Project Engineer / Project Manager

Project Engineer I - Land Development

Confidential Client | McHenry, IL & Aurora, IL & New Lenox, IL (Land Development Group)

What if your next project shaped how communities grow and function?

At our client, civil engineers don't just draw plans - they design the roadway, drainage, and utility infrastructure that determines how people live, move, and connect every day.

We're looking for a Civil Project Engineer with 5-10 years of land development or site civil experience who's ready to step up: more ownership, more client contact, and a real say in how projects get delivered.

Why this role is different

This isn't a narrow, siloed seat. You'll handle utility, grading, and drainage design across commercial sites and residential communities , including the roadway and utility extensions that support them - the kind of well-rounded experience that accelerates growth and opens doors to leadership.

You'll be involved across the full project lifecycle : planning, design, permitting, and construction support. You'll manage your work to schedule and budget, sit at the table with clients and municipalities, and mentor the engineers coming up behind you.

Put simply, you won't just be doing design work

• you'll be influencing how projects are planned and executed, and watching your work move from concept to something real on the ground.

Where you'll make your impact

• Design and deliver civil/site projects - grading, stormwater, water, and wastewater systems
• Take ownership of project components, and in some cases entire projects
• Partner with internal teams, clients, and municipalities to solve real-world challenges
• Lead or contribute to QA/QC to ensure high-quality, buildable designs
• Support projects from early planning through construction
• Mentor junior engineers and help elevate the team around you

You might be a great fit if…

• You're ready to move beyond task execution and want genuine ownership
• You'd rather work across multiple project types than be boxed into one
• You're looking for a firm where growth doesn't take 10+ years
• You want more client and municipal exposure than your current seat allows

What you bring

Education Degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering

Licensure PE required (or able to obtain imminently) - this is a must-have

Experience 5-10 years in civil engineering, land development preferred

Software Civil 3D, StormCAD, WaterCAD or similar

Soft skills Strong communicator, collaborative, comfortable in front of clients and municipalities

Why this firm

My client is a long-established, employee-owned engineering and consulting firm with well over a century of continuous operation - a genuinely stable platform with real ownership upside for the people who build it.

• National reach, local roots
  • 700+ employees across 20+ offices nationwide, with a strong Illinois presence
• Consistently ranked among the top design firms in the US, and climbing
• Certified as a great place to work
  • culture is measured here, not just talked about
• Career roadmaps that make progression visible: the skills needed at each stage and a clear path to get there, rather than waiting your turn
• Land Development is a core business line with its own leadership, integrating land planning, engineering, and landscape architecture into one team
• Large enough to lead impactful projects anywhere in the country, but structured so you can grow without waiting in line

Let's make this easy

If you've been thinking about a move but haven't found the right mix of growth, impact, and ownership - this is worth a conversation. Happy to share the client name and full details on a quick call.