Civil Engineer – Principal | Land Development & Site Design Charlotte, NC | Permanent, Full-Time | $170k+ (flexible) | Employee-Owned Firm

A well-established, employee-owned consulting firm is growing its Civil/Site practice in Charlotte and is looking for a Principal-level Civil Engineer to lead project teams across land development and site design.

This is a senior leadership seat. You'll lead delivery on commercial, residential, institutional and industrial projects — taking them from concept through construction — covering site layout, grading, stormwater management, utility design, erosion control and permitting. You'll own scope, schedule and budget on high-value work (projects with annual fees exceeding $500K), set the technical direction, and be the engineer clients and regulatory agencies look to throughout.

Just as importantly, it's a role with room to build: you'll mentor and develop junior engineers, lead QA/QC, and work alongside senior leadership on business development and client growth — a genuine runway toward practice ownership.

What you'll do

• Manage civil/site projects from proposal through construction — scope, schedule and budget
• Lead design and review of site layout, grading, stormwater, utilities and erosion control
• Oversee technical reports, plans, specs, cost estimates and permit applications
• Run QA/QC and ensure deliverables meet regulatory and client requirements
• Coordinate with clients, contractors, subconsultants and regulatory agencies
• Mentor and supervise junior engineers, including development and performance planning
• Support business development and client growth alongside senior leadership

What you'll bring

• 15+ years in civil engineering focused on site development or infrastructure design (or a comparable mix of education and experience)
• A track record managing civil/site projects with annual fees over $500K
• Bachelor's in Civil Engineering or a related discipline
• Professional Engineer (PE) licence — required
• Strong AutoCAD Civil 3D skills (site design, grading, utility layout)
• Scoping, proposal preparation and managing to budget/schedule
• Familiarity with local and state permitting
• Proven multidisciplinary team and stakeholder coordination

Nice to have

• Stormwater modelling (HydroCAD or HEC-RAS)
• Professional organisation involvement
• Demonstrated team leadership and client relationship management

The package $170k+ base (flexible — open to creative compensation for the right person), plus an employee-ownership stake (ESOP), matching 401(k) with profit sharing, performance bonus, company stock, medical/dental/vision, disability cover and tuition assistance.