Civil Project Engineer

About the role

The Civil Project Engineer will own the civil aspects of Planted Solar’s projects, ranging from distributed generation to utility scale. Key responsibilities include validating site civil designs, managing construction logistics, and liaising with external parties.

Responsibilities

• Review and validate site civil designs provided by customers' Engineers of Record (EOR) to ensure they are fully constructible and compatible with Planted Solar’s array systems and installation methods.
• Analyze site topography to identify potential problem areas and determine if any site grading or earthwork is required prior to array installation.
• Review, confirm, and provide design input for all temporary and permanent access roads, equipment pathways, and material laydown/staging areas to ensure safe and efficient construction logistics.
• Travel to project sites to perform thorough constructability assessments, verifying that proposed civil designs align with actual on-the-ground conditions.
• Manage and coordinate with external surveying and mapping subcontractors responsible for delivering topographic surveys and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs).
• Act as the primary civil engineering liaison among customers, external engineering firms, and local permitting authorities to ensure alignment on stormwater management requirements, SWPPP, and local civil ordinances.
• Advises on site vegetation requirements, including pre-construction clearing and seeding, and site stabilization.
• Work collaboratively with engineering teammates to produce holistic site designs.
• Champion improvements of the Planted system through critical feedback on hardware and software products.
• Manage time efficiently across multiple projects.
• Ensure compliance with company, industry, trade, and jurisdictional safety standards, practices, and codes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, or other related discipline.
• Experience with site civil design, land development, or construction—preferably within the utility-scale or commercial solar industry.
• Strong ability to read and interpret civil construction drawings, topographic maps, and grading plans.
• Experience with geotechnical analysis, digital elevation models, GIS, mapping, and coordinate frames.
• Experience estimating civil construction costs, including roads, fencing, grading, clearing and grubbing, and trenching.
• A track record of organization, adaptability, attention to detail, and project management skills.
• Ability to communicate among construction, technical, and non-technical personnel, both internally and outside the company.
• Hands-on attitude, strong ownership mentality, and resourcefulness.
• Eagerness to navigate ambiguity, reduce reasonable risks, and make good decisions with imperfect knowledge.
• Strong record of safe field operations and ability to integrate safety into product design and project operations.
• Desire to work in a fast-paced startup environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineering (PE) license.
• Experience with 2D CAD and 3D CAD tools, such as Civil3D or SolidWorks.
• Geotechnical design experience with design of foundations, equipment pads, and/or utility trenches.
• Field experience in a construction environment.

What We Offer

• 11 paid company holidays and flexible Paid Time Off (PTO).
• Company-paid in-office lunches.
• Stock options.
• Medical, vision, dental, and other benefits.
• Pre-tax commuter benefits.
• 401(k).
• A chance to have an empowered, meaningful, and early role in climate.

Physical And Sensory Requirements

A mix of desk work using standard office equipment and field activities.