Lead Civil Owner's Engineer

Ulteig; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Workplace

Employee Ownership

Competitive Pay

Collaborative Environment

Job summary

Ulteig Engineers, Inc. in Houston, TX seeks a Lead Civil Owner’s Engineer to join the owner’s project team for EPC transmission and substation projects. You’ll provide independent civil/structural review, material and procurement support, and field assurance while preserving owner authority.

Responsibilities include reviewing specifications, QA/QC, site/civil designs, and coordinating interfaces with multiple teams. Remote work is limited; travel to sites may be required.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil or Structural Engineering from ABET-accredited program; active PE license required.
• 8+ years in electric utility, heavy civil, transmission or substation civil/structural design/review/construct‑support.

Responsibilities

• Provide owner-side civil/structural support across development, design, construction, commissioning and turnover.
• Develop or refine Owner’s Project Specifications and Basis of Design inputs; verify standards and permitting requirements.
• Review EPC design QA/QC processes and deliverables for quality and constructability; manage logs and closure status.
• Review substation site civil/structural design elements: grading, drainage, foundations, access, fencing, and oil containment.
• Coordinate civil interfaces with electrical, grounding, environmental, and construction teams; support field layout and readiness reviews.
• Material specification development and procurement support: review lists, deviations, and supplier submittals.
• Construction oversight: field supervision, attending progress meetings, site readiness assessment, and/or turnover readiness.

Skills

Civil/Structural Eng

Owner’s Engineer exp

QA/QC oversight

Communication skills

Education

B.S. in Civil/Structural Eng (ABET)

PE license

Tools

Microsoft 365

GIS

SAP

Primavera P6

Bentley MicroStation

ProjectWise

Job description

Ulteig is seeking an experienced Lead Civil Owner’s Engineer to serve as an extension of the owner’s project team for major EPC transmission and substation projects. This role provides independent civil/structural technical review, material and procurement support, field assurance, and documented recommendations while preserving the Owner’s decision-making authority and the EPC Contractor’s design and construction responsibilities. Candidates in the Houston, TX area are preferred.

What You’ll Do

• Provide owner-side civil and structural engineering support across project development, design, construction, commissioning, and turnover; identify technical, permitting, geotechnical, drainage, and constructability risks early and support stage-gate readiness.
• Develop, review, or refine Owner’s Project Specifications and owner-side technical input to the Basis of Design; verify use of current Company standards, survey control, geotechnical criteria, hydrology/hydraulics, environmental constraints, and permitting requirements.
• Review EPC design QA/QC processes and preliminary through final deliverables for completeness, consistency, quality, constructability, and compliance. Manage comment logs, deviations, recurring issues, root-cause trends, and closure status.
• Review substation site civil and structural design, including grading, drainage, stormwater controls, access roads, laydown areas, fencing, foundations, anchor-bolt systems, equipment pads, cable trenches, control buildings, oil containment, and related site features.
• Review transmission civil/structural interfaces, including structure locations, foundations, geotechnical inputs, access, erosion control, route constraints, and field fit; provide risk-informed and value-engineering recommendations to the Owner.
• Coordinate civil interfaces with electrical, grounding, transmission line, environmental, permitting, land, operations, procurement, and construction teams; participate in field layout, constructability, and readiness reviews.

Material Specification Development & procurement Support

• Review and validate EPC material lists, specification codes, item numbers, quantities, bid descriptions, and technical requirements for civil materials, foundations, fencing, control buildings, structural steel, anchor-bolt cages, and related site features.
• Identify requested deviations, exceptions, and non-standard materials; assess technical compliance, completeness, durability, constructability, and consistency with Company requirements.
• Support procurement packaging, technical bid evaluations, supplier proposal reviews, long-lead planning, logistics, receiving, storage, preservation, and alignment with design maturity and construction sequencing.
• Review mix designs, mill certificates, geotechnical and laboratory reports, material test reports, certified test documentation, inspection records, and procurement submittals; track discrepancies, non-conformances, release status, and readiness.
• Provide qualified support for supplier inspections or factory acceptance activities applicable to prefabricated buildings, structural assemblies, foundations, or other major civil/structural procurements; document observations and follow-up actions.

