Project Engineer

John Hughes Company; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

John Hughes Company in Jacksonville, FL seeks a Civil / Land Development Project Engineer to support the Director of Permitting & Entitlements. You will oversee design, entitlement, and permitting across master‑planned communities, coordinating with consultants, engineers, planners, and authorities to advance projects from planning through construction plans.

You will manage schedules, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain documentation while working on Orlando and Central Florida markets.

Qualifications

• 2–5+ years of experience in land development, permitting, entitlements, planning, or civil engineering.
• Familiarity with Florida land development, zoning, and permitting processes.
• Experience coordinating with consultant teams and local government agencies.
• Ability to read, interpret, and evaluate civil engineering plans and development documents.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Strong follow‑up, follow‑through, and problem‑solving abilities.
• Effective communication skills with internal teams, consultants, and regulatory agencies.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with consultants through all phases of design and entitlement.
• Lead weekly design team calls to drive progress and alignment.
• Oversee preparation and submittal of site plans, plats, and environmental permits.
• Review engineering plans and reports for accuracy and compliance.
• Advance master‑planned projects through entitlement and permitting in Florida markets.
• Review consultant applications for plats and construction plans.
• Track entitlement schedules, permitting milestones, and agency reviews.
• Maintain organized project documentation and logs.
• Coordinate with agencies and environmental consultants on permits and mitigations.
• Support CDD governance and coordination when applicable.

Skills

Land development

Permitting

Entitlements

Project management

Regulatory coordination

Communication

Reading plans

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Planning or Engineering

PE licensure (or in progress)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Civil / Land Development Project Engineer will support the Director of Permitting & Entitlements via a blend of strategic oversight with active coordination and execution in advancing master-planned and mixed-use communities through all entitlement and permitting phases.

The role works closely with consultants, engineers, planners, attorneys, and local government agencies to move projects from early planning through construction plan permitting.

The position requires strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to proactively manage complex review cycles across multiple jurisdictions.

Ensures projects advance on schedule, remain compliant with regulatory requirements, and align with company standards for quality, and community‑focused design.

Key Responsibilities

Planning, Design & Entitlement Management

• Coordinate with consultants including civil engineers, planners, surveyors, environmental specialists, traffic engineers, through all phases of design and entitlement.
• Assist the Director in leading weekly design team calls to drive progress, maintain alignment, and mitigate surprises.
• Oversee preparation and submittal of site plans, plats, construction plans, environmental permits, traffic studies, and utility approvals.
• Review engineering plans, reports, and technical documents for accuracy, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Support the advancement of master‑planned community projects through entitlement and permitting processes, with emphasis on Orlando & surrounding Florida markets.
• Review applications prepared by consultants for plats, construction plans, and related permits.
• Track and manage entitlement schedules, permitting milestones, and agency review cycles to ensure timely progression.
• Monitor consultant responses to agency comments, ensuring timely and accurate revisions from consultants.
• Assist in reviewing development plans, engineering drawings, and consultant deliverables for accuracy and alignment with development objectives.
• Maintain organized project documentation, permitting records, and communication logs.

Permitting Strategy & Regulatory Navigation

• Identify, track, and secure all required permits, approvals, easements, agreements, mitigation plans, concurrency, proportionate share agreements, and development orders.
• Develop and maintain permitting schedules and critical path milestones.
• Anticipate regulatory challenges and proactively develop solutions to avoid delays or redesigns.
• Coordinate with environmental consultants on wetlands, wildlife, water quality, and mitigation requirements.

Agency, Municipality, & Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as a point of contact with county, municipal and other regulatory review staff
• Build and maintain strong working relationships to facilitate timely reviews, approvals, and issue resolution.
• Attend and lead- as required - meetings with planning departments, engineering departments, environmental agencies.
• Attend public hearings, community meetings, and entitlement presentations.

CDD Formation, Bonding & Governance Support

• Assist with Community Development District (CDD) establishment, boundary modifications, and governance coordination.
• Support CDD bond offerings, bond sales, and infrastructure financing strategies.
• Coordinate with CDD managers, attorneys, and financial advisors to ensure alignment with project phasing and development plans.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Internal Communication

• Partner closely with land development, construction, finance, and executive teams to ensure entitlement strategies support project budgets, schedules, and market objectives.
• Provide regular updates, risk assessments, and entitlement status reports to senior leadership.
• Maintain organized documentation, entitlement logs, agency correspondence, and approval records.

Qualifications

Required

• 2–5+ years of experience in land development, permitting, entitlements, planning, or civil engineering.
• Familiarity with Florida land development, zoning, and permitting processes.
• Experience coordinating with consultant teams and local government agencies.
• Ability to read, interpret, and evaluate civil engineering plans and development documents.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Strong follow‑up, follow‑through, and problem‑solving abilities.
• Effective communication skills with internal teams, consultants, and regulatory agencies.
• Analytical mindset with a strong sense of urgency and ownership.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Preferred

• Experience working with Greater Orlando and Central Florida jurisdictions.
• Background in land development, planning, civil engineering, or related disciplines.
• Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Engineering, Real Estate, or a related field.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or progress toward licensure.