Lead Civil Engineer -- Energy & Industrial Group

Sargent & Lundy; Chattanooga (TN); Hybrid; USD 118,023 - 180,313; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Plans

401(k)

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Flexible Work Arrangements

Tuition Assistance

Employee Discount Program

Back‑Up Daycare

EAP

Paid Parental Leave

Job summary

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a senior civil engineer in Chattanooga, TN to work on power plant, substation, and heavy industrial projects.

You will lead civil site development, coordinate with managers and clients, prepare calculations and specifications, and mentor juniors; travel to client sites as needed; PE license required.

Qualifications

• A B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from an ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission-approved program.
• PE license required.
• Ten or more years of working in a project team environment in the design of heavy industrial projects, power plant experience preferred, with specific experience in site grading and mass earthwork, storm water management, sanitary sewage systems, process wastewater systems, and road and railroad track design.
• Experience in technical writing for reports, calculations, and specifications for civil engineering activities.
• Experience in preparing, submitting, and obtaining site-related design and environmental permits from a wide variety of regulatory agencies.
• Proficiency with AutoDesk Civil 3D, StormCad, PondPack, and AutoTurn.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to work in a team environment is essential.
• Occasional travel to client sites required.
• We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Responsibilities

• Prepare calculations relating to storm water drainage, sanitary sewer systems, pavement thickness, ponds and landfills, and earthwork, to support design and permitting.
• Prepare technical specifications to define construction requirements.
• Prepare site layout, grading, and drainage designs, and work with designers to accurately portray designs in 3‑D models and design drawings.
• Design storm drainage systems, roads, trackwork, water storage and wastewater disposal ponds, and solid waste landfills.
• Review contractor and material submittal drawings and other vendor documentation for conformity with technical specifications.
• Travel to client offices for design reviews and to plant site locations for construction coordination and field verification of designs.

Skills

PE license

Excellent communication

Team oriented

MS Office

Education

B.S. in Civil Engineering (ABET-accredited)

Tools

AutoDesk Civil 3D

StormCad

PondPack

AutoTurn

Job description

This position offers the opportunity to utilize and expand your civil engineering degree and skills, working in a multi-disciplined team environment with engineers and designers in the design, modification, and analysis of power plant, substations, transmission lines, and similar heavy industrial systems.

As a member of a multi-disciplined engineering and design team, you will work on a wide range of power plant projects and perform civil site development work including creating calculations, designs, and specifications. You will coordinate with project managers, client personnel, contractors and suppliers, and permitting agency personnel as necessary to ensure a complete and timely design.

Depending on the scope and complexity of the design, you may guide other civil engineers and civil designers in completing civil engineering project work.

Responsibilities

• Prepare calculations relating to storm water drainage, sanitary sewer systems, pavement thickness, ponds and landfills, and earthwork, to support design and permitting.
• Prepare technical specifications to define construction requirements.
• Prepare site layout, grading, and drainage designs, and work with designers to accurately portray designs in 3‑D models and design drawings.
• Design storm drainage systems, roads, trackwork, water storage and wastewater disposal ponds, and solid waste landfills.
• Review contractor and material submittal drawings and other vendor documentation for conformity with technical specifications.
• Travel to client offices for design reviews and to plant site locations for construction coordination and field verification of designs.

Work Schedule

This position is based on a hybrid work schedule and will require in‑office work 3 days per week.

Qualifications

• A B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from an ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission-approved program.
• PE license required.
• Ten or more years of working in a project team environment in the design of heavy industrial projects, power plant experience preferred, with specific experience in site grading and mass earthwork, storm water management, sanitary sewage systems, process wastewater systems, and road and railroad track design.
• Experience in technical writing for reports, calculations, and specifications for civil engineering activities.
• Experience in preparing, submitting, and obtaining site‑related design and environmental permits from a wide variety of regulatory agencies.
• Proficiency with one or more of the following civil engineering design tools: AutoDesk Civil 3D, StormCad, PondPack, and AutoTurn.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to work in a team environment is essential.
• Occasional travel to client sites required.
• We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Valued But Not Required Skills And Experience

• Experience with coal combustion residuals management and disposal preferred.

AI & Automation

In this role, we expect people to be willing or able to lead others who use modern tools. You are expected to lead others in taking engineering problems from issue to solution by setting expectations for using data and modern tools such as automation and AI to improve workflows, reduce rework, and deliver cost‑effective designs. Leaders in these roles often direct automation and process‑improvement work, for example, how teams automate calculations, summarize technical documents, or generate design documentation and guiding when and how AI or agentic AI tools are used while ensuring results are checked.

Overseeing engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs, is valued but not required.

We also value additional learning, such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields that enables effective oversight of automation and agentic AI‑enabled engineering workflows.

Award‑Winning Benefits

• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back‑Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA
• 401(k)
• Pre‑Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range

$118,023 - $180,313

Transparency Statement

Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well‑being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.

About This Business Unit

The Energy & Industrial Group (EIG) specializes in delivering advanced engineering solutions across various sectors, including power generation, environmental compliance, oil & gas, and industrial projects, from new plant design to plant betterment and upgrade services for operating facilities. We have designed nearly 900 conventional power plants, yielding over 100,000 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. Our expertise includes numerous recent and ongoing combined cycle projects that leverage the latest advanced machinery, including combustion turbines, steam turbines, and heat recovery steam generators from all leading suppliers. EIG is recognized for its commitment to decarbonization through innovative technologies in renewable energy, carbon capture, and hydrogen power. We excel in detailed engineering services for photovoltaic (PV) solar projects and energy storage integration, and lead the industry in carbon capture technologies, managing projects from conceptual studies, pilot demonstrations and through commercial scale implementation for utilities and industrial plants.

Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.