Project Engineer

Guy F. Atkinson Construction; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary

Health/dental/vision benefits

Paid time off

Retirement/401k

Life insurance

Commuter benefit

Disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Backup daycare

Job summary

Guy F. Atkinson Construction is seeking a Project Engineer in a hands-on, fast-paced heavy civil environment in San Diego. You will support scheduling, cost control, subcontract coordination, and overall project administration on active construction sites.

This role requires an undergraduate engineering-related degree and 3–5 years of relevant field experience, with strong communication and team collaboration skills to drive safety, efficiency, and budget adherence.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in engineering, construction management, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience on commercial or heavy civil construction projects.
• Strong initiative, independence, and integrity; excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Actively pursue safety training and embrace Atkinson safety culture.
• Participate in TRACK process; attend daily/weekly meetings and field inspections.
• Maintain strong working relationships with craft personnel, inspectors, subcontractors, vendors, and project team.

Skills

Scheduling

Cost engineering

Subcontract coordination

Project administration

Team collaboration

Education

Undergraduate degree in engineering, construction management, or related discipline

Job description

About Atkinson

Building our nation’s infrastructure since 1926, Atkinson provides innovative design and construction solutions for heavy civil projects. We are committed to safely delivering complex, quality projects while building long-lasting, collaborative relationships with our clients.

The Role

The Project Engineer provides administrative and technical services in the fields of scheduling, cost engineering, subcontract coordination, and general project administration. Along with job site project managers and superintendents, project engineers have responsibilities in overall project oversight and may be assigned to a particular section, subcontractor, or other facet(s) of the project.

Responsibilities

• Actively pursue and engage in safety training to learn and embrace the Atkinson safety culture
• Participate in the TRACK process; attend daily / weekly meetings and field inspections
• Initiate and maintain good, strong working relationships with Atkinson’s craft personnel, field inspectors, subcontractors’ representatives, vendors, home office support, the project management team, the community, etc
• Stay ahead of the crew’s needs, making sure they are efficient in their work
• Prioritize daily tasks by understanding deadlines and material procurement lead times
• Provide prompt, accurate information, notices, and requests to agencies, subcontractors, vendors, etc
• Communicate clearly and concisely in a grammatically correct and unbiased manner
• Investigate issues, ask thoughtful questions, gather input and propose solutions
• Beat the estimated budget
• Pursue self-development outside of assigned responsibilities
• Produce safe, efficient construction engineering products
• Track and update quantities promptly to ensure accurate budgets, forecasts, and reporting
• Perform thorough invoice reviews and pay subcontractors and vendors in a timely manner
• Gather and prepare supporting documentation for change orders and requisitions

Basic Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in engineering, construction management, or related discipline; or similar field or equivalent work experience
• 3-5 years of relevant experience working on commercial or heavy civil construction projects from start to finish
• High degree of initiative, independence, personal responsibility, and integrity
• Willingness to speak up, listen up, ask open-ended questions, and learn from others
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong work ethic and ability to work in a fast-paced team environment
• Alignment to our Standards of Excellence: self-motivated, results-oriented, adaptable, team player, accountable, ethical, innovative, resilient, builds relationships, builds people/teams and followership, sets direction and executes

The work environment and requirements described below are representative of those necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role.

The Physical Side of the Role:

This is an active, hands-on role. You can expect to be on your feet frequently, navigating active job sites with uneven terrain, stairs, ladders, and hoists. The work is physically demanding and requires a full range of motion, including bending, kneeling, and reaching. You’ll need to be comfortable frequently lifting and carrying materials up to 25 pounds, and occasionally up to 50 pounds. This role requires the ability to communicate effectively, as well as visual acuity for reading plans and inspecting work. The role does include desk time in the office that may require prolonged periods of sitting for tasks like computer work, document review, and meetings.

Your Work Environment:

You’ll spend a significant amount of your time on active construction sites, which means being adaptable to all kinds of weather and moderate to loud noise levels, and comfortable in elevated or confined work areas with moving mechanical equipment and with the fast-paced nature of a project in progress. You will also spend time in a typical office setting with moderate noise levels. Your safety is our top priority, and you’ll be expected to follow Atkinson Construction’s safety policies and procedures and all applicable laws at all locations.

Our High-Performing Culture:

This is a demanding, high-performance environment. We are looking for candidates who are energized by challenge, thrive under pressure, and are prepared to do what it takes to achieve exceptional results. Success in this role requires significant commitment, including flexibility to work extended hours, especially during critical project phases or client deadlines. Beyond regular working hours, there will be occasions where business needs require your attention, particularly for time-sensitive matters or emergencies. You are expected to monitor and respond to communications (phone calls, emails, text messages) as required to address these situations effectively. Your ability to manage these expectations and be responsive when critical issues arise is key to your success in this role and our collective success as a team.

A Drug-Free Workplace:

Atkinson promotes a drug-free workplace. A pre-employment drug “fitness for duty” screening is required, and the company conducts random quarterly drug “fitness for duty” tests.

• Base salary, bonus potential
• Health/dental/vision benefits
• Paid time off
• Retirement/401k
• Company Contribution plan
• Life insurance
• Commuter benefit
• Short & long term disability
• Fitness reimbursement
• FSA
• Tuition reimbursement
• Back-up daycare
• Tutoring & family support benefits
• EAP/Work-Life assistance
• Holiday contribution program
• Base salary range is $90,000-135,000
• Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location
• Base pay is one part of the Total Compensation Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work.