Construction Oversight & Quality Assurance

• Provide owner-side field oversight of EPC and subcontractor civil/structural work; evaluate conformance with approved drawings, specifications, procedures, permits, acceptance criteria, and project requirements without directing the Contractor unless expressly authorized.
• Attend construction progress and site coordination meetings; assess preconstruction planning, work packaging, survey control, site readiness, sequencing, access, temporary works, dewatering, erosion controls, safety, schedule, quality, and constructability.
• Review field QC testing and inspection records for earthwork, compaction, concrete, reinforcing steel, foundations, structural installation, coatings, drainage, roads, and fencing. Maintain field reports, issue logs, quality-surveillance records, NCR tracking, and closure documentation.
• Evaluate changed conditions, RFIs, proposed field changes, and non-conformances; provide documented technical, schedule, cost, and constructability recommendations while routing approval decisions to the Owner.
• Support milestone and turnover readiness by tracking punch-list items, test exceptions, inspections, as-built records, permits, O&M information, warranties, and closeout documentation through final closure.

What We Expect from You

• B.S. in Civil or Structural Engineering from an ABET-accredited program or equivalent; active Civil or Structural Professional Engineer license required.
• 8+ years of electric utility, heavy civil, transmission, or substation civil/structural design, design review, or construction support experience; experience with 138 kV and 345 kV facilities strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated Owner’s Engineer or EPC oversight experience and strong knowledge of geotechnical, grading, drainage, foundations, structural systems, access, erosion control, permitting, and applicable codes and standards, including IBC, ASCE 7, ACI, and AISC.
• Experience reviewing specifications, material lists, vendor submittals, material test documentation, field quality records, non-conformances, and construction/turnover readiness evidence.
• Ability to communicate concise, defensible recommendations; maintain traceable review records; lead multidisciplinary interfaces; and distinguish review/monitoring responsibilities from Owner approval authority.
• Ability to work Owner’s operational footprint and travel to project sites, supplier facilities, and EPC offices as needed. Remote work must be performed within the United States unless otherwise authorized and compliant with security requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and familiarity with utility design/project systems such as GIS, SAP, Primavera P6, Bentley MicroStation, and ProjectWise is preferred.
• Demonstrates openness to innovation by embracing and applying evolving technology and AI tools to enhance workflows, solve problems, and drive continuous improvement
• Must have authorization to work permanently in the U.S.

As you consider applying for a position at Ulteig, we encourage you to think outside the box – because we do! You might not meet 100% of the skills listed in a description, but we are committed to hiring people with exceptional talent, ability and potential, and then creating an environment where they can become the best versions of themselves. We don’t want to miss out on the possibility of speaking with the next outstanding Ulteig team member, so please apply if you think this role is a great match for your unique skills and strengths. And, yes, relevant military experience is absolutely considered for transitioning service members.

What You Can Expect from Ulteig

Ulteig is a purpose driven organization that has built a culture focused on people – both our clients and our employees –for over 80 years. Working at Ulteig is more than a job, opening opportunities to make an impact by creating and solving for a sustainable future. We recognize our success relies heavily on the dedication and focus of our workforce; this is why we make investing in our employees a top priority. We prioritize flexibility and staying connected to meet your needs and help you achieve your goals. We value your unique perspective, respect your individuality and celebrate your contributions. At Ulteig, we take our own success and the success of our clients personally.

We offer our team members:

• Flexible Workplace
• Employee Ownership
• Competitive Pay
• Collaborative Environment

Ulteig connects people and resources to develop compelling, integrated solutions across multiple Lifeline Sectors, including Power, Renewables, Transportation and Water. Ulteig is a trusted partner in engineering North America’s essential infrastructure and leverages its expertise with a wide range of public and private clients.

At Ulteig, we care deeply about our team, listening to their needs and ensuring they have the tools necessary to be productive whether they choose to work remotely, hybrid or in office. Regardless of where you work, you are empowered to build a workday that best suits your strengths. We strive to ensure a balance and separation between home and work life. We support a flexible working schedule so employees are able to focus on what's important to them.

If you would like to be a part of a company that empowers their employees, apply today!

Ulteig is a Drug Free Workplace

ACHIEVE | GROW | COLLABORATE

Additional Opportunity Details:
Target Base Compensation Range for this role is $123,200 - $159,650
* Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary includes your job specific skills, education, training, job location, number of years of experience related to this role and comparison to other employees already in this role

This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 60 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.

Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: to protect the interests of all parties, Ulteig Engineers, Inc., will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidateoran approved vendor that has a written and signed agreement in place with Ulteig. Please do not contact or forward resumes to our company employees or locations. Any unsolicited resumes will be considered Ulteig property. Ulteig is not responsible for any charges or fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.