Civil Engineer, Federal Projects

Cushing Terrell • Minneapolis, MN

1d

About The Position

The Civil Engineer, Federal Projects leads civil design and delivery for federal clients within Cushing Terrell’s Federal market sector. The position may be based in the Minneapolis, Billings, Austin, Bozeman, Denver, Missoula, or Seattle office. In-office work is preferred, while remote work may be considered for the right candidate. Travel to Cushing Terrell offices, client and project sites, and industry events ranges from approximately 10% to 50%, depending on location.

The role leads civil scopes for land development, transportation infrastructure, and utility infrastructure projects delivered through design-bid-build and design-build. Work includes preparing site grading, drainage, roadway, and utility plans in Civil 3D; modeling stormwater, water, and sanitary systems; preparing calculations, cost estimates, technical memorandums, and reports; writing specifications; and coordinating with contracting officers, consultants, permitting agencies, and design-build contractors. The engineer serves as the day-to-day civil lead on assigned federal projects, works with multidisciplinary teams, and may draw on shared civil engineering resources as project scope and schedule require.

The successful candidate is expected to establish a technical presence on federal civil scopes, deliver work on schedule and budget, and contribute to federal proposals. Over time, the role may expand to include leading project pursuits, shaping growth plans for the Federal civil practice, and building a dedicated Federal civil team. Relocation assistance may be considered. The expected annual salary range is $88,000 to $120,000, and the position is eligible for an annual performance bonus. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; visa sponsorship is not available. The position is primarily office-based with limited physical requirements, though bending, stretching, twisting, and reaching may be required. Remote employment is not available from California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island.

Requirements

• ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
• At least 8 years of civil engineering experience, including civil design for federal projects.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
• Working proficiency in WaterCAD, StormCAD, Autodesk Storm and Sanitary Analysis, ArcGIS, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Office.
• Design experience across land development, transportation infrastructure, and utility infrastructure, including site grading, drainage, utility layout, construction plan sets, specification writing, engineering calculations, hydraulic modeling, and cost estimates.
• Experience delivering complex civil scopes under design-bid-build and design-build while upholding contract requirements.
• Experience leading small engineering project teams and coordinating directly with consultants, contracting officers, and permitting agencies.
• Current authorization to work in the United States on a full-time basis; the employer will not sponsor work visas.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with federal design standards and specification formats.
• Experience contributing technical scope, schedules, and level-of-effort input to federal proposals.
• Construction administration experience, including field observation and submittal review.
• Experience mentoring or reviewing the work of other engineers.
• Strong technical writing and client communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead civil design on federal projects from concept through construction documents, including site grading, drainage, roadway, and utility plans in Civil 3D.
• Model water, stormwater, and sanitary systems; prepare engineering calculations, cost estimates, technical memorandums, and reports supporting design decisions.
• Write and coordinate specifications that meet federal contract requirements, applicable codes, and firm quality standards.
• Coordinate with contracting officers, consultants, permitting agencies, and design-build contractors to manage civil scope, schedule, and budget.
• Serve as day-to-day civil lead on assigned federal projects and collaborate with architects and engineers across disciplines.
• Contribute technical scope, schedules, and level-of-effort input to federal proposals and support civil fee development.
• Provide construction administration, including field observation and submittal review.
• Lead and mentor small project teams, review work for technical accuracy, and support teammates’ skill development.
• Deliver projects on schedule and budget and contribute to federal project pursuits.
• Help shape growth plans for the Federal civil practice and build a dedicated Federal civil team as the role develops.

Benefits

• Annual performance bonus.
• Relocation assistance may be considered for the right candidate.
• Competitive benefits package (specific benefits are not detailed in the posting).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior