Civil Engineer (PE) / Project Lead

About this role

Position Overview

Do you have a proven track record of owning projects from first submittal to final construction acceptance — and loving every problem that comes with it? Are you the engineer who gets called when something goes sideways on a job site, because people know you'll figure it out? Are you ready for bigger challenges, a team that makes you sharper, and real ownership over your work?

If the answer is yes, this is the role for you.

You'll work directly with our principals and with private builders and developers across Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish Counties. You will be responsible for leading civil engineering projects from concept through construction — site design, grading, drainage, utilities, access, and land-use coordination — while managing client relationships, project schedules, and junior staff.

This role is execution-focused engineering leadership.

You will move fluidly between technical design, client communication, agency coordination, and field problem-solving. One week, you may be navigating a complex stormwater design for a residential subdivision. The next, you may be in a pre-application meeting with the county fighting for a project approval your client thought was dead. The week after that, you may be walking a site with a builder to troubleshoot a grading condition before it becomes a change order.

Though You Are Joining As a Project Lead, We Expect You To Grow. As We Scale, This Position Can Evolve Into

Senior Project ManagerAssociate / Principal EngineerOffice Lead — Bellingham or ArlingtonOr something we haven't planned for yet — if you're exceptional, we'll build the role around you

We do not believe in stagnant roles. If you are not operating at a meaningfully higher level within 18–24 months, this is probably not the right fit for either of us.

Before you get excited, we have to be straight with you.

This role is not a job where you put your head down, crank drawings, and wait for someone else to manage the client. You will be expected to own projects — technically, financially, and relationally. You will be expected to push back on agencies when they're wrong, challenge assumptions when the design doesn't feel right, and bring solutions instead of problems to every conversation.

This is for someone who wants to do real engineering on real projects that show up in the real world.

If that's you — keep reading.

Skills & Qualifications

Here's what we believe is required to succeed in this role:

A minimum of 5 years of civil engineering experience, with demonstrated progression in responsibility, including:

Active Washington State PE license (required)Site civil design experience — grading, drainage, utilities, road improvements, frontage improvementsExperience with land development projects: residential subdivisions, short plats, commercial site plansFamiliarity with local jurisdictional requirements in Whatcom, Skagit and/or Snohomish counties (strongly preferred)SEPA, land use entitlements, and permit coordination experienceProficiency in Civil 3D or comparable design softwareProven ability to manage project schedules, budgets, and client relationships simultaneously

This is for engineers who want to own outcomes — not just produce deliverables. We use sharp technical judgment, clear communication, and a bias for action to solve problems for our clients quickly and completely. We hold ourselves accountable without ego and build trust with clients and jurisdictions through consistent follow-through. We all thrive in an environment where results matter more than titles, and where a good answer delivered today beats a perfect answer delivered next month.

Who We Are

Big firms have more people. We have better ones.

We operate out of Bellingham and Arlington with a lean team of engineers and designers who run circles around the big regional players on local private development. Our land-use practice is deep, our clients keep coming back, and our work shows up in the communities around us.

If you want to be one of the best engineers in the room — and actually have room to prove it — you're in the right place.

As a PE and Project Lead here, you won't be one engineer among fifty waiting for a turn to run something. You'll be the engineer of record. You'll own client relationships. You'll make real decisions on real projects — and when those projects go to construction, you'll be the one watching them get built. That's not how big firms work. It's exactly how we work.

We are not a government agency. We are not a 200-person regional firm where your work disappears into a production machine. We are a small, high-performing team that moves fast, thinks hard, and takes ownership of every project we touch.

When you stamp plans here, you're watching them get built — not handing them off to someone else to finish.

The Axe Creed

Cutting Through Project Barriers

We find a way. Every time. No exceptions.

Most projects don't die because of bad engineering. They