Field Engineer Solar Civil
Field Engineer
*SOLAR CIVIL CONSTRUCTION*
*Work Environment*
Active utility-scale solar construction site
*Employment Type*
Full-Time | Project-based with heavy travel (75%) required
1. Position OverviewPosition Summary
The Field Engineer supports the safe, accurate, and efficient execution of civil construction for utility-scale solar projects. The role is centered on site development and dirt-work operations, including clearing and grubbing, stripping and stockpiling topsoil, cut-and-fill grading, subgrade preparation, road construction, drainage, stormwater controls, trench support, and final stabilization.
Working directly in the field, this position connects project management, survey, quality, safety, subcontractors, equipment operators, and craft supervision. The Field Engineer verifies that work is built to the latest approved drawings and specifications, documents installed quantities and field conditions, and helps remove constraints before they affect safety, quality, production, or schedule.
The position also performs progressively responsible superintendent-type activities, including daily planning, crew and equipment coordination, subcontractor oversight, work-front readiness, schedule forecasting, and verification that completed areas are ready for the next phase of solar construction.
*CORE MISSION: SAFELY TURN DESIGN GRADES INTO CONSTRUCTION-READY SOLAR WORK FRONTS*
Success Priorities
*01 SAFETY*
Plan the work, control heavy-equipment exposure, and stop unsafe operations.
*02 QUALITY*
Verify line, grade, compaction, drainage, materials, and completed-work acceptance.
*03 PRODUCTION*
Track quantities, equipment cycles, constraints, and the short-interval plan.
*04 HANDOFF*
Deliver stable, accessible, properly drained work areas to pile, electrical, and mechanical teams.
2. Essential Functions2.1 Safety Leadership and Field Controls
· Lead by example and reinforce stop-work authority for unsafe conditions or uncontrolled changes in the work.
· Participate in daily pre-task planning, Job Hazard Analyses, stretch-and-flex activities, toolbox talks, and coordination meetings.
· Inspect active earthwork operations for separation of people and equipment, safe backing practices, spotter use, haul-road conditions, traffic flow, blind spots, seat-belt use, and equipment exclusion zones.
· Coordinate controls for excavations, trenches, underground utilities, overhead lines, steep slopes, unstable ground, soft subgrade, water accumulation, dust, lightning, heat stress, and severe weather.
· Confirm required operator qualifications, equipment inspections, permits, utility locates, and task-specific controls are in place before work begins.
· Document safety observations and promptly coordinate corrective action with supervision and project safety personnel.
· Maintain orderly work areas, access routes, emergency lanes, and controlled interfaces between civil crews and other project disciplines.
2.2 Clearing, Grubbing and Initial Site Preparation
· Coordinate limits of disturbance, protected areas, survey control, access points, and environmental boundaries before mobilizing clearing crews.
· Monitor clearing, grubbing, stump removal, vegetation processing, stripping, topsoil segregation, stockpile placement, and disposal activities.
· Verify work remains within approved boundaries and that environmental and erosion-control measures are maintained throughout site preparation.
· Confirm cleared areas are safe and ready for mass grading, road construction, drainage, trenching, laydown, or foundation activities.
2.3 Mass Earthwork, Cut-and-Fill and Fine Grading
· Review civil plans, grading models, cross sections, specifications, geotechnical recommendations, survey stakes, and approved revisions before directing field execution.
· Monitor excavation, hauling, fill placement, moisture conditioning, lift thickness, compaction, proof rolling, undercutting, stabilization, and finish grading.
· Coordinate cut-and-fill sequencing to support site balance, minimize double handling, keep haul routes productive, and maintain drainage during construction.
· Compare field elevations and slopes against design requirements using survey data, grade checks, GPS machine-control information, and as-built verification.
· Identify unsuitable soils, pumping subgrade, buried debris, rock, groundwater, over-excavation, design conflicts, or differing site conditions and elevate them through the project issue-management process.
· Verify finished areas provide the elevations, tolerances, drainage, access, and bearing conditions required for tracker piles, inverter pads, substations, equipment pads, duct banks, and cable installation.
