineer

Qcells USA Corp.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

Hanwha Q CELLS America Inc. is seeking a Civil Engineer to act as SME for civil engineering across community solar, C&I, PV+ESS, PV-only, and ESS-only projects in the United States.

You will support origination, development, engineering, permitting, EPC procurement, construction, and commissioning. You will lead civil workstreams, review site surveys, identify risks, and coordinate with internal teams and EPC partners to ensure designs meet local, state, and federal requirements while optimizing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering required.
• 5+ years of civil engineering experience in solar/storage/renewable projects.
• Experience with grading, drainage, stormwater, and civil design practices.
• Experience reviewing geotechnical, hydrology, and drainage reports.
• Understanding of permitting & site development processes.
• Experience managing engineering consultants & deliverables.
• Strong project management & organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Technical Lead/SME for all Civil Engineering matters across the project portfolio.
• Provide civil engineering support during origination, acquisition, development, construction, and commissioning.
• Review sites for civil constraints, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Support due diligence for project acquisitions and development opportunities.
• Evaluate sites for grading, drainage, floodplain, access, and constructability.
• Review topographic, ALTA, and site investigation reports.
• Support development teams in evaluating layouts and civil feasibility.
• Review SWPPP and drainage studies.
• Evaluate hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for compliance.
• Support permitting related to erosion control, stormwater, wetlands, and water resources.
• Coordinate SWPPP and stormwater permit requirements.
• Manage geotechnical investigations and consultants.
• Review geotechnical reports and provide foundation/road design guidance.
• Coordinate geotechnical risk resolutions with stakeholders and EPC partners.
• Manage civil engineering consultants and subcontractors.
• Develop scopes of work and support RFPs for civil/ surveying/ hydrology/ geotechnical services.
• Ensure deliverables align with objectives and budgets.
• Review EPC civil design packages and construction drawings.
• Support technical evaluation of EPC proposals and bid packages.
• Participate in design reviews and value engineering for cost optimization.
• Support construction teams in field changes, RFIs, and civil issues.
• Collaborate with Development, Project Engineering, Environmental, Real Estate, PM, and EPC teams.
• Support permitting with AHJs and regulators.
• Provide technical support for stakeholder meetings with landowners, authorities, utilities, consultants, contractors.
• Support project risk assessments and readiness reviews.

Skills

Civil Engineering

Site grading

Stormwater management

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

Civil 3D

AutoCAD

GIS

HydroCAD

Job description

Description

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Civil Engineer will serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all Civil Engineering aspects of community solar, commercial & industrial (C&I), PV+ESS, PV-only, and ESS-only projects across the United States. The Civil Engineer will support project origination, development, engineering, permitting, EPC procurement, construction, and commissioning activities. This position will work closely with Development, Project Engineering, Interconnection, Project Management, Environmental, EPC contractors, surveyors, geotechnical consultants, and AHJs to identify civil-related risks, optimsize project designs, and ensure successful project execution.

This role is responsible for managing civil engineering workstreams throughout the project lifecycle and providing technical leadership on site feasibility, grading, drainage, stormwater management, access roads, and constructability.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the Technical Lead/ Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all Civil Engineering matters across the project portfolio.
• Provide civil engineering support during project origination, acquisition, development, construction, and commissioning.
• Review project sites and identify civil-related constraints, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Support technical due diligence activities for project acquisitions and development opportunities.
• Evaluate project sites for grading requirements, drainage constraints, floodplain impacts, access limitations, and constructability considerations.
• Support site selection efforts by identifying civil engineering risks and development constraints.
• Review topographic surveys, boundary surveys, ALTA surveys, and site investigation reports.
• Support development teams in evaluating project layouts and civil feasibility.
• Review stormwater management plans and drainage studies prepared by engineering consultants.
• Evaluate hydrologic and hydraulic analyses to ensure project compliance with local, state, and federal requirements.
• Support permitting efforts related to erosion control, stormwater management, wetlands, and water resource protection.
• Coordinate review of SWPPPs and construction stormwater permit requirements.
• Manage geotechnical investigations and consultant deliverables.
• Review geotechnical reports and provide recommendations regarding foundations, pile design, access roads, grading requirements, and construction considerations.
• Coordinate resolution of geotechnical risks with internal stakeholders and EPC partners.
• Manage civil engineering consultants and subcontractors throughout project development and execution.
• Develop scopes of work and support RFP processes for civil engineering, surveying, hydrology, and geotechnical services.
• Review consultant deliverables for technical quality, completeness, and schedule compliance.
• Ensure engineering deliverables remain aligned with project objectives and budgets.
• Review EPC civil design packages and construction drawings.
• Support technical evaluation of EPC proposals and project bid packages.
• Participate in design reviews and value engineering efforts to optimize project cost and constructability.
• Support construction teams in evaluating field changes, RFIs, and civil-related technical issues.
• Work closely with Development, Project Engineering, Environmental, Real Estate, Project Management, and EPC teams.
• Support permitting activities and interactions with AHJs and regulatory agencies.
• Provide technical support for stakeholder meetings involving landowners, permitting authorities, utilities, consultants, and contractors.
• Support project risk assessments and readiness reviews.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
• 5+ years of civil engineering experience supporting solar, energy storage, renewable energy, land development, transportation, or utility infrastructure projects.
• Experience with site grading, drainage, stormwater management, and civil design practices.
• Experience reviewing geotechnical, hydrology, and drainage reports.
• Understanding of permitting requirements and site development processes.
• Experience managing engineering consultants and technical deliverables.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• Experience supporting community solar, commercial solar, distributed generation, and/or battery energy storage projects.
• Experience with Civil 3D, AutoCAD, GIS, HydroCAD, or similar engineering software.
• Familiarity with SWPPP development and stormwater permitting requirements.
• Experience supporting EPC contractor coordination and construction activities.
• Experience reviewing grading and drainage design packages for renewable energy projects.

COMPENSATION:

In accordance with applicable pay transparency laws, the anticipated annual base salary for this position is:

• Zone 1 (Bay Area, NYC): $120,400 – $144,400
• Zone 2 (CA, NJ, NY): $110,300 – $132,300
• Zone 3 (All others): $100,300 – $120,300

The applicable salary range is based on the employee’s primary work location. Individual compensation will be determined based on qualifications, relevant experience, education, skills, internal equity, and other business-related factors.

Hanwha Q CELLS America Inc. (“HQCA”) is a Qcells company, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and providers of solar photovoltaic (PV) products and solutions. Headquartered in Irvine, California, HQCA has been rapidly expanding its business in North America through the expansion of products and solutions, including distributed energy solutions, direct-to-homeowner solar sales and financing, and EPC services. We provide an opportunity to be part of an exciting and growing world-class global business in an interesting and expanding industry of the future.

PHYSICAL, MENTAL & ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS:

To comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the essential physical, mental and environmental requirements for this job are listed below. These are requirements normally expected to perform the regular job duties. Incumbent must be able to successfully perform all of the functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Mobility

Standing 20% of time

Sitting 70% of time

Walking 10% of time

Strength Pulling up to 10 Pounds

Pushing up to 10 Pounds

Carrying up to 10 Pounds

Lifting up to 10 Pounds

Dexterity (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Never)

Typing F

Handling F

Reaching F

Agility (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Never)

Turning F

Twisting F

Bending O

Crouching O

Balancing N

Climbing N

Crawling N

Kneeling N

The salary range is required by the California Pay Transparency Act and may differ depending on the location of those candidates hired nationwide. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to, skill set, education, licenses and certifications, essential job duties and required, and the necessary experience relative to the job’s minimum qualifications.

*This target salary range is for CA positions only and should not be interpreted as an offer of compensation.

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