When a civil engineering hire truly clicks, it usually comes down to a handful of traits showing up together. Licensure clarity, software fluency, code literacy, permitting awareness, and safe field habits form the backbone of reliability. I see it every day as an engineering recruiter working with site developers, design-build contractors, and multi-office civil consultancies. When those pieces align, project risk drops and offers close quickly. This checklist is the one we use with clients who want designers and project managers who can carry a plan set from concept to as-built without unnecessary drama.
Licensure and Responsible Charge
Start with where the candidate sits on the licensure path. For designers on a PE track, confirm FE status, EIT registration, and a plan for the PE Civil exam. For PMs who are expected to stamp, validate active licensure in the project state and how quickly they can obtain additional state credentials. Study leave and fee reimbursement for the PE Civil exam are tangible benefits you can put in writing.
When multi-state work is on the table, I ask whether the candidate uses the NCEES Records program. A current Record packages transcripts, verified references, and exam results for comity applications across all 50 states and several territories. It is not a shortcut to licensure, yet it removes weeks of admin on fast starts. We moved a utilities PM onto a design-build water job in a neighboring state by transmitting her NCEES Record the same week the contract executed. The DOT utility accommodation permit clock started on time because stamping authority cleared when the design submittals did.
Software That Shortens Submittals
Most land development and utility teams standardize on either Autodesk or Bentley workflows. For Autodesk shops, I screen for practical fluency in Civil 3D corridors, pipe networks, pressure networks, and data shortcuts, plus comfort reviewing in Bluebeam and light GIS awareness. Autodesk’s own Civil 3D materials emphasize site workflows, terrain, corridors, and drainage tools that matter directly to lotting, roadway tie-ins, and utility modeling.
For DOT-facing or MicroStation-centric environments, I look for confidence in MicroStation and, more and more, OpenRoads Designer for road, drainage, and subsurface utility modeling that supersedes legacy InRoads or GEOPAK skill sets. If your work crosses into state standards, even browsing a DOT’s OpenRoads configuration guide shows candidates understand deliverable conventions.
Stormwater modeling still shows up in interviews. I ask for a short walk-through of a Rational or SCS method check and when they reach for EPA SWMM or a comparable tool, especially for system routing and long duration events. EPA’s SWMM summary page is a useful link for new grads and crossovers from transportation.
One site lead I placed answered my Civil 3D question by opening a pressure network he had built for a hillside subdivision and showing how he validated fire flow nodes against the water district’s criteria. He then flipped to an OpenRoads cross section to explain the utility conflict he avoided by shifting the profile 0.2 feet. That two minute screen share told me more than an hour of Q&A.
Code and Standard Literacy That Shows Up in the Details
Land development and utility work is standards heavy. Good candidates cite the book and the chapter when they explain a decision. For water and wastewater, AWWA Standards are the backbone for pipe, valves, meters, and treatment components, with more than 190 active standards across source, treatment, storage, and distribution. If a candidate can reference the relevant AWWA standard family for a common product, they are already thinking at the right altitude.
If your utility work occupies public right of way, your temporary traffic control and access plans must align with the current 11th Edition of the MUTCD. I often ask candidates to explain how they would stage a short water main tie-in on a two lane collector while keeping bike and pedestrian movements safe. Pointing to MUTCD Part 6 on Temporary Traffic Control is a strong, simple signal that they know where the rules live.
A utilities PE we hired avoided a second round of comments by noting that the valve can we specified did not meet the buyer’s AWWA lineage and suggested the correct standard without being asked. The owner’s reviewer emailed me afterward to say the note “read like it came from our own standards manual.” That is how code literacy keeps projects moving.
Permitting Timelines That Drive Real Schedules
On private projects, the long pole rarely lives in the CAD file. It is in permitting and coordination. For land disturbance, your stormwater coverage often sits under the federal Construction General Permit in EPA-issued jurisdictions or the state equivalent in delegated states. EPA explains that its Construction General Permit covers stormwater discharges from construction in areas where EPA is the NPDES authority and that it has recently finalized a modification related to lands of exclusive federal jurisdiction.