2.4 Roads, Crane Paths and Site Access
· Oversee subgrade preparation, stabilization fabric or geogrid, aggregate placement, moisture conditioning, compaction, grading, crowning, ditching, and final road shaping.
· Coordinate construction and maintenance of temporary access roads, permanent site roads, crane paths, laydown areas, equipment routes, and emergency access.
· Monitor rutting, pumping, erosion, standing water, soft shoulders, dust, and traffic damage; coordinate maintenance before conditions affect safety or production.
· Confirm roads and crossings meet approved geometry, material, thickness, compaction, drainage, and turnover requirements.
2.5 Drainage, Stormwater and Erosion Control
· Coordinate installation of swales, ditches, berms, culverts, level spreaders, sediment basins, check dams, inlet protection, silt fence, construction entrances, and stabilization measures.
· Verify drainage features are installed at the correct line, grade, invert, slope, dimensions, and outlet condition.
· Inspect stormwater and erosion-control measures routinely and after significant weather; document deficiencies and coordinate repairs or maintenance.
· Maintain positive drainage through changing work fronts and prevent civil operations from directing sediment-laden water outside controlled areas.
· Coordinate temporary and permanent stabilization, seeding, mulching, matting, riprap, or other approved surface protection as areas reach final grade.
2.6 Survey, Layout and Field Engineering
· Coordinate survey requests, benchmarks, control points, staking, offset stakes, grade hubs, redlines, and as-built data needed to support production.
· Protect survey control and resolve missing, disturbed, or conflicting layout before crews proceed.
· Perform field measurements, quantity checks, elevation reviews, slope verification, and work-in-place documentation.
· Review RFIs, submittals, field directives, sketches, and revised drawings; communicate current requirements to field supervision and affected subcontractors.
· Maintain accurate redline drawings reflecting approved field changes and actual installed conditions.
2.7 Quality Assurance and Quality Control
· Execute or support inspection and test plans for soils, aggregate, stabilization, roads, drainage features, trench backfill, equipment pads, and finished grade.
· Coordinate density testing, moisture testing, proof-roll observations, material sampling, survey checks, and geotechnical inspections at the required frequency.
· Confirm approved materials and methods are used and that test results, delivery tickets, inspection records, and survey reports are complete and traceable.
· Issue and track observations, deficiencies, nonconformance items, punch-list work, and corrective actions through verified closure.
· Prevent cover-up or progression of work until required inspections, tests, and hold-point releases are complete.
· Prepare civil turnover packages demonstrating that work fronts meet safety, quality, access, drainage, and readiness requirements.
2.8 Superintendent-Type Field Activities
· Help lead daily coordination of subcontractors, craft supervision, operators, survey crews, testing agencies, and material suppliers.
· Prepare daily and weekly work plans that define work areas, quantities, crews, equipment, haul routes, survey needs, testing needs, permits, materials, and constraints.
· Monitor manpower, equipment utilization, cycle times, production rates, downtime, and installed quantities against the plan.
· Sequence concurrent civil activities to avoid congestion, trade interference, rework, unsafe interfaces, and damage to completed work.
· Conduct field walks to verify work-front readiness and communicate priorities, quality expectations, safety controls, and completion criteria.
· Identify near-term constraints and support corrective or recovery planning when productivity or milestones are at risk.
· Coordinate civil handoffs to pile driving, mechanical, electrical, substation, commissioning, and restoration teams.
· Act as the designated field lead when assigned, within delegated authority, and promptly elevate commercial, design, safety, environmental, or schedule issues.
2.9 Documentation, Production and Project Controls
· Prepare accurate daily reports covering workforce, equipment, work areas, quantities, inspections, safety observations, weather, delays, and significant events.
· Maintain progress photographs, delivery records, haul tickets, test reports, survey documentation, redlines, and field correspondence.
· Track earthwork quantities, installed aggregate, road footage, drainage completion, stabilization, and other measurable civil deliverables.
· Support three-week and six-week look-ahead schedules, quantity forecasts, progress updates, change documentation, and subcontractor performance reviews.
