Resident Engineer-New Jersey

HDR; Pennington (NJ); On-site; USD 138,058 - 197,225; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Retirement savings plan with employer match

Job summary

HDR is searching for a knowledgeable Resident Engineer in Pennington, NJ, to oversee complex facility improvement projects for public agencies like NJTA. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of construction experience, including a minimum of five years in a Resident Engineer role. Responsibilities include managing construction activities, coordinating with various stakeholders, and ensuring adherence to safety and compliance standards. This full-time position offers a competitive salary range of $138,058 – $197,225 along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of construction experience, with 5 years as a Resident Engineer.
• Proven ability to manage contractor performance and resolve claims.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee construction activities for complex facility improvement projects.
• Manage a staff of construction professionals.
• Coordinate with NJTA representatives and contractors to execute work.

Skills

Construction management

Leadership

Communication

MEP systems

Cost control

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Construction Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Bluebeam

Job description

Resident Engineer Responsibilities

• Serve as the on-site Resident Engineer overseeing construction activities for complex facility improvement projects for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and similar public agencies, with a focus on law enforcement and public safety facilities.
• Manage a staff of construction professionals including Assistant Resident Engineers, Office Engineers, Field Inspectors, specialty inspectors, and project controls support staff.
• Oversee renovation, alteration, and upgrade work within active State Police and public safety facilities, ensuring continuous operations are maintained during construction (phased construction, temporary operations plans, secure access/egress, and controlled work zones).
• Supervise construction of building systems including mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), HVAC, fire protection, emergency power, security/access control, communications/IT infrastructure, architectural, structural, and site/civil improvements.
• Coordinate closely with NJTA representatives, State Police leadership, facility operations, contractors, and utility providers to plan and execute work safely and efficiently within secure and occupied environments.
• Run weekly construction progress meetings and lead coordination on phasing, logistics, access restrictions, and schedule recovery actions as needed.
• Monitor contractor compliance with NJTA specifications and contract documents, as well as applicable safety, security, and facility operational requirements typical of State Police and public safety facilities.
• Oversee schedule adherence, cost control, QA/QC inspections, testing, commissioning/start-up, substantial completion, and final acceptance/turnover.
• Review and process contractor payment applications, change orders, claims, time extensions, field directives, and dispute resolution items.
• Ensure thorough documentation of field conditions, daily reports, inspection logs, material approvals, RFIs, submittals, security-related constraints, and as-built verification.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and technical guidance to less-experienced field staff.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of construction experience with at least 5 years serving as Resident Engineer on major public agency projects.
• Demonstrated experience serving as Resident Engineer on State Police, law enforcement, emergency management, corrections, or comparable secure/public safety facility renovations (occupied and operational facilities preferred).
• Experience working with NJTA or comparable public agencies such as NJDOT, NJ Transit, PANYNJ, NJSP, or other state authorities.
• Strong background in MEP systems, building renovations, and coordination of multiple disciplines (architectural/structural/MEP/security/IT) in secure environments.
• Experience overseeing security/access control systems, CCTV, intrusion detection, secure communications, and other public safety facility technology upgrades.
• Proven ability to manage contractor performance, negotiate change orders, control costs, and resolve construction claims.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, and communication skills, including confidence interacting with senior client stakeholders in high-sensitivity environments.
• OSHA 30‑hour training certification.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in New Jersey preferred.
• Preference given to local candidates familiar with NJTA standards, procedures, and documentation requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management or closely related field.
• 10 years related experience in various aspects of construction including estimating, bidding, preparing purchase orders and subcontracts, scheduling, and field engineering.
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered (e.g., Professional Engineer (PE) or P.Eng license).
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook); Bluebeam, estimating & scheduling software, and web‑based document collaboration software.
• Experience developing and managing construction engineering and inspection programs.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

Benefits

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long‑term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement.

Compensation: $138,058 – $197,225.

Location: Primary – Pennington, NJ; Other – Newark, NJ.

Schedule: Full‑time

Employee Status: Regular

Industry: Construction, Project Controls & Design/Build

Business Class: Constr Eng Insp / Mntrng(CCC)

Job Posting: May 8, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.