Civil Engineer, Federal Projects

Position Description

The Civil Engineer, Federal Projects leads civil design and delivery for federal clients within Cushing Terrell's established Federal market sector. This position is based in our Minneapolis office and is also open in our Billings, Austin, Bozeman, Denver, Missoula, and Seattle offices. In-office work is preferred, and remote work will be considered for the right candidate.

What does this role involve day to day? You will lead civil scopes on land development, transportation infrastructure, and utility infrastructure projects delivered through both design-bid-build and design-build. You will prepare site grading, drainage, roadway, and utility plans in Civil 3D, run stormwater and sanitary system models, write specifications, and coordinate directly with contracting officers, consultants, and permitting agencies. You will work on collaborative, multidisciplinary project teams with autonomy over civil scopes, and you can draw on resources shared across our civil engineering teams when scope and schedule demand it. Travel to Cushing Terrell offices, client and project sites, and industry events ranges from about 10% to 50%, depending on location.

What does success look like? Within 90 days, you will have an established technical presence on federal civil scopes, deliver projects on schedule and budget, and contribute to federal proposals. By the end of year one, you will have delivered multiple projects, both on multidisciplinary teams and as standalone civil work, and you will serve as the day-to-day civil lead on assigned federal projects. As you grow in the role, you will have opportunities to lead project pursuits, help shape growth plans for the Federal civil practice, and build a dedicated Federal civil team.

Relocation assistance may be considered for the right candidate.

Position Salary Range*

The expected salary range for this position is $88,000 to $120,000 annually.

Required Qualifications**

• ABET-accredited bachelor's degree in civil engineering
• 8+ years of civil engineering experience, including civil design for federal projects
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D, plus working proficiency in WaterCAD, StormCAD, Autodesk Storm and Sanitary Analysis, ArcGIS, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Office
• Design experience across land development, transportation infrastructure, and utility infrastructure, including site grading, drainage, utility layout, construction plan sets, specification writing, engineering calculations, hydraulic modeling, and cost estimates
• Experience delivering complex civil scopes under design-bid-build and design-build, while upholding contract requirements
• Experience leading small engineering project teams and coordinating directly with consultants, contracting officers, and permitting agencies

Preferred Qualifications**

• Familiarity with federal design standards and specification formats
• Experience contributing technical scope, schedules, and level-of-effort input to federal proposals
• Construction administration experience, including field observation and submittal review
• Experience mentoring or reviewing the work of other engineers
• Strong technical writing and client communication skills

Did you know that some people hold back on applying to jobs if they don't meet 100% of the listed requirements? We don't want you to hold back! If you check most of the qualifications above and believe you could successfully do the work, we encourage you to apply!

Position Responsibilities***

• Lead civil design on federal projects from concept through construction documents, preparing site grading, drainage, roadway, and utility plans in Civil 3D.
• Model water, stormwater, and sanitary systems, and prepare the engineering calculations, cost estimates, technical memorandums, and reports that support design decisions.
• Write and coordinate project specifications that meet federal contract requirements, applicable codes, and firm quality standards.
• Coordinate directly with contracting officers, consultants, permitting agencies, and design-build contractors to keep civil scope, schedule, and budget on track.
• Serve as the day-to-day civil lead on assigned federal projects, collaborating with architects and engineers across disciplines for strong project outcomes.
• Contribute technical scope, schedules, and level-of-effort input to federal proposals, and support fee development for civil work.
• Provide construction administration, including field observation and submittal review, so designs are built as intended.
• Lead and mentor small project teams, reviewing work for technical accuracy and helping teammates grow their skills.

Working at Cushing Terrell

Cushing Terrell is a multidisciplinary design firm with 17 offices and more than 500 team members who bring together their expertise to deliver holistic built environments. Leveraging our influence as designers, we work to create sustainable systems and spaces that help people live their best lives.

Why Cushing Terrell

At Cushing Terrell, we empower creative designers to discover imaginative, responsible, first-of-their-kind environments. But more than that, we support a strong, cohesive team, from our design professionals to our business operations staff. Together, we champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, placing people at the center of our practice, thus our tagline, 'design meets you.' Together, we find joy in uncovering imaginative solutions for the people who work here, the people we work for, and the planet as a whole. We offer a competitive benefits package, work opportunities in a variety of locations and markets, and a company culture that celebrates all the unique viewpoints and personalities that make up our talented team. View our Employee Benefits Guide: https://cushingterrell.com/joinus/job-listings/

Things to Note

At this time, we will not employ individuals working from the following states due to payroll, tax, and administrative requirements: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.

Applications will be accepted through December 23, 2026.

*Actual pay will be determined based on the candidate's years of experience, licensure status, location, level of proficiency, and other job-related factors (as permitted by law). This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus.

**Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Cushing Terrell will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

***The majority of the time, a person in this role will be sitting in an office with limited physical requirements. This may require individuals to bend, stretch, twist, and reach.

Cushing Terrell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Contact 406.248.7455 if you require assistance or accommodation during the employment application process.

Note to recruitment agencies: Cushing Terrell does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or agencies. Any resume submitted to any employee of Cushing Terrell without a prior written search agreement will be considered unsolicited and the property of Cushing Terrell.

At this time, we will not employ individuals working from the following states due to payroll, tax, and administrative requirements: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.