Job Description

Civil Engineer – Solar PV Development & Design

Location: Houston, TX
Relocation: You must live in the Houston area or be willing to relocate there.
Travel: Periodic visits to existing and prospective project sites for assessments and inspections.
Assignment Type: This is a long-term (multi-year) contract assignment with a possibility of going perm at any time throughout the assignment.

About the Opportunity
Our client is a global engineering and construction group with decades of experience delivering major energy and infrastructure projects. Its U.S. renewable portfolio is growing, and it’s hiring a Civil Engineer to lead the civil side of solar PV development and design, from early site assessment and due diligence through plant layout, permitting, and final design.

This role suits an engineer who is equally comfortable reviewing calculations and specifications in the office and walking a prospective site to judge whether it’s buildable. You’ll work closely with project managers, design consultants, and the wider engineering team from the Houston office.

What You’ll Do

• Assess new sites and project opportunities, conduct site visits and inspections, and write up findings in reports and proposals.
• Perform civil due diligence on PV projects and assets.
• Lay out PV plants, select system hardware, and optimize design for site conditions and cost.
• Review the project’s civil engineering technical documents for completeness and accuracy.
• Oversee and approve civil design produced by outside firms, including drawings and calculations.
• Write technical specifications for civil works.
• Lead stormwater management design and hydraulic and hydrologic (H&H) analysis.
• Prepare or check H&H calculations, reports, specifications, and the related sections of licensing documents.
• Gather, review, and interpret technical data to support permitting, licensing, and design.
• Prepare licensing and permitting documents.
• Review topographic surveys and geotechnical reports, and apply their findings to foundation and anchorage design.
• Handle traffic engineering scope, including designs that require DOT review and approval.

What You Bring

• A bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related field.
• Proven experience in civil design for solar PV or other energy or infrastructure projects.
• A strong command of H&H engineering and stormwater management.
• Solid understanding of geotechnical reports and anchorage and foundation design.
• Experience with traffic engineering and DOT design standards.
• Experience with PV due diligence, site assessment, and plant layout.
• Experience preparing licensing and permitting documents.
• Comfort reviewing topographic surveys and third-party designs.
• Strong project management, multitasking, and communication skills.

Software & Tools

• Engineering: AutoCAD, PVsyst, QGIS
• Project and business: Excel, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6