Civil Designer​/Engineer-in-Training; EIT

Are you early in your engineering career and already frustrated by firms where junior staff spend two years redlining the same detail sheet? Are you the person in the office who stays late—not because you were told to, but because you actually want to figure out the problem? Are you ready to do real work, on real projects, faster than you thought possible?

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

At Axe Engineering, there is no back bench. From day one, you will be working directly alongside licensed PEs on active land development projects for private builders and developers across Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties. You will produce real design work—grading plans, utility layouts, drainage design, civil construction details—on projects that go to permit and get built. This role is a hands‑on design and production position, with a clear path toward full project engineering responsibility.

You will develop quickly because you will be surrounded by experienced engineers who expect you to grow, ask questions, and take initiative. One month, you may be drafting a grading plan for a short plat in Whatcom County. The next, you’re running stormwater calculations for a commercial site in Snohomish. The month after that, you’re coordinating a permit submittal and learning exactly what it takes to get a project approved.

We are building a team for the long term. This position can grow into:
Project Engineer (upon PE licensure) Project Lead / Project Manager Senior Engineer—if you're exceptional, the ceiling here is high.

We don't believe in stagnant roles. If you're not operating at a meaningfully higher level within 12–18 months, something isn't working—and we'll figure that out together long before then. Before you get excited, we have to be straight with you. This is not a firm where you'll disappear into a production team and produce drawings no one explains to you. But it's also not an easy ride.

You will be expected to take ownership of your work, ask smart questions, and care about quality. You will be expected to show up ready to learn—and to be honest when you don't know something, rather than guessing your way through it. We invest in people who invest in themselves. If that's you—keep reading.

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

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field (required)
• EIT certification (required, or actively pursuing)
• 0–3 years of experience in site civil engineering or land development (new grads encouraged to apply)
• Proficiency or working knowledge of Civil 3D or comparable design software
• Basic understanding of site grading, drainage, and utility systems
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, complete work products
• Ability to take direction, ask good questions, and follow through independently
• Familiarity with Pacific Northwest jurisdictional requirements is a plus—not required

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're early in your career, the firm you join first shapes everything—what you learn, how fast you grow, and what kind of engineer you become.

At a big firm, you might spend your first two years drafting details that get handed off before you ever see the project permitted. Here, you'll understand the whole project from day one because you'll be working it from day one. We are not a government agency. We are not a 200‑person firm where junior staff…