Civil Engineer

A multi-disciplinary design, engineering, and consulting firm with roots in West Michigan and around 300 people across offices in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and the Carolinas. Licensed and practising in 49 states, with a portfolio spanning ten market sectors.

They started in 1962 as four engineering partners with a single national retail client, and grew from there. Architecture came in through a merger in the mid-eighties, then two further mergers in 2012 and 2016 deepened the housing, learning, retail, and workplace portfolios and opened up the Southeast. The Detroit office opened in 2023, deliberately, to plug into the talent coming out of Michigan's largest city and bring national capability into that local market.

In 2024 they rebranded away from an architecture and engineering identity, because the work had outgrown it. Alongside core design they now offer Universal Design consulting, sustainability leadership, change management, program management, and capital planning.

Why people join, and why they stay

• Genuinely employee owned since 1994. An ESOP plus profit sharing means you have a real financial stake in the firm's performance, not a vague culture slogan about acting like an owner.
• Recognition that has held up for two decades. Ranked among the nation's Best & Brightest Companies to Work For for nearly twenty years running, with AIA Firm of the Year awards in both Michigan and North Carolina, and more than 100 design awards.
• Growth strategy built on organic hiring. Acquisitions have opened new geographies over the years, but the firm's stated preference is to grow within and next to the markets it already serves, which means the local teams get built rather than bolted on.
• Landmark local work. The Michigan teams are currently leading two of the most visible downtown developments in Grand Rapids, a 12,000 seat outdoor entertainment venue on a 31 acre riverfront site, and a new professional soccer stadium. Not many firms this size give you that on your doorstep.
• Serious about sustainability. AIA 2030 Commitment signatory, working with energy modelling and embodied carbon tools including cove.tool, TallyCAT, and the EC3 database, with a published Sustainability Action Plan and a net zero 2030 target.
• Community built into the job. Every employee gets paid service-learning hours, and the firm sponsors a broad range of community organisations.

The kind of work you would touch

Public and private projects from concept through construction, across a deliberately broad book of work:

• Site and land development for commercial, retail, and mixed-use clients
• Housing and multifamily, including build-to-rent and residential communities
• Learning environments and higher education campuses
• Healthcare and health system campus work
• Industrial, logistics, and controlled environment facilities
• Sports, entertainment, and civic venues
• Municipal and public works, including roadway, utility, and right-of-way projects
• Workplace and national brand rollout programmes

What you will be doing

• Developing preliminary concepts and design deliverables including drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and permit documentation, guided by senior engineers
• Producing site plans, utility plans and profiles, roadway designs, grading plans, traffic signal plans, and right-of-way documents in AutoCAD Civil 3D
• Working alongside project managers and engineers across several live projects, keeping quality, programme, and budget in line
• Reviewing engineering documents for accuracy and compliance with codes, standards, and permitting requirements ahead of submission
• Supporting field investigations, project meetings, and site inspections, and learning to spot and solve issues on the ground
• Running engineering calculations for drainage, grading, foundations, and civil infrastructure, and assisting with multidisciplinary coordination through CAD and BIM models
• Contributing to the wider team through project meetings, shared lessons learned, and your own continued technical development

What they are looking for

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• PE licensure
• Minimum five years of post-graduation professional engineering experience
• Proficiency with AutoCAD Civil 3D and standard engineering software
• Working knowledge of platforms such as Revit, HEC-RAS, EPANET, or MicroStation
• Solid grounding in civil design principles, permitting processes, and applicable codes
• Strong communication, collaboration, and organisational skills

Preferred

• Experience designing municipal, commercial, or private development projects
• Track record coordinating with multidisciplinary engineering and design teams
• Knowledge of roadway, utility, stormwater, and site development design
• Exposure to field observation, construction administration, or permitting
• A clear commitment to continuous professional development

Compensation and benefits

Base salary: $80,000 to $140,000, with the range reflecting level, licensure, and depth of experience.

Ownership and financial

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan, in place since 1994
• Profit sharing on top of the ESOP
• 401(k)
• Employer paid life and disability coverage
• Supplemental benefits available

Health and wellbeing

• Comprehensive and affordable health, dental, and vision insurance
• Wellness programme with financial incentives, consistently recognised as award-winning
• Generous paid time off
• Paid family leave
• Hybrid working schedule with summer hours

Career and development

• Tuition reimbursement
• Professional registration and membership fees covered
• Professional development conferences, courses, and seminars
• Structured career paths with mentoring and coaching support
• Personal learning programmes covering finance, stress management, leadership, diversity and inclusion, and wellness
• Paid service-learning hours for community volunteering