The posting
At TerraFirma, we’re redefining how the world moves earth for construction. Founded by former SpaceX engineers and backed by Kleiner Perkins and Bain Capital Ventures, TerraFirma is automating construction to make it faster, cheaper, and safer.
Our Story & Mission
At SpaceX, we were part of the teams that built the largest rocket in human history, launched the largest constellation of satellites ever made, and delivered connectivity to millions of people worldwide. What we learned was simple: infrastructure is everything.
At Starbase, the biggest barrier to launching missions to Mars was not building the rocket. It was how slow, expensive, and complex it was to build the infrastructure around it. We lacked buildings, roads, water, power, communications, and waste management, and constructing them took far more time and resources than it should have.
From a first-principles perspective, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be this hard or costly to create the foundations for progress. That’s when we realized something important: the same engineering mindset that enabled us to tackle space exploration and mass manufacturing could be applied to infrastructure. By bringing the principles of simplification, iteration, acceleration, and automation to construction, we can unlock a new era in how the world builds.
Accelerating infrastructure unlocks progress across every domain, creating a self-sustaining engine for tackling humanity’s toughest challenges. The innovations we develop on Earth will lay the groundwork for the technologies that one day make settlement on Mars possible.
Job Overview
The traditional civil design process is broken. Engineers and architects churn out designs under constant time pressure, and the result is a steady stream of avoidable mistakes, change orders, and revisions that cost everyone time and money. We're looking for a Senior Civil Engineer who's tired of watching that happen and wants to build it differently. This is not a role executing someone else's design intent. You'll be the person who owns civil design decisions end to end, stamps and signs off on drawings, and actively finds smarter, cheaper, better ways to build for our customers, then makes sure our automated equipment can actually execute on it.
Responsibilities
- Own civil engineering design decisions end to end for TerraFirma projects, including the authority to stamp and sign drawings
- Create and review site designs, grading plans, and civil drawings with a focus on getting it right the first time, minimizing the change orders and revisions that plague traditional civil design
- Identify and drive value engineering opportunities for customers, proactively flagging cheaper materials, methods, or design changes that deliver the same or better outcome at lower cost
- Serve as the technical authority translating civil design intent into execution plans that TerraFirma's automated and remote-controlled equipment can carry out accurately and efficiently
- Mentor and direct the work of junior civil engineers handling detailed modeling, cut/fill analysis, and day-to-day design execution
- Work directly with customers and stakeholders to shape project scope, identify cost savings, and resolve design challenges before they become field problems
- Push TerraFirma's broader approach to civil design forward, helping define how the company thinks about design quality, speed, and cost as we scale
- Support permitting, compliance, and coordination with civil authorities on complex or high-stakes projects
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering
- Active PE license
- 8+ years of civil engineering experience, including significant experience owning designs from concept through stamped final drawings
- Deep, hands-on experience with earthwork design, grading, and site civil engineering on real, executed construction projects
- Proven track record of identifying value engineering opportunities that delivered real, measurable cost savings
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Experience working directly with clients or customers on design decisions and cost tradeoffs, not just internal technical teams
- Experience mentoring or leading other civil engineers
- Familiarity with GPS/machine control grading systems, automated construction technology, or a strong interest in how automation changes traditional civil execution
- Experience across multiple project types (commercial, industrial, government/defense) that broadens perspective on cost and design tradeoffs
- Comfortable challenging established design norms and pushing back on "the way it's always been done"
Additional Requirements
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving priorities
- Must be willing to relocate to Austin, TX if not within commuting distance
- Must be willing to work extended hours or travel to job sites when needed to support critical project deadlines
