Senior Site Civil Engineer

HDR; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 129,360 - 184,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Retirement savings plan with employer

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Senior Civil Engineer to join our Building Engineering Services team in Chicago. You will focus on land development, site civil design, and campus planning for large-scale projects, collaborating with clients, architects, and engineers across HDR's national practice.

The role involves early project development, feasibility studies, zoning, entitlements, and permitting strategies, with opportunities to lead medium-to-large projects and contribute to business development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required or licensed in accordance with state licensing board.
• At least 10 years of design experience managing civil/site design projects.
• Experience with land development, due diligence, zoning, entitlements and permitting.

Responsibilities

• Design and plan production for civil/site projects focused on land development and campus planning.
• Lead site evaluation, due diligence, zoning, entitlements and permitting strategies.
• Coordinate with clients and multidisciplinary teams; oversee project management and construction support.
• Prepare specifications and contract documents; manage regulatory permitting efforts.

Skills

Site civil design

Client collaboration

Project management

Land development

Autodesk Civil 3D

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Civil 3D

Microsoft Office

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

HDR is seeking a Senior Civil Engineer to join our Building Engineering Services (BES) team. This role is ideal for a civil engineer with strong land development and site civil engineering experience who is interested in supporting vertical construction projects while helping grow HDR's national site civil due diligence and campus planning practice. The successful candidate will work collaboratively across HDR's business groups, providing site development expertise for a variety of projects, including large-scale Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) developments, data center campuses, commercial and industrial facilities, and other complex site development projects throughout the United States.

This position offers the opportunity to become involved in the early stages of project development, including site evaluation, due diligence, zoning, entitlements, permitting strategy, and campus planning. The role is focused on advancing projects from concept through implementation and is well-suited for a professional who enjoys working directly with clients, developers, architects, and multidisciplinary engineering teams to navigate the development process and deliver successful projects.

In the role of Senior Civil Engineer, we'll count on you to:

• Design and plan production for general civil engineering projects with an emphasis on land development, including site layouts, horizontal and vertical control, grading and drainage, paving, site utilities, due diligence studies, campus planning, and associated civil engineering activities utilizing Autodesk Civil 3D and related design tools.
• Support the growth of HDR's national site civil due diligence and campus planning practice, with opportunities to work on large-scale Telecom, Technology, and Media (TMT) projects, including data center campuses across the United States.
• Collaborate with clients and multidisciplinary teams during the early stages of project development, including site selection, feasibility evaluations, zoning, entitlements, and high-level permitting strategies.
• Conduct quantity calculations.
• Prepare specifications and contract documents.
• Lead permitting efforts and coordinate with regulatory agencies.
• Perform complex assignments exercising judgment in evaluation, selection and modification of standard engineering techniques and procedures.
• Serve as a technical expert with recognized authority in an area of specialization that resolves problems of greater scope and complexity as needed.
• Plan and develop projects or design activities that have significant impact on major company programs as needed.
• Plan, organize and supervise work of a medium to large staff of professionals and technicians as needed.
• Serve as a Project Manager on larger projects, although project management is not the sole focus of this position.
• Participate in business development, client relationship management, and strategic growth initiatives for the site civil practice.
• Provide support during construction as needed; construction management experience is a plus.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Microsoft Office applications, Autodesk Civil 3D, and other civil engineering software as appropriate.
• Experience with land development projects, including due diligence, zoning, entitlements, and permitting.
• Experience supporting large campus developments, data centers, or similar complex site development projects is preferred.
• Project management and construction management experience is a plus.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• A minimum of 10 years design experience managing various civil/site design projects
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Project Engineering and Project Management experience
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected, and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Paid time away
• Parental leave
• Paid holidays
• Retirement savings plan with employer match
• Employee referral bonus
• Tuition reimbursement

Job Details

• Expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.)
• Chicago: $129,360 - $184,800
• Primary Location: United States-Indiana-Indianapolis
• Other Locations: United States-Illinois-Chicago
• Industry: Building Engineering
• Schedule: Full-time
• Employee Status: Regular
• BusinessClass: Building Site Civil
• Job Posting: Jul 29, 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.