Project Development Engineer

Overview:

The Project Development Engineer serves as the company's primary project development and preconstruction resource for private infrastructure and buried utility opportunities. This position works directly with owners, developers, engineers, designers, and internal stakeholders to define scope, evaluate alternatives, analyze risk, and establish practical construction strategies before construction begins. Acting as a key link between business development and construction operations, the Project Development Engineer helps turn early project concepts into executable plans and supports growth in buried utilities, broadband/fiber, site development, and other emerging infrastructure markets.

• Serve as the company's primary technical and construction resource during project development and preconstruction activities.
• Work with owners, developers, engineers, and designers to define project scope and objectives, evaluate alternatives, assess feasibility, identify risks and constraints, and develop high-level project execution strategies.
• Lead project planning efforts, including constructability reviews, means and methods evaluations, sequencing, logistics, route planning, and execution strategy.
• Provide technical guidance related to buried utility infrastructure, including trenching, boring, plowing, conduit installation, utility conflicts, permitting, easements, and constructability.
• Develop conceptual budgets, preliminary schedules, assumptions, and planning documents to support project feasibility and owner decision-making.
• Lead risk identification and analysis, including constructability, utility, permitting, right-of-way, easement, environmental, schedule, contractual, insurance, and commercial risks.
• Coordinate collaboration between business development, estimating, engineering, operations, team throughout project development.
• Provide strategic direction to estimating personnel regarding budgets, pricing strategies, production assumptions, scope gaps, and project risks.
• Support proposals, client presentations, interviews, and pursuit activities by communicating construction approaches, assumptions, risks, and execution strategies.
• Facilitate project turnover and ensure operations teams understand project scope, assumptions, risks, commitments, budgets, schedules, and execution plans.

Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible construction experience in heavy civil, utility, infrastructure, oil and gas, water, telecommunications, preconstruction, estimating, project management, operations, engineering, or related roles. Emphasis in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia markets.
• Proficient in developing construction execution strategies, project development plans, conceptual budgets, preliminary schedules, and proposal support materials.
• Proficient in project planning, constructability reviews, design coordination, value engineering, scope development, and risk analysis.
• Strong understanding of heavy civil and buried utility means and methods, including trenching, boring, plowing, conduit installation, utility coordination, earthwork, grading, and site development.
• Strong understanding of utility permitting, easement coordination, route planning, right-of-way considerations, environmental constraints, and utility conflict resolution.
• Proficient in reviewing plans, specifications, contract documents, geotechnical reports, utility information, permitting requirements, and other technical project documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to influence project decisions and gain consensus among owners, developers, designers, consultants, senior operations personnel, estimators, engineers, and project stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, HCSS Heavy Bid, HCSS Heavy Job, Bluebeam, scheduling software, document management platforms, and advanced Excel for budgeting and analysis.
• Experience supporting utility, broadband/fiber, oil and gas, water infrastructure, industrial, transportation, or private site…