Principal civil engineer

ARA is seeking an experienced civil engineer, with subject matter expertise in pavement engineering, to join the Engineering Science Division (ESD) Aircraft Operating Surfaces (AOS) Group at Tyndall AFB, Florida. Remote work may be considered for the ideal candidate.

Principal civil engineers provide leadership, technical direction, and high‑level expertise across complex pavement engineering projects. In this role you will lead engineering design, analysis, and evaluation activities for airfields, operational surfaces, and contingency environments. Responsibilities include overseeing advanced investigations, developing mechanistic and empirical pavement models, directing engineering design efforts, supporting project execution, and ensuring conformance to engineering specifications and client expectations.

Our team works across the full spectrum of pavement engineering: mechanistic modeling, laboratory and field testing, nondestructive evaluation, pavement management systems, accelerated pavement solutions, and development of software tools and decision‑support frameworks.

As a principal pavement engineer you will:

• Serve as a subject matter expert in pavement engineering, including pavement design, condition assessment, and pavement management.
• Formulate independent research questions, models, and solutions to deliver top-quality work.
• Lead project execution as a project manager/technical advisor.
• Ensure on-schedule project delivery, on budget, and interface with others to resolve any challenges.
• Perform business development tasks to grow your professional network, provide technical presentations at conferences/local area meetings and for potential clients, etc.
• Lead successful proposal writing efforts in response to RFPs/RFQs and other solicitations.
• Occasional travel and outdoor work (field testing) may be required.

Principal civil engineer requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with 12+ years of experience, or equivalent (master's degree with 10+ years of experience, or PhD with 8+ years of experience).
• Expertise in pavement engineering, including mechanistic pavement modeling, statistics and data analysis, nondestructive pavement evaluation, pavement management, and development of software tools and decision‑support frameworks (coding experience is a plus).
• Proven success as a “seller-doer,” to include business development and marketing, writing winning proposals, and managing projects.
• Established presence in the pavement engineering community. Publication in peer-reviewed journals and relevant professional or industry conference presentations is desired.
• Strong communication (written and verbal) and organizational skills.
• Must be a US citizen.

About ARA:

ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs more than 2,000 professionals and continues to grow. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in civil technologies, computer software and simulation, defense technologies, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for pavement analysis, environmental site characterization, and robotics.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience.

ARA’s culture supports career growth and rewards innovation, self-motivation, and technical excellence. We recognize that our employees are our greatest asset, and we offer competitive salaries and outstanding benefits.