Commercial Construction Project Engineer

Citadel-Development-Services-LL; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Training & development

Vision insurance

Job summary

Citadel Development Services, LLC is seeking a Project Engineer to manage submittals, procurement, and multi-project coordination for Texas-based ground-up QSR, retail, and multi-family builds. The role demands meticulous documentation, proactive vendor management, and close collaboration with PMs and superintendents to maintain schedule and margin.

The Project Engineer will own paper, process, and follow-up on submittals, subcontracts, and permits, ensuring timely approvals, compliance, and

Responsibilities

• Own the full submittal workflow in Procore from log creation through approved-for-construction distribution.
• Drive major-trade subcontracts and POs to full execution prior to mobilization.
• Maintain a live subcontract status log — issued, out for signature, executed, fully compliant.
• Post actual costs and invoices to the project budget on a weekly cadence.
• Track permit status across all projects and coordinate inspections.

Tools

Procore

Smartsheet

Harvest

Job description

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Vision insurance

The Project Engineer is the execution engine behind every Phase 3 project at Citadel Development Services, LLC (CDS). This role owns the paper, the process, and the follow-up that allow Project Managers and Superintendents to build fast and build right. Submittals, subcontracts, purchase orders, permits, actuals, and closeout documentation move because the Project Engineer moves them — daily, with urgency, without being asked twice.

CDS builds ground-up QSR, retail, and multi-family projects across Texas on aggressive schedules. Every day a submittal sits unreviewed or a subcontract sits unsigned is a day of schedule and margin exposure. This position exists to eliminate those days. This is not a paper-pushing job. It is the training ground for a CDS Project Manager. The Project Engineer who owns their scope relentlessly will be running their own projects.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Submittal Process — Owner

• Own the full submittal workflow in Procore from log creation through approved-for-construction distribution.
• Build and maintain the submittal log for each assigned project at buyout, tied to the project schedule and long-lead procurement dates.
• Review incoming subcontractor and vendor submittals for completeness and conformance to the construction documents and specifications before routing. Reject incomplete packages — do not pass problems upstream.
• Route to the design team and client, track review durations, and drive resolution on anything sitting past its due date.
• Escalate deficiencies, substitutions, and conflicts to the PM immediately. Bad news first, no surprises.
• Distribute approved submittals to Superintendents and affected trades and confirm the field is building off the current, approved information.

2. Subcontracts & Purchase Orders — Expeditious Execution

• Drive all major-trade subcontracts and POs to full execution prior to mobilization. This is a non-negotiable CDS standard.
• Assemble subcontract and PO packages from the awarded scope, buyout documents, and CDS contract templates for PM review.
• Own the follow-up. Track every unexecuted agreement and pursue it daily by email, call, and text until it is signed and returned. We do not expect, we inspect.
• Maintain a live subcontract status log — issued, out for signature, executed, fully compliant — visible to the PM and Sr. PM at all times.
• Collect and verify all onboarding compliance before mobilization: signed agreement, certificates of insurance meeting CDS requirements, W-9, safety documentation, and required endorsements.
• Manage lien waiver collection and conditional/unconditional waiver tracking in coordination with Finance.

3. Vendor & Subcontractor Sourcing

• Identify, prequalify, and onboard new subcontractors and vendors in new and existing Texas markets as directed by the PM, Sr. PM, or Estimating.
• Cold-call and qualify trade coverage in markets where CDS lacks depth. Confirm licensing, bonding capacity, insurance limits, references, and relevant project history.
• Keep the CDS subcontractor database current and clean. Add every new qualified contact with market, trade, and contact detail.
• Support Estimating with bid coverage on major trades when local relationships are thin.

4. Schedule & Budget Support

• At the direction of the Project Manager, update project schedules in Smartsheet with actual start and completion dates, progress, and revised durations.
• Post actual costs, committed costs, and invoices against the project budget on a weekly minimum cadence so project financials are accurate at all times.
• Flag variances, budget overruns, and schedule slippage to the PM the day they are identified — with the supporting numbers.
• Assist in preparing change order documentation, backup pricing, and cost tracking for PM review and client submission. No late or surprise change orders.
• Maintain two-week look-ahead and long-lead material tracking logs in support of the Superintendent and PM.

5. Permitting & Agency Follow-Up

• Track permit status across all assigned projects — building, MEP, health, fire, site, and utility — and report status weekly.
• Follow up directly with municipalities, plan reviewers, and third-party consultants to advance reviews, resolve comments, and secure issuance.
• Coordinate with the PH1/PH2 Due Diligence and Permitting team on handoff, open items, and outstanding conditions of approval.
• Schedule and confirm inspections; log results and coordinate corrections with the Superintendent.
• Track utility applications, service releases, meter sets, and franchise utility milestones — these are recurring schedule killers and require relentless follow-up.

6. Field Support — Superintendents & Sr. Superintendent

• Serve as the office-side resource for Superintendents and the Sr. Superintendent on whatever the job requires: material orders, equipment rentals, vendor coordination, document requests, and problem resolution.
• Expedite material and equipment procurement and delivery to keep crews working.
• Get on the ground as needed. Walk the job, understand what is actually being built, and bring solutions rather than questions.
• Support daily reporting, photo documentation, and safety documentation compliance.

7. General Project Administration

• Manage the RFI process in Procore — draft, log, route, track, and close out; distribute responses to the field and affected trades.
• Maintain project document control: current drawings, revisions, ASIs, bulletins, and specifications, with the field always working from the current set.
• Run meeting minutes for OAC and internal project meetings; publish action items with owners and dates within 24 hours.
• Drive project closeout: punch list tracking, O&M manuals, as-builts, warranties, attic stock, final lien waivers, and client turnover packages. CDS standard is all punch items complete within 7 days of CO.
• Support subcontractor pay application review and progress billing backup in coordination with Finance.
• Maintain accurate time and effort tracking in Harvest.
• Assist the PM in onboarding new projects handed off from Estimating and Preconstruction.