Project engineer

Since starting in 1983, Tapani has evolved from a single-person operation to a family-led legacy, maintaining a fun and friendly environment from the beginning. With a large team across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, we now cover five diverse market sectors: Civil Site Development, Buildings, Environmental, Transportation, and Utility Infrastructure. The consistent dedication to our core values has helped us grow, creating more opportunities for our current team and the need for new teammates. Take a look what our current employees say about working for Tapani:

Job Purpose and Responsibilities

The Project Engineer serves as a key support role within project teams, assisting in various aspects of project coordination and execution. This entry-level role is designed to actively impact project performance and field operations, going beyond administrative assistance to contribute to project planning, cost control, and operational excellence. The Project Engineer will work closely with Project Managers, Superintendents, and field teams to ensure successful project execution.

Responsibilities

• Daily Reporting and Analysis: Ensure consistent and accurate project documentation. Organize and transmit tickets and pertinent information to Project Admins. Review and approve daily reports and timecards. Monitor accurate quantity and time tracking against correct phase codes. Correlate phase quantity tracking to contract item/pay item tracking. Review daily labor and equipment productivity and report findings to the project team. Measure quantities, report the results, and track progress.
• Cost Control and Forecasting: Assist in managing project costs and trends. Monitor subcontractor and material cost control through site visits, tickets, and reviewing daily reports. Identify cost trends and communicate them to the Project Manager or Superintendent. Track and forecast potential budget impacts based on field observations.
• Schedule Management: Support and eventually lead schedule tracking. Assist in creating the overall project schedule and the initial 3-week schedule. Maintain and update the 3-week schedules during construction. Attend weekly logistics meetings and raise scheduling concerns to the Superintendent or Project Manager.
• Project Compliance and Coordination: Ensure adherence to regulatory and internal standards. Track permit-related inspections (e.g., building, plumbing, ROW, special access). Monitor apprenticeship and DBE compliance reporting. Manage submittals and RFIs during construction. Assist with coordination of subcontractor and supplier activities, and place necessary orders (e.g., materials, small tools, trucks, equipment). Maintain project documentation and ensure project records are up-to-date.
• Operational Excellence and Field Engagement: Drive continuous improvement on site. Identify waste, inefficiencies, and potential bottlenecks. Perform field site visits to foster crew morale and gather improvement insights. Build strong field relationships based on curiosity and respect.
• Project Start-up and Close-out: Support critical project transitions. Attend bid handoffs and department update meetings. Assist or perform subcontractor and supplier buyouts. Verify scopes, prices, and identify scope gaps between subcontractors. Prepare and finalize quotes and transmit to Project Admin to create work orders and purchase orders. Contribute to creating project schedules and startup checklists. Help with preconstruction meeting preparations and project submittals. Participate in finalizing job cost history, creating project resumes, and recording lessons learned.
• Regulatory and Safety Compliance: Support erosion control and safety documentation. Assist with erosion control compliance documentation. Complete confined space forms and incident reports as needed. Uphold Tapani’s Purpose document: Demonstrate actions and behaviors that align with Tapani’s Purpose and Values (Purpose and Values).

Desired Skills and Qualifications

Skills and Abilities: Strong analytical and organizational skills Effective written and verbal communication Ability to identify trends and propose practical solutions Comfortable with construction technology platforms Ability to develop positive working relationships with field and office teams.

Education and Experience: Entry-level position; prior internship or field experience in construction preferred.

Other Requirements: Full-time position with generally regular working hours, occasional non-typical work hours may be needed. A typical workday is both onsite and in the office/job trailer as needed.

Compensation and Benefits

Pay: $23.23 - $34.84 per hour (based on qualifications and experience) Monthly $75 phone allowance or company phone Comprehensive Medical Insurance plans with low to $0 monthly premiums Additional voluntary insurance options include: Dental, Vision, and a wide variety of Supplemental insurances. Flexible Paid Time Off and Sick Time Company Paid Life Insurance 401(k) options with up to 4% employer match See the full list of benefits here.

Note: Physical ability to perform assigned tasks, lift, push and pull 20 pounds at a time, and ability to sit, stand, and work on a computer for prolonged periods of time. Note: This job description does not contain a comprehensive list of all job responsibilities of this position. Tapani reserves the right to modify the duties and responsibilities of the position as it deems necessary.