Civil CAD Designer (Land Development / Civil 3D)

Position Title: Civil CAD Designer (Land Development / Civil 3D)

Location: Baton Rouge, LA — In-OfficeEmployment Type: Full-Time, ExemptSalary Range: $85,000 – $110,000 annually

MUST HAVE CIVIL 3D AND LAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT EXPERIENCE TO BE CONSIDERED.

About the Firm

Next Level Solutions is honored to recruit on behalf of one of our amazing local clients—a hands-on civil engineering firm specializing in Civil 3D, Land Development, and Grading/Drainage/Utilities for commercial and residential site design. This team offers broad, end-to-end project exposure (feasibility through construction), a collaborative low-bureaucracy environment, and the chance to work closely with experienced engineers and leadership while making visible, meaningful impact.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Civil CAD Designer / Project Manager with 10+ years of AutoCAD Civil 3D experience producing civil site construction documents for commercial and residential land development. In this role, you’ll lead plan production, manage design workflows and schedules, and drive quality from concept through final deliverables on complex projects

In this role, you will lead plan production from concept through final construction documents, manage project timelines and deliverables, coordinate directly with engineers and outside consultants, and mentor less experienced designers. This is an in-office role with daily collaboration alongside engineering staff, serving as the critical link between design intent and construction documentation.

Key Responsibilities

Plan Production & Technical Design

• Lead production of complete civil site construction document sets in AutoCAD Civil 3D, including site layout, grading, drainage, utility plans (storm, sanitary, water), erosion and sediment control, road profiles, and construction details

• Develop and manage Civil 3D surfaces, corridors, pipe networks, grading groups, and assemblies for commercial and residential site design projects

• Create grading designs for commercial pads, parking lots, residential subdivisions, roadways, retaining walls, and stormwater management facilities

• Produce utility plan and profile sheets for storm drainage, sanitary sewer, and water distribution systems

• Prepare lot grading plans, road plans, and mass grading plans for residential subdivisions and phased developments

• Generate earthwork quantity calculations, cut/fill analyses, and material takeoffs from Civil 3D surfaces

• Develop and maintain CAD standards, templates, sheet sets, and block libraries to ensure consistency and production efficiency

• Perform quality control reviews on plan sets prior to submittal to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable standards

Project Management & Coordination

• Manage design production schedules across multiple concurrent projects; coordinate with engineers to prioritize deliverables and meet deadlines

• Serve as a primary point of coordination between engineering staff, survey, and outside consultants on plan production matters

• Track project progress, identify production bottlenecks, and proactively communicate schedule impacts to project leads

• Coordinate with municipal agencies and review bodies on plan formatting, submission requirements, and responses to review comments (as applicable)

• Participate in project kickoff meetings, design reviews, and client progress meetings

• Support construction administration by producing record drawings, responding to contractor RFIs with revised details, and updating plans based on field conditions

Mentorship & Team Leadership

• Train and mentor junior CAD designers and drafters on Civil 3D workflows, standards, and land development plan production best practices

• Assign and manage workload for design/drafting support staff on project teams

• Evaluate and recommend CAD tools, plugins, and workflow improvements to increase production efficiency

• Serve as a go-to Civil 3D resource for complex modeling and troubleshooting

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience producing civil site construction documents using AutoCAD Civil 3D for commercial and/or residential land development projects

• Expert-level proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D, including surfaces, grading, corridors, alignments, pipe networks, profiles, cross-sections, quantity takeoffs, and sheet set management

• Strong knowledge of civil site plan preparation including grading, drainage, utilities, erosion control, roadway design, and construction details

• Strong understanding of land development construction practices, site construction sequencing, and how plans translate to field execution

• Experience managing plan production schedules and coordinating deliverables across multi-discipline project teams

• Demonstrated ability to perform independent QA/QC on construction document sets for completeness and accuracy

• Degree/certificate in CAD/Drafting, Civil Engineering Technology, or related discipline (or equivalent professional experience)

• Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate with engineers, project managers, clients, and reviewers

• Ability to read and interpret civil engineering plans, survey data, geotechnical reports, and construction specifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working across diverse project types in a small-to-mid-size land development environment

• Familiarity with local/state land development codes, agency submission standards, and stormwater management regulations

• Bluebeam Revu experience for plan markup and review

• Working knowledge of HydroCAD, StormCAD, or similar stormwater tools

• GIS experience and/or data integration into Civil 3D workflows

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project tracking/scheduling tools

• Experience supporting construction administration, including as-built/record drawing production and contractor coordination

What This Role Offers

• Ownership of plan production from concept through construction documents, with influence over quality standards and production workflows

• Direct collaboration with engineering staff and project stakeholders

• Diverse project mix across commercial and residential development

• Opportunity for expanded responsibility as the organization grows

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary range: $85,000 – $110,000

• Performance-based annual bonus program

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) with employer match

• Paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays

• Professional development support (training, certifications, continuing education, conferences)