Civil Engineer (PE) / Project Lead

AXE Engineering Services; Bellingham (WA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% company-paid health, dental & vision

PTO + 7 paid holidays + flex-time

401(k) with company match

Job summary

AXE Engineering Services in Bellingham, Washington seeks an experienced civil engineer to lead projects from design to construction. You will manage key client relationships and navigate local agency requirements, ensuring successful project execution.

The ideal candidate has a minimum of 5 years of site civil experience and an active Washington State PE license. We offer competitive compensation based on your skills and experience along with excellent healthcare benefits from day one.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in civil engineering with an emphasis on site design.
• Experience with grading, drainage, and utilities.
• Strong familiarity with local jurisdictional requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead civil engineering projects from conception to completion.
• Manage client relationships and ensure project compliance.
• Mentor junior staff and oversee job sites.

Skills

Site civil experience

Land development background

Client relationship management

Civil 3D or comparable software

Project management on site

Education

Active Washington State PE license

Job description

Bellingham or Arlington, WA|Full-Time|Experienced Hire

Big firms have more people. We have better ones.

We’re a lean, high-performing civil engineering team based in Bellingham and Arlington. We work with private builders and developers across Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties — and we consistently out-compete larger firms by thinking harder and moving faster.

We’re not looking for seat-warmers or box-checkers. We’re looking for an engineer who obsesses over getting it right, owns their projects from concept to construction acceptance, and brings solutions instead of problems to every conversation.

If that sounds like pressure — it is. If that sounds exciting — keep reading.

The Role

You’ll lead civil engineering projects end-to-end: site design, grading, drainage, utilities, access, and land-use coordination. You’ll manage client relationships, navigate agency reviews, mentor junior staff, and walk job sites when something needs to get figured out.

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.

This role can evolve into Senior PM, Associate/Principal Engineer, or Office Lead. We don’t believe in stagnant roles — if you’re not operating at a meaningfully higher level within 18–24 months, something isn’t working.

What We’re Looking For

• Active Washington State PE license (required)
• 5+ years of site civil experience — grading, drainage, utilities, road/frontage improvements
• Land development background: subdivisions, short plats, commercial site plans
• Familiarity with Whatcom, Skagit, and/or Snohomish County jurisdictional requirements (strongly preferred)
• SEPA, land use entitlements, and permit coordination experience
• Civil 3D or comparable design software proficiency
• Proven ability to manage schedules, budgets, and client relationships simultaneously
• You’ve spotted something wrong on a project and fixed it — without being asked
• You’ve delivered hard news to a client and helped them find a path forward anyway — not just technically, but relationally
• You treat a client call-back like a fire drill, not a task for tomorrow
• You’ve left a company because you were bored, not because it was hard
• You’ve navigated a tough agency review and come out with an approval your client didn’t think was possible
• You’re probably not a fit if you need a checklist for every decision, measure success by hours billed, or think “that’s how we’ve always done it” is an answer.

What You Get

• Real Ownership. Engineer of record on projects you’ll be proud to drive past for the rest of your life
• Compensation That Matches Your Value. Compensation tied to your experience and performance — not arbitrary salary bands. We pay PEs what they’re worth and reward the ones who deliver
• Leadership Access. No layers, no politics — direct access to ownership
• Work That Matters. Local projects in the communities where you live — you’ll see the results
• High-Caliber Team. We hire selectively so the people around you make you better
• Flexibility. We care about output, not when you swipe in

Benefits (Day 1): 100% company-paid health, dental & vision | PTO + 7 paid holidays + flex-time | Bi-weekly direct deposit | 401(k) with company match

Our Creed

We find a way. Every time. No exceptions.

Most projects don’t die because of bad engineering. They die because someone accepted “no” from an agency, a jurisdiction, or a process — and stopped pushing. We don’t stop pushing.

A few of the words we live by:

01. The field is where the truth lives. Get out from behind your desk.

02. Own your stamp. If you wouldn’t put your PE stamp on it, fix it first.

03. The client hired us to think, not just to draft. Bring solutions, not just drawings.

05. We don’t just design infrastructure. We build the places where people live, work, and raise their kids. Act like it matters.

If those resonate — you might belong here.

Ready?

Send us your resume and a brief note on a project you’re proud of. We’re not looking for a perfect application. We’re looking for the right person.

Apply: https://axeengineering.com/careers/