Civil Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Civil Design Engineer

Job Description

This role offers an opportunity for a Civil Design Engineer to join a municipal and land development team and contribute to projects from initial design through the municipal approval process. You will collaborate closely with project managers and the design team, provide technical expertise and support, and take ownership of preparing detailed site plans and complete plan sets using Civil 3D and AutoCAD on a daily basis. The position focuses primarily on private land development projects, with exposure to municipal work and occasional field assignments, including inspection activities in and around the Ann Arbor area.

Responsibilities

• Participate in all phases of civil engineering projects, from conceptual design through municipal approvals and final documentation.
• Prepare, develop, and refine site plans and complete plan sets using Civil 3D and AutoCAD on a daily basis.
• Design portions of projects under the guidance and supervision of senior engineers or project managers.
• Support civil, environmental, transportation engineering, site planning, surveying, and landscape architecture tasks as assigned.
• Assist with field surveying activities and perform construction observation and inspection duties as needed.
• Conduct research using technical literature and catalogs to support design decisions and project documentation.
• Prepare quantity estimates and contribute to cost-related project documentation.
• Draft reports and technical documents required for project permits and regulatory approvals.
• Attend project meetings with the project engineer and broader project team to review progress, resolve issues, and coordinate tasks.
• Collaborate with team members on diverse projects including residential, commercial, institutional, multi-family, telecommunications, and municipal developments.
• Travel locally to job sites when needed to support field work and project coordination.
• Perform other related engineering and design duties as assigned to support project and team needs.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.
• 1–3 years of experience in an office-based civil design role, including co-op or internship experience.
• Proficiency with Civil 3D, demonstrated through professional work, internship, co-op, or class projects.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD for civil design and drafting.
• Experience with land development or site development projects and/or municipal engineering projects.
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification or active registration to take the EIT exam.
• Ability to perform civil design tasks under supervision and follow established standards and procedures.
• Capability to assist with field surveying and construction observation activities.
• Strong attention to detail when preparing plans, estimates, and reports.
• Effective communication skills to work collaboratively with project managers, engineers, and design team members.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Exposure to a variety of project types such as residential, commercial, institutional, multi-family, telecommunications, and municipal developments.
• Familiarity with municipal approval processes and permitting requirements.
• Interest in growing into a project management role and providing leadership within a developing team.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and adapt to diverse project demands.
• Willingness to perform local travel to project sites as needed.
• Motivation to work in a collaborative environment and contribute to a small, team-oriented office.

Work Environment

You will work in a small, team-oriented, and highly collaborative office of approximately 40–45 employees, characterized by a casual and supportive atmosphere. Core hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a high degree of flexibility to accommodate project and personal needs. The organization pays on an hourly basis with eligibility for overtime, providing the opportunity to earn additional income when working more than 40 hours per week, subject to client billability. The role involves daily use of Civil 3D and AutoCAD, along with other engineering and design software tools. Projects are diverse and include residential, commercial, institutional, multi-family, telecommunications, and municipal work, offering broad technical exposure and strong opportunities for professional growth and advancement, including a clear path toward project management responsibilities. Local travel to job sites is required as needed for field work and construction observation, and the work setting emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and continuous learning.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Ann Arbor, MI.

The pay range for this position is $30.00 - $43.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Ann Arbor,MI.

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 8, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.