Jobs › HNTB

Electrical Project Engineer

HNTB · Chicago, IL · $105,591–$165,155 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 6, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you caught an error in your own calculations before submittal.

What they are checking: Whether they check their work carefully, which protects public safety and the firm.

Tell me about a time you solved a tricky design problem creatively.

What they are checking: Whether they bring problem solving to issues, which the posting stresses.

Are you working toward or do you hold your PE license?

What they are checking: Whether they are growing professionally toward the responsibilities of a licensed engineer.

What would you do

The project manager needs your plans a week early. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they can negotiate scope and quality honestly while trying to meet the schedule.

A client reviewer disagrees with your design approach. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can defend their work with facts while staying open to client input.

About the work

Walk me through how you would design roadway lighting for a highway interchange.

What they are checking: Whether they know lighting criteria, layout and calculations for transportation projects.

How do you size conductors and conduit for a long lighting circuit?

What they are checking: Whether they account for voltage drop and code requirements in real designs.

Which software do you use for lighting calculations and electrical plan production?

What they are checking: Whether they can produce plans with the tools engineering teams use.

How does designing electrical systems for a transit or airport project differ from a highway project?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how client type changes standards and constraints.

How do you coordinate your electrical design with roadway, structural and traffic disciplines?

What they are checking: Whether they work across disciplines to avoid conflicts on multidiscipline plans.

How do you write specifications that a contractor can follow without confusion?

What they are checking: Whether they produce clear documents that lead to correct construction.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at HNTB from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

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The full job description

As published by HNTB.

What We're Looking For Join our growing team. It is time to join HNTB Corporation! We seek a project engineer to join our Electrical Section. This role provides exciting opportunities to design electrical systems for clients on highway, municipal, bridge, transit, and airport projects. At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners. This opportunity entails being responsible for the production and modification of design calculations, technical reports, engineering plans and specifications for assigned projects. This position consults with the project manager to perform research, development, calculations, design and delivery. Applies engineering techniques, procedures and design criteria for projects ranging in size and complexity. Leverages technical knowledge and experience to address design related issues or concerns, working closely with the project manager through creative problem solving, interactions with clients and by completing tasks to meet the project schedule. Develops conceptual and detailed designs and calculations to support the project completion using current drawing and technical tools, programs and software. May mentor, train and review work of junior engineer staff and provide constructive feedback. As a member of the team, you will contribute to the successful project delivery for a diverse range of projects for HNTB’s clients What You'll Do: • Responsible for the planning and distribution of discipline-specific work, and adherence to the schedule and budget on projects. • Assists in marketing responsibilities, including proposal generation. • Assists with the development of scope of work and level of effort for projects and/or assignments within discipline. • Oversees completeness and accuracy of project team’s work within the technical discipline. Guides and mentors team to overall project objectives. • Coordinates technical aspects of project with client counterpart and teaming partners at staff level for work within the discipline. • Works closely with other disciplines on multi-discipline projects. • Performs other duties as assigned. What You'll Need: • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 6 years of relevant experience, or • Master’s degree in Engineering and 5 years of relevant experience, or • PhD in Engineering and 4 years of relevant experience What You'll Bring: • Understands the impacts of decisions on technical design and work planning. • Coordinates work planning and design effectively across multiple technical disciplines. • Prepares high-quality deliverables that are on time and within budget and scope • Electrical Engineering design for Civil Transportation projects • Design low voltage power distribution systems, street lighting, traffic signals, area lighting, pedestrian lighting, aesthetic lighting and other electrical systems • Design power distribution and control systems for Movable Bridges. • Work closely with other disciplines on multi-discipline projects. • Prepare electrical engineering designs that are responsive to project needs. • Help to schedule and perform quality control duties of project team members. • Coordinate with contractor, construction engineers, other consulting engineers, and utility personnel. • Conduct reviews and make recommendations of approval of potential construction change orders, shop drawings and change orders. • Cost control on projects and quality control within discipline. • Ensure completeness and accuracy of design team work. What We Prefer: • Master’s degree in Engineering • 8 years relevant experience • Professional Engineer (PE) certification • Experience with Roadway and Highway Lighting • Experience with AGI32 Lighting Software • Experience with completing plans and specifications and • Estimating construction packages for municipal and DOT clients Additional Information Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. #EL #LI-EL1 . Locations: Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO, Overland Park, KS (Sprint Parkway) . . . . . . . . . . . . The approximate pay range for Illinois is $105,590.66 - $165,154.61. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . . . . . . . . . NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES: HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.

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