Wetland impacts complicate timelines fast. Work that discharges dredged or fill material into waters of the United States typically requires a permit under Clean Water Act Section 404, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers day to day. EPA’s 404 pages give a readable overview for PMs who need the quick version while building a schedule. Section 404 permitting overview and program summaries are the two links I send new hires.
I remember when a grading contractor phoned me on a Friday because a junior PM had scheduled a culvert extension without noticing that the tie-in crossed a narrow jurisdictional swale. The designer we placed had flagged the 404 risk during a precon call and proposed a minor alignment shift that kept the work above ordinary high water. The owner avoided a permit delay entirely and the tie-in happened the following week.
Right-of-Way and Utility Coordination
Utility accommodation and lane closure approvals pull from standards and practice. When I screen PMs, I ask them to outline how they will bundle a traffic control plan, utility conflict matrix, and utility locate sequence. Candidates who mention dialing 811 and sequencing locates ahead of test holes are usually the ones who keep crews productive. The U.S. DOT’s 811 page summarizes why a call or click to 811 is the front door to damage prevention, with clear evidence that pre-locate communication reduces incidents. DOT 811 overview is a helpful explainer for junior staff.
During a utility daylighting blitz on a redevelopment site, a senior inspector I placed kept a handwritten 811 ticket log beside his Bluebeam session. He caught a stale ticket on a Friday morning and held a backhoe for three hours. That pause saved the project a mainline fiber strike that would have ended the week in court.
Safety and Field Readiness
Our clients want designers and PMs who respect field risk. Trenching and excavation work is unforgiving, and OSHA’s 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P governs it. The excavation standard lays out protective systems, spoil distances, egress requirements, and the “competent person” responsibilities. Even a single detail, like providing egress within 25 feet for trenches 4 feet or deeper, can be a quick litmus test for whether a candidate has spent time on site.
OSHA’s Outreach Training Program issues 10 hour and 30 hour cards that many owners expect. The 10 hour course targets entry level workers, while the 30 hour course gives those with safety responsibility a deeper view of hazard identification and control. If a candidate has one of these cards and can describe how they used it on a real task, that is a strong green flag. OSHA 10 and 30 overview.
Permitting and Agency Interface in the ROW
When utilities or frontage improvements touch a public road, the temporary traffic control plan must match MUTCD language and the agency’s local supplements. The current MUTCD is the 11th Edition, in effect since December 2023, and Part 6 defines expectations for temporary traffic control on streets and highways open to public travel. Candidates who can talk through work zone phasing for a tie-in or a vault set and then point to MUTCD Part 6 are the ones who move permits through on the first pass.
One PM I placed kept an agency mood board in her notebook. She had snippets from three cities showing preferred taper lengths, sign stacks, and flagger placement sketches. When a client complained about “picky reviewers,” she memorized their preferences and submitted once.
Pre-Employment Screenings and Compliance
Screening is a risk control, not a hoop. For roles with company vehicles, motor vehicle record checks are routine. For many private employers, drug testing is a policy choice unless a DOT modality applies. Where DOT rules do apply, your policy must follow 49 CFR Part 40, which details procedures for transportation workplace drug and alcohol testing. Outside of DOT-regulated roles, SAMHSA’s Drug-Free Workplace resources and toolkit are useful for designing clear, lawful programs.
Every U.S. employer must complete Form I-9 to verify identity and work authorization for new hires, and many also use E-Verify to compare I-9 information to federal records. Put your process in writing and train hiring managers.
Background checks sit under the Fair Credit Reporting Act when you use a third party screening firm. The FTC’s FCRA guidance for employers explains disclosures, authorization, and adverse action steps, and the EEOC reminds employers to apply background screening in a way that does not result in unlawful discrimination. Keep these two links in your hiring packet and you reduce the chance that a well intended screen creates a legal problem.
I have seen times where this kind of diligence avoided a miss. For instance, a client nearly rescinded an offer based on an old, inaccurate county record. Because they followed the FTC adverse action sequence, the candidate reviewed the report, disputed it, and the agency removed the error. He joined three weeks later and now runs their utility coordination team.
