Land Development Civil Engineer

Land Development Civil Engineer

London, Ontario Area | Full-Time

Blackridge Search Group has been retained to recruit a Land Development Civil Engineer for an established, multi-generational residential land development company in Southwestern Ontario.

This is an opportunity for an experienced land development engineer to move closer to the owner/developer side of the table and take a more hands-on role in how projects are designed, constructed, coordinated and delivered.

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the successful candidate will help oversee multiple active residential development phases from a technical and execution perspective—bridging engineering design with what is actually happening in the field.idate will help oversee multiple active residential development phases from a technical and execution perspective—bridging engineering design with what is actually happening in the field.

This role will suit an engineer who enjoys practical problem-solving, constructability, contractor coordination and finding smarter ways to deliver infrastructure—not someone who wants to spend the majority of their time behind a desk producing design drawings.

What You'll Be Doing

Construction Execution

• Provide day-to-day engineering oversight across active residential development phases.
• Support the execution of site servicing, roadworks and municipal infrastructure installation.
• Attend active construction sites and lead regular meetings with contractors, consultants and project stakeholders.
• Monitor project progress, timelines and contractor performance.
• Identify construction risks, delays and execution issues before they become larger problems.
• Maintain clear construction reporting, documentation and follow-through.
• Coordinate with additional technical disciplines including geotechnical, hydrogeological and environmental consultants.

Contractor Coordination

• Work directly with contractors to ensure construction aligns with approved drawings, schedules and project requirements.
• Monitor site activity and schedule performance across multiple active projects.
• Track deficiencies, corrective actions and outstanding items through resolution.
• Hold contractors and consultants accountable for commitments and timelines.
• Support clear documentation of site decisions, meetings and field coordination.

Design Review & Constructability

A major part of this role is looking beyond whether a design technically works and asking:

Is this the most practical and cost-effective way to build it?

You'll:

• Review civil drawings, servicing plans, grading plans and stormwater designs.
• Assess designs through a constructability and cost-efficiency lens.
• Identify over-engineering, unnecessary cost or potential field execution issues.
• Contribute to engineering approvals and plans before construction begins.
• Work with external engineering consultants to challenge and refine designs where appropriate.
• Support the practical implementation of engineering designs during construction.
• Evaluate design changes in terms of construction risk, schedule and cost.

Cost Control & Value Engineering

This is an owner-side role, so cost awareness matters.

You'll be expected to:

• Monitor construction costs against approved project budgets.
• Identify potential cost variances early.
• Review change orders, field changes and contractor requests.
• Evaluate the financial impact of design and construction decisions.
• Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary construction costs.
• Support stronger cost discipline throughout active development phases.
• Bring a practical value-engineering mindset to project decisions.

Municipal Coordination

You'll also play an important role in managing the interface between project execution and municipal requirements.

Responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating with municipal inspectors, consultants and other stakeholders.
• Supporting compliance with subdivision agreements and municipal engineering standards.
• Assisting with inspections, deficiencies and close-out requirements.
• Supporting assumption-related activities.
• Keeping construction progress aligned with approvals, servicing completion and overall project schedules.

What We're Looking For

This search is targeted toward engineers who already understand Ontario residential land development and can comfortably operate between the office, consultants, municipalities and active construction sites.

Required

• Professional Engineer designation (P.Eng.) in Ontario.
• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Approximately 5–10 years of Ontario residential land development experience.
• Strong exposure to construction administration and field execution.
• Strong understanding of:
• Site servicing
• Grading
• Stormwater management
• Roadworks
• Municipal infrastructure
• Civil construction practices
• Experience reviewing civil engineering drawings and coordinating construction in active field environments.
• Experience monitoring construction schedules, costs and contractor performance.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Technical Experience

Experience with the following will be valuable:

• AutoCAD Civil 3D for drawing review and interpretation.
• Procore or similar construction-management platforms.
• Ontario municipal engineering standards.
• Residential development planning and approvals.
• Subdivision agreements and assumption processes.

Who Will Thrive Here?

This organization is looking for someone with an owner's mindset.

You understand that technically correct isn't always the same as practical.

You ask questions.

You challenge assumptions when something doesn't make sense.

You can walk a construction site, speak comfortably with contractors and then sit down with an engineering consultant and discuss the technical implications.

You're able to balance:

• Technical quality
• Constructability
• Schedule
• Cost
• Municipal requirements
• Long-term project outcomes

You'll also be comfortable working in a lean, entrepreneurial environment where you're expected to take ownership rather than wait for direction on every decision.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

For someone currently working within a civil engineering consultancy, this offers an opportunity to step into a different seat.

Instead of designing a project and handing it off, you'll have visibility into what happens after the drawings leave the office.

You'll see how engineering decisions affect:

• Construction costs
• Contractor performance
• Project schedules
• Municipal approvals
• Development outcomes

You'll work directly with senior leadership and have meaningful influence over how projects are executed.

For an engineer who wants to develop stronger commercial judgment and become more deeply involved in the full development lifecycle, this is a compelling next step.

Compensation

The targeted base salary for this position is:

$135,000–$150,000

Compensation within the range will depend on experience, land-development depth and overall technical fit.

Interested?

Blackridge Search Group is conducting this search on a retained and confidential basis.

If you're a P.Eng. with Ontario residential land development experience and are interested in moving into a more hands-on, owner-side role, we'd be interested in speaking with you.

Apply directly for consideration or contact Blackridge Search Group for a confidential conversation.