Senior Civil Engineer SME - AI Data Centers

As a Senior Civil Engineer SME within our Advanced Manufacturing group, you will serve as the technical authority for civil site engineering across a nationwide portfolio of hyperscale data center and advanced technology campus programs. You will set civil engineering standards, govern the quality of deliverables, mentor junior engineers, and lead permitting and regulatory strategy on programs that have no tolerance for schedule risk.

Responsibilities

Civil Site Design & Technical Leadership

• Lead campus‑scale mass grading and earthwork design for hyperscale programs of 50–1,000+ acres, including cut and fill optimization, soil import and export strategy, phased grading sequencing that maintains continuous operation of in‑service facility phases, subgrade preparation specifications, and earthwork volume tracking.
• Design and govern stormwater management infrastructure for large impervious‑surface campuses—storm sewer collection and hydraulic analysis, wet ponds, bioretention, underground detention, and discharge management consistent with post‑development hydrology constraints and NPDES permit conditions.
• Lead site utility infrastructure design for hyperscale campuses—domestic water service, sanitary sewer capacity and routing, natural gas for emergency generator systems, fire protection water supply, and cooling tower makeup water, including reclaimed water systems to support Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) targets.
• Design heavy‑duty pavement systems for campus roads, diesel fuel delivery routes, cooling tower crane access pads, transformer pad access, and security perimeters—accounting for extreme axle loads and repetitive heavy vehicle cycles unique to mission‑critical facility operations.
• Provide civil technical leadership for underground fuel storage systems (UST) supporting large generator plants secondary containment design, leak detection integration, spill containment grading, and EPA and state UST regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate geotechnical investigation programs with subconsultants; interpret boring logs and laboratory test data; translate geotechnical findings into earthwork specifications, compaction criteria, and foundation coordination inputs for the structural engineering team.
• Develop and maintain Jacobs civil engineering design standards, grading and drainage specification templates, standard detail libraries, and stormwater BMP criteria for the data center practice—ensuring consistency and quality across a national project portfolio.
• Provide technical governance for civil deliverables produced by project teams and GID partners reviewing grading plans, utility plans, drainage reports, SWPPP documents, and IFC construction drawings for code compliance, permit condition adherence, and Jacobs quality standards.
• Mentor mid‑level and junior civil engineers across the practice—developing technical depth, standards fluency, and project leadership capability.

Permitting, Entitlements & Regulatory Strategy

• Lead land use entitlement strategy for greenfield and adaptive‑reuse hyperscale campus sites—rezoning applications, conditional use permits, site plan approvals, and variance requests—working closely with owners, land use counsel, and local planning authorities to protect schedule and maximize development yield.
• Direct NPDES Construction General Permit compliance strategy for large disturbed‑area programs, including SWPPP development, BMP selection, QSP coordination, inspection program design, and regulatory agency response. Navigate state‑specific regimes including Virginia VSMP, AZPDES, Texas CGP, and similar frameworks with schedule‑sensitive permit sequencing strategies.
• Lead Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 401 permitting for sites with jurisdictional wetlands, waterways, or Waters of the U.S.—including wetland delineation coordination, permit application strategy, mitigation planning, and agency negotiation to protect program schedule.
• Navigate floodplain permitting, LOMR/CLOMR applications, and endangered species Section 7 consultations for complex hyperscale site development programs in regulated markets.
• Develop early‑release civil permit packages—rough grading permits, land disturbance permits, and utility installation permits—sequenced to support fast‑track Design‑Build and EPCM construction schedules while full entitlement packages are advanced in parallel.
• Serve as the civil SME interface with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), state regulatory agencies, utility providers, and local planning bodies throughout design, permitting, and construction administration phases.

Qualifications

• Active Professional Engineer (Civil) license in at least one U.S. state; NCEES record maintained; willingness to obtain reciprocal licensure in additional states as required. PE sign‑off authority is required at SME level.
• 15+ years of civil engineering experience, including 8+ years leading site civil design for large‑site industrial, technology campus, or mission‑critical facility programs.
• Expert proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D—corridor modeling, grading surfaces, pipe network design, and plan/profile sheet production for large campus programs.
• Deep working knowledge of stormwater management design, including SWPPP development, post‑construction BMP design (ponds, bioretention, underground detention), hydraulic modeling, and navigating NPDES permitting.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating civil site scope with structural, MEP, and electrical disciplines—utility routing conflict resolution, foundation clearance coordination, and underground ductbank integration.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to present to clients, AHJs, and multi‑discipline project teams and to represent the civil engineering scope in pursuit presentations and proposal development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master of Science in Engineering.
• Experience with Virginia VSMP, AZPDES, Texas Construction General Permit, or other complex multi‑agency regulatory frameworks for large land disturbance programs.
• Design‑Build or EPCM delivery experience—having served as civil engineer of record or civil lead on a DB or EPCM contract, with experience developing early‑release grading permit packages and integrating with GC‑led construction teams.
• Direct experience on hyperscale or colocation data center campus programs at 50+ acres, including pad elevation strategy, phased grading, and campus‑scale utility systems.
• Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), Environmental Professional (ENV SP), QISP or QSP designation supporting stormwater compliance program leadership.
• LEED AP or sustainability‑related credential; familiarity with how site civil design contributes to LEED BD+C certification for large campus programs.
• Experience with Section 404/401 and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting for jurisdictional wetlands or Waters of the U.S. on large development programs.
• Navisworks multi‑discipline model coordination experience for underground utility conflict resolution.
• Bluebeam Revu proficiency for document review and markup workflows.
• Industry visibility through technical publications, ASCE presentations, or client‑facing thought leadership in the data center or advanced technology market.

Salary & Benefits

Jacobs offers a competitive base salary range of $169,000 – $233,000 depending on experience and qualifications, plus a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with employer match, paid time off, professional development support, and equity options for eligible employees.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.