Civil Preconstruction Engineer

H&MV Engineering; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

H&MV Engineering is seeking a Civil Preconstruction Engineer to support project development and estimating by evaluating site conditions, earthworks, foundations, drainage, and constructability.

You will review bid drawings, identify gaps, and provide risk-informed inputs to the civil estimating team while coordinating with design and construction professionals. This role emphasizes practical, cost-effective solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field preferred.
• Experience with earthworks, drainage, foundations, and site development.
• Ability to read and explain civil drawings and specs.
• Strong communication with clients and teams.

Responsibilities

• Review site investigation reports and topographic surveys.
• Develop earthwork quantities and volumetric analyses using CAD tools.
• Assess foundation concepts, depths, and geotechnical data.
• Identify risks, gaps, and constructability issues for bids.
• Coordinate with estimating, design, planning, and field teams.

Skills

Civil engineering

Field engineering

Reading drawings

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

Civil 3D

Trimble Business Center

AutoCAD

GIS

Job description

H&MV Engineering is a global leader in high-voltage electrical engineering, driving the transition to a sustainable future. We operate at the forefront of renewable energy, data centers, and complex utility projects - powered by a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.

Our foundation is built on safety, collaboration, and respect. These values shape how we work, how we lead, and how we grow.

At H&MV Engineering, growth isn't just a goal - it's a mindset.

We invest in our people, offering opportunities to develop, lead, and influence the future of energy. We value passion, motivation, and strong problem-solving skills, and we believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes.

We're not here to keep up - we're here to lead.

About the Role

The Civil Preconstruction Engineer supports project development and estimating activities by evaluating site conditions, earthworks, foundation requirements, drainage design, constructability, and schedule impacts. The role provides technical due diligence during bid and proposal development, ensuring civil scopes are accurately defined, risks are identified early, and construction methodologies are practical and cost effective.

It is not primarily a proposal-writing position, and it does not require the person to act as the Engineer of Record.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Site Investigation & Existing Conditions Review

• Review site investigation reports, topographic surveys, geotechnical information, drainage studies, utility records, environmental constraints, and available as-built information.
• Participate in site inspections and document access, laydown, logistics, ground-condition, drainage, and construction constraints.
• Identify missing information and develop focused requests for information or clarifications.

2. Earthworks & Volumetric Analysis

• Develop or review existing ground and proposed-grade surfaces using CAD, Civil 3D, Trimble Business Center, or comparable tools.
• Calculate cut, fill, stripping, unsuitable-material, import, export, and aggregate requirements.
• Assess earthwork balance, haul strategy, working platforms, stockpile areas, shrink/swell assumptions, and disposal constraints.
• Prepare clear volumetric reports, calculation summaries, exhibits, and quantity back-up for estimating.

3. Foundation & Geotechnical Review

• Review foundation layouts, schedules, dimensions, embedment depths, and installation requirements.
• Compare proposed foundation concepts and depths with available geotechnical recommendations and known site conditions.
• Identify groundwater, excavation stability, unsuitable material, working-platform, access, and installation risks.
• Flag apparent design gaps, impractical details, or conditions requiring review by the licensed design professional.

4. Drawings, Design Criteria & Specification Review

• Review bid drawings, design-of-record documents, functional specifications, civil specifications, client standards, and preliminary design packages.
• Check civil information for internal consistency across grading, drainage, foundations, underground utilities, roads, fencing, equipment layouts, and construction limits.
• Highlight scope gaps, conflicting requirements, incomplete details, and assumptions that affect price or execution.

5. Constructability & Execution Planning

• Develop a practical understanding of the project from mobilization and site setup through earthworks, undergrounds, foundations, access roads, drainage, surfacing, and final restoration.
• Review work sequencing, equipment selection, access and haul routes, work areas, temporary works, laydown, and interfaces with electrical and structural scopes.
• Assess whether slopes, drainage features, foundation installation, and civil details can be safely and efficiently constructed.
• Identify value-engineering opportunities and alternative construction approaches without compromising technical requirements.

6. Schedule & Delivery Risk Review

• Review bid and construction schedules, milestones, access dates, design release dates, procurement dependencies, outages, phasing, and client handover requirements.
• Validate key civil production assumptions and activity durations against the proposed method and available work fronts.
• Identify schedule risks, predecessor activities, resource constraints, and opportunities to improve sequencing.
• Provide quantity, productivity, methodology, and risk inputs to the civil estimating team.
• Coordinate with estimating, design, planning/scheduling, procurement, commercial, and project-delivery personnel.
• Participate in technical reviews, maintain action logs, and close out assigned bid inputs on schedule.
• Support formal handover of civil assumptions, quantities, exclusions, clarifications, and identified risks after award.

Key Requirements

• Five or more years of relevant experience in heavy civil construction, site development, infrastructure, utilities, energy, data centers, industrial works, or comparable field-based construction.
• Demonstrated progression through field engineer, site engineer, project engineer, superintendent, construction manager, project manager, or a similar technically grounded role.
• Practical experience with earthworks, drainage, underground utilities, concrete foundations, site logistics, and construction sequencing.
• Ability to read civil drawings and specifications and explain how the work should be built, measured, and priced.
• Experience identifying constructability, ground-condition, access, schedule, and delivery risks.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to work with clients, designers, subcontractors, estimators, and construction teams.

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline is preferred. Equivalent substantial field and technical construction experience may be considered.
• Prior substation or data-center experience is preferred but not required when the candidate demonstrates strong civil fundamentals and sound construction judgment.

Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of earthwork calculations, grading, drainage, foundations, and site-development principles.
• Experience with Civil 3D, Trimble Business Center, AutoCAD, GIS, or comparable quantity and surface-modeling tools is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Bluebeam, and common document-control or collaboration platforms.
• Ability to prepare clear calculation back-up, markups, sketches, quantity tables, reports, and review comments.
• Familiarity with U.S. construction terminology, bid documents, schedules, quality requirements, and subcontractor coordination.

H&MV Engineering is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Ready to energize your career?

Join our inclusive team and help build a brighter, more sustainable future - one project at a time.