Aviation Project Engineer

Description

The company is hiring an Aviation Project Engineer in Orange, CA to act as technical lead on airfield design work.

You will manage engineering design delivery for major airfield upgrades at large, medium and small hub airports, including LAX, SFO, SMF, SJC, SNA, OAK, LGB, SAN, PSP, SBD and others.

The role covers the full path from planning to construction, including complicated phasing, regulatory limits and shaping long-term infrastructure spending.

You will guide and mentor teams across several live projects while keeping quality, buildability and compliance with FAA and client standards on track.

The company has built civil and airfield infrastructure at more than 200 airports.

Its aviation design groups work inside multi-year capital programs, usually from $100M to $1B+, with civil packages for runways, taxiways, aprons and more.

You will join a national group of aviation planners and engineers on some of the most complex and high-profile airport projects in the U.S.

The company is a global infrastructure firm with fiscal year 2025 revenue of $16.1 billion, over 50,000 staff and Fortune 500 status, working in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings.

Responsibilities

• Take airfield designs from concept through to final construction documents.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams producing engineering packages for paving, grading, drainage, utilities, lighting and signage.
• Prepare and seal construction drawings that follow FAA Advisory Circulars.
• Coordinate design input from planners, contractors, clients and subconsultants.
• Turn survey, geotechnical, utility and subsurface data into workable designs.
• Build FAA design and safety criteria, airport operations limits and funding rules into every phase.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff across several active project sites.
• Run design production in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
• Ensure design quality, feasible phasing and on-time delivery.
• Support coordination with FAA, state agencies, airport sponsors and permitting authorities.

Requirements

• BS in Civil Engineering or a related field, plus 10 years of airport or airfield planning or civil engineering design experience, or an equivalent mix of experience and education.
• Preferred: California Professional Engineer license, or the ability to obtain it within 12 months.
• Preferred: Professional Engineer (PE) license, which is highly desired.
• Preferred: experience leading airfield design from planning through construction.
• Preferred: familiarity with FAA Advisory Circulars, especially the AC 150/5300 series.
• Preferred: strong AutoCAD Civil 3D skills with oversight responsibility.
• Preferred: experience on active airfields, including complex phasing, construction safety plans and FAA coordination.

Conditions

U.S. citizenship is required for this position.

This is a current vacancy, and the company intends to fill it no sooner than October 15, 2026.

All newly hired employees must attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at a company office as a condition of employment.

The company is an equal opportunity employer, and all applicant information is kept confidential under EEO guidelines.

Benefits

• Depending on employment status, benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D and disability cover.
• Paid time off, leaves of absence, voluntary benefits and perks.
• Flexible work options, well-being resources and an employee assistance program.
• Business travel insurance, service recognition awards, a retirement savings plan and an employee stock purchase plan.
• Training and development programs to build technical and leadership skills.