Design Engineer — Civil Infrastructure

Hovland Barnes; Tennessee; On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hovland Barnes seeks a Design Engineer — Civil Infrastructure to own project design from concept through permitting and construction close-out. You will lead civil site layouts, roadways, water and sewer systems, and coordinate with clients and regulators to move projects forward.

You’ll mentor CAD staff, write specifications and permit applications, review drawings and RFIs, and manage your schedule with a bias for timely, quality deliverables.

Qualifications

• Active PE license.
• Background in civil site design and municipal infrastructure.
• Track record of managing projects, not just contributing to them.
• Strong communication skills with clients, regulators, and team.
• Judgment to know when to seek peer review and initiative to offer it to others.

Responsibilities

• Run engineering calculations for hydrology, hydraulics, detention, storm sewer, water, and sanitary systems.
• Develop civil layouts and concept plans for subdivisions, multi-family, and commercial/industrial sites.
• Design full infrastructure packages—roadways, water systems, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer.
• Lead projects through municipal and governmental approval processes.
• Attend and run meetings with clients, planning commissions, and city councils.
• Collaborate with CAD technicians to produce construction-ready plan sets.
• Write specifications, SWPPP documents, contracts, and permit applications.
• Review shop drawings, submittals, and RFIs.
• Manage your own project schedule and flag when extra hours are needed proactively.

Job description

About the job Design Engineer — Civil Infrastructure

This role is for you if...

You're a licensed engineer who's tired of being handed pieces of projects. You want to own the full arc — from early concept and due diligence through design, permitting, and construction close-out. You're comfortable talking to clients, walking a municipal meeting room, and mentoring a CAD technician in the same week.

What your day-to-day actually looks like

No two weeks are the same. You'll move between:

• Running engineering calculations — hydrology, hydraulics, detention, storm sewer, water, and sanitary sewer systems
• Developing civil layouts and concept plans for residential subdivisions, multi-family, and commercial/industrial sites
• Designing full infrastructure packages — roadways, water systems, storm sewer, sanitary sewer
• Leading projects through municipal and governmental approval processes
• Attending and running meetings with clients, planning commissions, and city councils
• Collaborating with CAD technicians to produce complete, construction-ready plan sets
• Writing specifications, SWPPP documents, contracts, and permit applications
• Reviewing shop drawings, submittals, and RFIs
• Managing your own project schedule — and flagging when extra hours are needed before anyone has to ask

What you'll grow into

Engineers here don't just execute — they develop. You'll be involved in writing cost proposals, building qualification packages, and participating in business development. Over time, you'll build direct client relationships and gain experience presenting to government bodies and community groups.

You're likely a strong fit if you have

• An active PE license
• A background in civil site design and municipal infrastructure
• A track record of managing projects, not just contributing to them
• Strong communication skills — with clients, regulators, and your own team
• The judgment to know when to ask for peer review and the initiative to offer it to others

What makes this a place worth joining

• Real project ownership from day one
• Diverse project types — no assembly-line work
• A team structure that gives you freedom to grow
• Direct access to clients and decision-makers
• Leadership that trusts engineers to manage their own work