Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Engineer designs, reviews, and delivers complex urban infrastructure and site development projects that support resilient and sustainable cities. This role combines technical civil engineering (grading, drainage, roadway/curb design, utility coordination), regulatory and permitting knowledge, construction administration, and cross-disciplinary stakeholder management (developers, municipalities, utilities, and community groups). Strong emphasis on delivering high-quality plans, specifications, cost estimates, and construction oversight while optimizing for performance, safety, accessibility, and environmental compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Civil Engineer / Assistant Civil Engineer
CAD / Civil 3D Technician with site development experience
Urban Planner or Transportation Planner transitioning into design

Advancement To:

Senior Urban Engineer / Lead Civil Engineer
Project Manager / Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure)
Engineering Manager / Principal Engineer
Director of Public Works or Head of Infrastructure (municipal or private sector)

Lateral Moves:

Transportation Planner / Traffic Engineer
Stormwater or Water Resources Engineer
Construction Manager or Resident Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Prepare, review, and stamp (if licensed) detailed civil engineering design plans for urban infrastructure projects including roads, sidewalks, curbs, bike lanes, streetscapes, public plazas, and small to medium site developments, ensuring compliance with municipal standards and best practices.
Lead grading, drainage, and utility design for multi-disciplined urban projects: produce cut/fill calculations, grading plans, erosion control, trenching/utility profiles, and coordinated utility conflict resolution.
Develop stormwater management designs using HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, SWMM, or similar hydraulic/hydrologic tools; design detention/retention systems, green infrastructure (bioretention, permeable pavements), LID features, and prepare stormwater technical memoranda for permitting.
Create detailed roadway geometry, cross-sections, superelevation calculations, and pavement section recommendations; produce signing and pavement marking plans and coordinate with traffic engineering where required.
Produce accurate quantity takeoffs and comprehensive project cost estimates for bidding, budgeting, and value engineering exercises; track cost changes through design revisions.
Prepare, coordinate and submit permit applications and supporting documentation for municipal, county, state, and federal approvals (grading permits, ROW permits, environmental permits, floodplain approvals, stormwater permits).
Conduct site investigations, field surveys coordination, and utility research; reconcile record drawings, as-built information, and subsurface utility engineering (SUE) findings into design documents.
Perform engineering calculations, geotechnical data interpretation, and pavement design inputs; translate technical results into clear design criteria and construction specifications.
Collaborate with architects, planners, landscape architects, structural and MEP engineers to integrate civil design into multidisciplinary urban projects and ensure constructability.
Lead or manage consultant teams and subconsultants: prepare scopes of work, review deliverables, manage budgets, and ensure adherence to schedule and quality standards.
Provide construction administration services including responding to RFIs, issuing addenda, performing periodic site inspections, documenting field decisions, reviewing contractor submittals, and managing change orders.
Prepare technical reports, memos, and briefs for internal stakeholders, elected officials, permitting agencies, and the public, summarizing analysis, design rationale, and regulatory compliance.
Conduct traffic impact assessments, coordinate with traffic/transportation engineers, and implement mitigation measures such as turn lanes, signal modifications, pedestrian crossing improvements, and traffic calming where necessary.
Implement sustainability and resiliency measures: incorporate green infrastructure, climate-adaptive drainage solutions, permeable surfacing, tree protection, and low-impact design principles in civil plans.
Ensure compliance with ADA accessibility standards in sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and public realm designs, coordinating with accessibility officers and code reviewers.
Apply QA/QC processes to all engineering deliverables: technical checks, drawing reviews, coordinated revision control, and adherence to agency standards and specifications.
Manage project schedules and resource allocation; use PM tools to monitor milestones, coordinate design reviews, and proactively resolve technical or permitting bottlenecks.
Support grant and funding applications by preparing technical exhibits, cost estimates, schedules, and narratives for infrastructure funding programs (local, state, federal).
Facilitate stakeholder engagement: organize and present at community meetings, hearings, and coordination meetings with utility companies, municipalities, and developers to resolve design and construction issues.
Mentor and train junior engineers, interns, and technicians on civil design standards, CAD/Civil 3D workflows, and municipal permitting processes.
Conduct risk assessments for projects including slope stability, floodplain implications, utility conflicts, and public safety considerations; design mitigations and document risk reduction strategies.
Review land development applications and provide technical comments on site plans, subdivision constructs, stormwater management, and public improvement agreements.
Keep abreast of changes to codes, local standards, and emerging urban infrastructure technologies; lead continuous improvement initiatives to update standard details and design templates.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist in preparation of marketing materials, qualifications packages, and pursuit documents for new urban infrastructure work.
Participate in industry working groups, standards committees, and local code update reviews to represent the organization’s technical positions.
Perform site observation and final acceptance inspections and help close-out project punch lists and as-built documentation.
Assist in developing internal standards, CAD/BIM templates, and standard details for consistent project delivery.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D for corridor modeling, surface creation, grading optimization, and producing construction-ready plans.
Strong hands-on experience with GIS tools (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) for spatial analysis, mapping, and asset inventories.
Hydraulic and hydrologic modeling experience (HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, SWMM, XP-SWMM) for stormwater and floodplain analysis.
Roadway and traffic design tools knowledge (MicroStation/Synchro/VISSIM or similar) and experience producing traffic control and signing plans.
Solid understanding of stormwater best management practices (BMPs), LID/green infrastructure design principles, and municipal stormwater regulations.
Competence in preparing permit submittals and regulatory compliance documentation (NEPA basics, state environmental regulations, municipal codes).
Construction administration and inspection experience, including RFI responses, submittal reviews, change order management, and field reporting.
Cost estimating and quantity takeoff skills using industry standard methods and software (Bluebeam, PlanSwift, estimating spreadsheets).
Ability to interpret geotechnical reports, conduct slope and pavement analyses, and integrate subsurface constraints into design.
Experience with MS Office suite (Excel, Word, Project) for calculations, reporting, and schedule management; familiarity with programming or scripting (Python, VBA) is a plus.
Familiarity with BIM/CAD standards, version control, and electronic plan submittal workflows.
Knowledge of utility coordination processes for water, sanitary, storm sewer, gas, electric, and telecom infrastructure.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear technical reporting and public-facing presentations.
Strong stakeholder management and facilitation skills: able to negotiate technical solutions across developers, agencies, and community groups.
Problem-solving mindset with ability to synthesize multiple constraints (budget, schedule, regulations) into pragmatic engineering solutions.
Leadership and mentorship capability to grow junior team members and instill robust QA/QC practices.
Time management and prioritization skills to manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
Attention to detail and quality orientation to produce error-free plans and specifications.
Adaptability and learning agility to apply new tools, codes, and sustainable techniques in urban engineering.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to address contractor or inter-agency disputes constructively.
Client-facing professionalism with a consultative approach and commercial awareness.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Civil Engineering, Urban Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline; EIT (Engineer-in-Training) or equivalent preferred.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Transportation Engineering, or a related field; Professional Engineer (PE) license in the state of practice strongly preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil Engineering (major emphasis on transportation and water resources)
Urban Planning or Urban Design (dual degree or coursework beneficial)
Environmental / Water Resources Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Geomatics, GIS, or Surveying-related studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of progressive experience in municipal/public works or private civil/site development engineering.

Preferred: 5+ years’ experience delivering urban infrastructure projects including roadway, stormwater, public realm, and utility coordination; demonstrated experience with permitting and construction administration; PE license and experience working with municipal standards or in a local government engineering office is highly desirable.