· Document changed conditions, out-of-sequence work, owner-directed impacts, rework, standby time, and unresolved constraints factually and promptly.
3. Authority and InterfacesField Authority
· Stop work when an imminent danger, uncontrolled hazard, quality hold point, or material deviation is identified.
· Reject or segregate nonconforming materials and request verification before affected work continues.
· Require correction of unsafe access, poor housekeeping, damaged controls, deficient work, or incomplete documentation.
· Direct field coordination within assigned scope and delegated authority; escalate contractual or design decisions to project leadership.
Key Working Relationships
Project Manager *Project Superintendent * Civil Superintendent *Safety Manager * Quality Manager *Survey Team * Geotechnical and Testing Agencies *Civil Subcontractors * Equipment Operators *Environmental Personnel * Owner and Engineer Representatives *Mechanical and Electrical Field Teams*
4. QualificationsRequired
· Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering Technology, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent heavy-civil field experience may be considered.
· Three or more years of experience in earthwork, site development, heavy civil, renewable energy, utility, roadway, industrial, or similarly complex field construction preferred.
· Working knowledge of civil drawings, grading plans, profiles, cross sections, specifications, survey control, compaction, drainage, and construction sequencing.
· Ability to communicate expectations clearly, document field conditions accurately, and coordinate multiple crews and equipment spreads.
· Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn project scheduling, document-control, and construction-management systems.
· Valid driver’s license and ability to travel or relocate to project sites as required.
Preferred
· Utility-scale solar civil construction experience.
· OSHA 30-Hour Construction certification and current First Aid/CPR certification.
· Experience with GPS machine control, drones or progress mapping, Bluebeam, Procore, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Primavera P6, or Microsoft Project.
· Knowledge of stormwater inspection, erosion and sediment control, geotechnical testing, and civil turnover documentation.
· Prior experience as a field engineer, civil foreman, assistant superintendent, or superintendent.
5. Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
· Work primarily outdoors on active construction sites in heat, cold, rain, wind, dust, mud, and changing terrain.
· Walk long distances over uneven ground; stand for extended periods; climb, bend, kneel, and access work areas safely.
· Wear required PPE and work near heavy equipment while maintaining established exclusion zones and communication protocols.
· Lift or carry up to 50 pounds occasionally and perform field inspections throughout the workday.
· Work extended hours, weekends, nights, or adjusted shifts when project conditions require.
6. Performance Expectations
*Performance Area*
*Expected Outcome*
*Field Evidence*
*Safety*
Work is planned and executed with effective controls.
Pre-task plans, observations, inspections, corrective actions
*Quality*
Civil work meets approved requirements before turnover.
Tests, survey checks, inspection records, punch closure
*Production*
Crews and equipment are aligned with the short-interval plan.
Daily quantities, production tracking, constraint removal
*Schedule*
Work fronts are completed in the required sequence.
Look-aheads, milestone readiness, recovery actions
*Documentation*
Field records are timely, accurate, and traceable.
Daily reports, photos, tickets, redlines, as-builts
*Leadership*
Teams understand priorities and coordinate effectively.
Planning meetings, field walks, clear handoffs, issue escalation
7. Career Development
*Field Engineer* → *Senior Field Engineer* → *Assistant Superintendent* → *Civil Superintendent* → *General Superintendent / Project Manager*
This role is intended to build field leadership capability through increasing responsibility for safety, quality, planning, subcontractor coordination, production management, and civil work-front delivery.
*EVERY PERSON HOME SAFE. EVERY LIFT TESTED. EVERY GRADE READY.*
8. Equal Employment Opportunity
Risk 1 Consulting, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, business needs, and the ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with reasonable accommodation where applicable.
*Document Note: *This job description summarizes the principal duties of the position. Project requirements may result in additional duties consistent with the role and the employee’s qualifications.
Pay: $40.00 - $45.00 per hour
Expected hours: 50.0 – 60.0 per week
Benefits:
* 401(k)
* 401(k) matching
* Dental insurance
Work Location: In person
