Principal Civil Engineer

ARA•Tyndall AFB, FL

About The Position

ARA is seeking an experienced civil engineer with pavement engineering expertise to join the Engineering Science Division (ESD) Aircraft Operating Surfaces (AOS) Group at Tyndall AFB, Florida. Remote work may be considered for the ideal candidate. Principal civil engineers provide leadership, technical direction, and high-level expertise across complex pavement engineering projects. The role leads engineering design, analysis, and evaluation for airfields, operational surfaces, and contingency environments. Work includes overseeing advanced investigations, developing mechanistic and empirical pavement models, directing engineering design efforts, supporting project execution, and ensuring conformance with engineering specifications and client expectations. The team works across mechanistic modeling, laboratory and field testing, nondestructive evaluation, pavement management systems, accelerated pavement solutions, and the development of software tools and decision-support frameworks. Occasional travel and outdoor field-testing work may be required. ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1979. It employs more than 2,000 professionals and provides technical expertise in areas including civil technologies, computer software and simulation, defense technologies, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. ARA describes its culture as one that supports career growth and rewards innovation, self-motivation, and technical excellence. Employees are eligible to participate in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), and the company offers competitive salaries and outstanding benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and 12 or more years of experience, or equivalent: a master’s degree with 10 or more years of experience, or a PhD with 8 or more years of experience.
Expertise in pavement engineering, including mechanistic pavement modeling, statistics and data analysis, nondestructive pavement evaluation, pavement management, and development of software tools and decision-support frameworks.
Proven success as a seller-doer, including business development and marketing, writing successful proposals, and managing projects.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and organizational skills.
Must be a U.S. citizen.

Nice To Haves

Coding experience.
Publication in peer-reviewed journals and relevant professional or industry conference presentations.
An established presence in the pavement engineering community.

Responsibilities

Serve as a subject matter expert in pavement engineering, including pavement design, condition assessment, and pavement management.
Formulate independent research questions, models, and solutions to deliver high-quality work.
Lead project execution as a project manager or technical advisor.
Ensure projects are delivered on schedule and within budget, and work with others to resolve challenges.
Perform business development and marketing tasks, including building a professional network and giving technical presentations to conferences, local-area meetings, and potential clients.
Lead proposal-writing efforts in response to RFPs, RFQs, and other solicitations.
Lead engineering design, analysis, and evaluation activities for airfields, operational surfaces, and contingency environments.
Oversee advanced investigations and develop mechanistic and empirical pavement models.
Direct engineering design efforts, support project execution, and ensure conformance with engineering specifications and client expectations.