Civil Field Engineer

Pinnacle Recruitment; California (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Hatch is seeking a Licensed Civil Engineer to lead field activities on major industrial, energy and infrastructure projects in California. The position emphasizes field leadership, quality assurance and collaboration with owners, designers and contractors on complex works.

The candidate will progress toward a Resident Engineer role, ensuring compliance with drawings, specs and safety standards while coordinating across multiple disciplines on site.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
• Active California PE license in Civil Engineering, in good standing.
• 10–15 years of progressive civil engineering/construction experience on major projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide field leadership as senior civil representative at the project site.
• Transition into Resident Engineer role and manage responsibilities under project delivery.
• Oversee civil, structural and site-development work and ensure compliance with drawings, specs, codes and permits.
• Coordinate with design teams, owner reps, contractors and consultants to resolve technical issues.
• Review field changes, RFIs and submittals for feasibility, constructability and safety.
• Maintain records, approvals and documentation; support turnover and commissioning.
• Support safety, quality, schedule and cost performance through proactive coordination.
• Engage with regulatory and stakeholder bodies to ensure compliance.

Skills

Field Leadership

Resident Engineer

Communication

Problem Solving

Safety Awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering

Job description

Our client is a prestigious infrastructure development firm located in Central California with projects across the United States. We actively seek a Licensed PE Civil Engineer to lead highly celebrated public works and alternative energy projects in CA over the next four years. These projects will be state of the art facilities, aimed at increasing efficiency with long term environmentally focused new technology.

Position Overview

The Field Engineer Civil will serve as senior civil engineering representative at the project site and is expected to transition into the designated Resident Engineer role as construction progresses. This individual will provide technical leadership and field engineering oversight for civil, structural and site-development activities, ensuring construction conforms to approved drawings, specifications, applicable codes, permit requirements and established project quality standards.

Working closely with engineering and project leadership, project owner representatives, construction management, contractors and specialty consultants, the Field Engineer Civil will resolve field issues, coordinate technical information, evaluate proposed changes and support safe, timely and compliant project execution.

The successful candidate must possess an active California Professional Engineer license in Civil Engineering and have 10 to 15 years of progressively responsible civil engineering and construction experience on major industrial, energy, infrastructure, heavy civil or similarly complex projects.

Key Responsibilities

Field Engineering Leadership

• Serve as senior civil engineering representative at the project site.
• Transition into the project’s Resident Engineer role and perform the associated responsibilities within the authority delegated by Hatch and the project owner.
• Provide technical leadership for civil, structural and site-development construction activities.
• Serve as the primary onsite liaison among company's design engineering teams, owner representatives, construction management, contractors and specialty consultants regarding civil engineering matters.
• Interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, design criteria, calculations and applicable codes for field personnel.
• Promote effective communication and timely resolution of technical issues affecting construction.
• Support an integrated project culture focused on safety, quality, collaboration, schedule performance and technical excellence.

Civil Construction Oversight

• Monitor civil construction activities for conformance with approved drawings, specifications, codes, permits and project requirements.
• Provide field engineering oversight for work that may include mass grading, excavation, underground structures, foundations, concrete, structural interfaces, roads, drainage, utilities, retaining systems and related site infrastructure.
• Support civil and structural work associated with major mechanical equipment, rotating equipment, electrical infrastructure, thermal-storage systems and other plant facilities.
• Review construction methods, sequencing and temporary works that could affect permanent civil or structural systems.
• Verify that approved construction documents and current revisions are available to field personnel.
• Identify potential conflicts, omissions and constructability concerns before they affect safety, quality, cost or schedule.
• Participate in field walks, construction coordination meetings and readiness reviews.
• Monitor civil construction progress and promptly escalates technical or execution risks to project leadership.

Resident Engineer Responsibilities

• Act as the designated onsite Resident Engineer when formally assigned by company and authorized under the project delivery structure.
• Provide responsible engineering oversight for civil work performed at the project site.
• Exercise professional engineering judgment consistent with California laws, regulations and standards of practice.
• Review and evaluate field conditions, contractor questions, proposed deviations and technical issues affecting the civil design.
• Confirm that engineering decisions and field changes are appropriately documented, reviewed and approved.
• Coordinate with the Engineer of Record and discipline leads when an issue requires design revision, calculation, formal approval or professional sealing.
• Maintain clear boundaries between field interpretation, delegated engineering authority and work requiring approval by the Engineer of Record.
• Support required certifications, completion documentation and regulatory submissions within the authority assigned to the Resident Engineer.
• Represent company in technical meetings with the owner, contractors, inspectors, agencies and other project stakeholders.

Technical Coordination and Issue Resolution

• Coordinate responses to requests for information, technical queries, field clarification requests and design interpretation questions.
• Review contractor submittals, shop drawings, product data, material substitutions and construction procedures within the assigned discipline and delegated authority.
• Facilitate timely communication between site personnel and offsite engineering teams.
• Evaluate field conditions that differ from design assumptions and coordinate appropriate technical resolutions.
• Review proposed field changes for technical feasibility, code compliance, constructability and potential effects on other disciplines.
• Coordinate civil interfaces with structural, mechanical, piping, electrical, geotechnical, underground and commissioning teams.
• Maintain technical issue logs and monitor open items through resolution and formal closeout.
• Ensure verbal field direction affecting design or construction requirements is documented through the appropriate project-control process.

