Civil Project Engineer - Land Development

Macdonald & Company has exclusively partnered with an established, privately held industrial real estate development firm to appoint a Project Engineer to support its growing development platform.

Our client has an extensive track record of delivering large-scale industrial parks, distribution facilities, and build-to-suit projects across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. The business has a strong reputation within the industrial sector and offers an entrepreneurial environment with direct exposure to senior leadership and the broader development process.

This opportunity is particularly well suited to an individual with a civil engineering or land development background who is looking to transition from an engineering consultancy into the ownership and development side of commercial real estate.

The Role

The Project Engineer will play an integral role in the early stages of the development lifecycle, supporting site evaluation, feasibility studies, due diligence, civil engineering coordination, entitlements, and permitting.

Working closely with senior development leadership, the successful candidate will help assess new development opportunities, coordinate external engineering consultants, and advance projects from initial site evaluation through to construction commencement.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the evaluation of prospective industrial development sites, assessing feasibility, infrastructure availability, site constraints, and development potential.
• Coordinate technical due diligence, including surveys, geotechnical investigations, environmental assessments, and preliminary engineering reviews.
• Review site layouts, grading plans, stormwater management strategies, utility infrastructure, and civil engineering drawings.
• Manage relationships with external civil engineers, surveyors, consultants, municipalities, and utility providers.
• Assist with zoning, entitlements, permitting, and other municipal approval processes.
• Support the preparation of preliminary site development budgets, infrastructure cost estimates, and project schedules.
• Identify potential development challenges and work with internal teams and external consultants to develop practical solutions.
• Coordinate with construction teams to ensure a smooth transition from pre-development into sitework and vertical construction.
• Monitor project milestones, consultant deliverables, and approval timelines to ensure developments progress efficiently.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Approximately 3–7 years of relevant experience in civil engineering, land development, or development project management.
• Background working for a civil engineering consultancy, commercial real estate developer, or similar organization.
• Experience with commercial, industrial, or large-scale land development projects.
• Strong understanding of site planning, grading, utilities, stormwater management, and civil infrastructure.
• Familiarity with local permitting, zoning, entitlements, and municipal approval processes.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, site plans, surveys, and technical reports.
• Strong project coordination, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) designation would be advantageous but is not essential.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established and highly regarded industrial real estate developer with an active development pipeline and a strong presence across the Southeastern United States.

The position offers significant exposure to the full development lifecycle, direct interaction with senior leadership, and the opportunity to take on increasing responsibility as the business continues to grow.

For candidates currently working within civil engineering or land development consulting, this represents an attractive opportunity to transition to the developer side and build a long-term career in commercial real estate development.