Interview Work Samples That Map to Real Tasks
I prefer short, practical exercises over long tests. For land development, hand a candidate one grading sheet and an excerpt from the stormwater narrative. Ask for a two minute voice-over on how they would validate the high points and the pipe network sizing. For utility work, give them a proposed plan and have them outline a three step utility locate and conflict mitigation sequence, including 811 tickets and test holes. Tie your technical prompts to the standards above so the conversation stays anchored in real practice, not guesses.
A field-flavored prompt I used last month: “You are the PM on a small water main relocation that crosses a collector. Outline how you will stage the tie-in, protect pedestrians, and coordinate the shutoff with the water district. Which MUTCD section guides your temporary traffic control and what will you include in your public notice.” A strong answer mentions MUTCD Part 6, a 7 day notice to affected businesses, and a night or low demand window coordinated with the district.
Training and Safety Credentials That Matter Day One
Beyond OSHA cards, I ask about trench safety, confined space awareness, and utility strike prevention. OSHA’s excavation guidance booklet is a free, plain language companion to Subpart P and makes a good on-boarding PDF for field-adjacent designers. I link it in offer packets so day-one preparation feels real.
An EIT on a rotation asked if they could photograph a trench box install and annotate the images with OSHA callouts for the weekly lunch-and-learn. The superintendent agreed. The photos are now in our internal library and they make safety tangible for office-first staff.
Permitting Calendar Awareness
New hires who can translate requirements into calendar impact will save you rework. If your projects frequently trigger NPDES coverage, ask candidates how they sequence SWPPP preparation, NOI filing, and public notices. EPA’s CGP pages spell out coverage areas and process at a level that even non specialists can grasp.
For constrained sites, I ask how they would handle a suspected wetland near a utility trench. A candidate who says they would coordinate a delineation and keep trenching activities outside of WOTUS until jurisdiction is clear shows they understand 404 risk. The EPA’s program summaries are the right quick reference.
Offer Language That Signals Professional Growth
Strong candidates weigh growth alongside base pay. When an offer includes paid study time for the PE, reimbursement for a review course, and a promise to transmit an NCEES Record upon licensure, the message is clear. You are hiring a future PE or a multi-state PM, not just filling a desk.
A land development firm we work with added a one page “path to stamp” to offers. It listed the company’s PE support, the internal mentor, and the rough timeline to responsible charge responsibilities on simple site jobs. Their acceptance rate jumped, especially with candidates juggling two or three offers.
Your One-Page Hiring Checklist
Use this as a thin slice of the longer playbook. Keep it on your desk during interviews.
- Licensure: FE passed or scheduled, EIT active, plan for PE Civil; NCEES Record for multi-state PMs.
- Software: Civil 3D corridors, pipe and pressure networks; or MicroStation and OpenRoads for DOT-facing work; SWMM for drainage routing.
- Standards: AWWA standards literacy for materials; MUTCD Part 6 fluency for temporary traffic control in the ROW.
- Permitting: CGP awareness for stormwater; Section 404 awareness for waters and wetlands.
- Safety: OSHA 10 or 30, plus Subpart P trench safety basics.
- Screenings: I-9 complete, optional E-Verify, FCRA-compliant background checks, consistent with EEOC guidance.
Putting It All Together
The right hire for private land development and utilities is not just a resume full of acronyms. They are the person who can cite AWWA when they choose a fitting, who reaches for MUTCD Part 6 when staging a lane closure, who sequences NOI filing before the equipment shows up, and who can open Civil 3D or OpenRoads and demonstrate a live fix to a utility clash. They care about OSHA because their friends are the ones in the trench. They handle compliance cleanly so a background check never derails a solid placement. And, if they are on a PE track, they have a plan that ends in responsible charge without surprises.
My team has watched this mix stabilize projects and calm teams. When a design lead can quote the standard, a PM can outline the permit path, and a junior engineer can sketch a safe trench, the room relaxes. Use the checklist, tune it to the jurisdictions you work in, and hire the people who light up when you ask about the details. Those are the hires who will hand you clean submittals, fewer RFIs, and quiet job walks all season long.