Quality Assurance and Construction Compliance

• Work closely with project quality personnel to verify that civil construction meets approved quality plans, inspection and test plans, specifications and acceptance criteria.
• Participate in inspections of earthwork, reinforcement, formwork, concrete placement, foundations, underground utilities, drainage systems and other civil construction activities.
• Review inspection reports, laboratory testing results, survey information and material certifications.
• Identify deficient or nonconforming work and support the development, technical review and closure of corrective actions.
• Review nonconformance reports and proposed dispositions within delegated engineering authority.
• Verify that required hold points, witness points and testing activities are completed before work proceeds.
• Coordinate with geotechnical engineers, testing laboratories, special inspectors, surveyors and other technical specialists.
• Support final inspections, punch-list development and verification of completed corrective work.

Design Change and Document Control

• Support the management of field design changes, technical deviations and construction modifications.
• Evaluate potential impacts of proposed changes on design integrity, permitting, safety, quality, cost, schedule and other disciplines.
• Ensure field changes receive the required technical review and approval before implementation.
• Maintain accurate records of engineering decisions, field instructions, design clarifications and approved modifications.
• Monitor redline drawings and contractor markups to support accurate record drawings and final as-built documentation.
• Verify that superseded drawings and specifications are removed from active field use.
• Support turnover of civil engineering records, inspection documentation and completion packages.

Contractor and Stakeholder Coordination

• Establish productive working relationships with contractors, subcontractors, owner representatives, inspectors and project consultants.
• Provide timely technical guidance while maintaining appropriate contractual and professional boundaries.
• Participate in daily and weekly construction coordination meetings.
• Review contractor look-ahead schedules to identify upcoming civil engineering decisions, inspections and information needs.
• Coordinate access to company engineering resources when specialized design support is required.
• Support resolution of contractor claims or change requests by documenting field conditions and providing objective technical analysis.
• Communicate emerging risks, unresolved issues and required decisions to project leadership.

Safety and Environmental Support

• Integrate safety considerations into field engineering decisions, construction planning and technical reviews.
• Coordinate with the Site HSE Manager when construction methods, temporary works or field changes may introduce health, safety or environmental risks.
• Participate in constructability and risk reviews for high-hazard civil activities, including excavation, underground construction, temporary shoring, heavy lifts and work near energized or operating systems.
• Exercise stop-work authority when an observed condition presents an imminent danger or material risk to personnel, the environment or permanent works.
• Support compliance with project permits and environmental requirements applicable to civil construction activities.

Project Completion and Commissioning Support

• Support system turnover, mechanical completion and commissioning-readiness activities involving civil and structural systems.
• Verify completion of outstanding civil work, inspections, testing and documentation.
• Participate in punch-list walks and monitor civil items through final closure.
• Assist with resolution of civil or structural issues identified during equipment installation, testing or commissioning.
• Support preparation of turnover packages, record drawings, certifications and final construction documentation.
• Contribute to lessons-learned activities and project closeout reporting.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from an accredited institution.
• Active California Professional Engineer license in Civil Engineering, in good standing.
• Between 10 and 15 years of progressively responsible civil engineering and construction experience.
• Significant site-based field engineering experience on major industrial, energy, power-generation, heavy-civil, infrastructure, mining, oil and gas or similarly complex construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a Field Engineer, Resident Engineer, Civil Construction Engineer or comparable onsite engineering authority.
• Strong knowledge of civil construction practices, engineering standards, construction specifications and applicable California building and safety requirements.
• Experience reviewing RFIs, submittals, shop drawings, field changes, nonconformance reports and record drawings.
• Experience providing technical oversight for concrete, foundations, earthwork, underground utilities, drainage and site-development work.
• Ability to read and interpret civil, structural, geotechnical and multidisciplinary construction documents.
• Understanding of professional engineering responsibilities and delegated authority under California law.
• Strong technical writing, documentation, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with owners, design professionals, construction managers, inspectors and contractors.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting construction or commissioning of power-generation, energy-storage, process-plant, mining or major utility facilities.
• Experience with underground construction, tunneling, large excavations, geotechnical systems or subsurface structures.
• Experience with foundations and structural systems supporting large rotating or process equipment.
• Familiarity with compressed-air, pressure-system or thermal-storage facilities.
• Experience with Engineer Procure Construct, Engineer Procure Construction Management or construction-management project delivery models.
• Experience coordinating with California regulatory agencies, authorities having jurisdiction and special inspection personnel.
• Familiarity with digital field-management, document-control and construction collaboration platforms.
• Experience working in a union or multiemployer construction environment.

Leadership Competencies

• Sound and independent professional judgment.
• Visible and credible field leadership.
• Strong technical and constructability perspective.
• Timely, practical problem-solving.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Effective contractor and stakeholder coordination.
• Attention to engineering detail and documentation.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced field environment.
• Commitment to safety, quality and professional accountability.
• Ability to escalte issues appropriately and drive them through resolution.

Work Environment

This is a site-based position supporting an active industrial construction project. The role requires frequent presence in field construction areas and regular interaction with contractors, inspectors, supervisors and craft personnel. The employee must be able to navigate uneven terrain, climb stairs and ladders, enter active construction areas and wear required personal protective equipment.

The position may require extended workdays, occasional weekend or after-hours coverage, and availability during critical civil work, concrete placements, inspections, major equipment installation, system turnover and commissioning activities.