Civil Project Engineer

An employee-owned, multi-disciplined civil engineering and architecture firm with 11 offices across Michigan and Indiana and just over 300 people. They serve municipal, industrial, institutional, commercial, and private development clients, and are structured so that engineering, construction management, and operations all sit under one roof. Design, build, operate, genuinely rather than as a tagline.

Two Grand Rapids civil engineers and friends founded the business in 1993 with just the two of them. Three decades on it has grown to 300 professionals and crossed into Indiana, with leadership now handed to a home-grown executive team who came up through the firm rather than being parachuted in.

The Grand Blanc office opened in 2010 through a merger with a local engineering practice, and covers central Michigan and the Thumb region. It sits at Holly Road, close to Flint and within easy reach of the Tri-Cities.

Why people join, and why they stay

• Genuinely employee owned. Every employee participates in the ESOP, with matching contributions starting the month after you begin. After a year you can also apply for direct stock ownership on top. Ownership sits entirely with staff.
• Top 10 nationally for growth. Ranked #10 on the 2026 Zweig Group Hot Firm list, placing them among the 100 fastest-growing AEC firms in the US and Canada. They have been on that list consistently, moving from #16 to #11 to #10 over three years.
• Best & Brightest, repeatedly. Recognised nationally, plus in both West Michigan and Metro Detroit, which is unusual for a firm this size.
• Client relationships that stick. Close to 90% of work year after year comes from repeat clients. In practice that means fewer chaotic pursuits and more long-term programme work with communities you get to know.
• A funding team that wins work. Their in-house funding specialists have secured more than $1 billion in grants and low-interest loans for clients since inception. That is a real differentiator when you are trying to get a municipal project off the drawing board.
• Award-winning project outcomes. Recent recognition includes multiple MI-APWA Projects of the Year, ACEC National and Michigan awards, and ASCE Michigan Quality of Life awards.

The kind of work you would touch

Core work out of Grand Blanc is municipal, with real breadth across the wider firm:

• Water distribution, watermain extension, and drinking water quality improvement projects
• Wastewater collections and treatment, including plant upgrades and decommissioned plant reuse. Their process group is the largest in Michigan
• Road reconstruction, realignment, resurfacing, and streetscape work, including MDOT-funded projects
• Storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and drainage infrastructure
• Municipal campus and public facility site work, including a recent 60,000 square foot DPW and fire station facility locally
• Parks, trails, and quality-of-life projects, which pick up a lot of the firm's awards
• Environmental work including brownfield redevelopment, PFAS removal, and due care evaluations, including a high-profile former manufacturing site now becoming a state park
• Site development for private and institutional clients, alongside survey and GIS

What you will be doing

• Leading design on municipal water, sewer, drainage, and road infrastructure, from studies and preliminary design through final design and permitting
• Working alongside office engineers, designers, technicians, and surveyors to keep projects on time and on budget
• Administering construction contracts, including review of submittals, pay applications, and project changes
• Supporting Project and Client Managers, and helping lead the group design team
• Developing engineering scopes and work plans, and building out municipal projects from the ground up

What they are looking for

• BS in Civil Engineering
• 5 to 15 years of related experience
• Background in study, planning, and design of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, plus transportation projects
• Familiarity with municipal funding agencies
• Construction oversight and permitting experience
• Proven track record preparing and hitting budgets and schedules
• AutoCAD Civil 3D
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Strong communication skills, since you will be working closely with the team and with community clients

Compensation and benefits

Base salary: $80,000 to $140,000, with the spread reflecting the 5 to 15 year experience band.

Ownership and financial

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan with employer matching contributions, effective the month after you start
• Option to apply for direct stock ownership after one year of service
• 401(k) with both Traditional and Roth options, and profit sharing
• Performance bonus incentives

Insurance

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage from day one
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Life insurance for you, your spouse, and your children

Time off

• PTO accruing from day one, used at your discretion

Career development

• Educational assistance after six continuous months of service
• Support for training and professional development
• A visible route into Associate, Senior Associate, and Principal, with a long-running programme that promotes internally and lets leaders buy into the firm