Civil Engineer, Indigenous Communities Practice

Vancouver, BC

May 21, 2024

Urban Systems Ltd.

Urban Systems is an employee-owned interdisciplinary community consulting firm with deep Canadian roots. We are united in our mission to transform communities everywhere into vibrant places where people want to live today, tomorrow, and forever.

At Urban Systems, vibrant communities are everything—including our own work community. Since 1975, we have grown to more than 700 people with 18 offices across Canada. Every day, our purpose-driven team works closely with our clients and their communities to deliver impactful work. We are proud to work with diverse clients, including Indigenous communities, all levels of government, commercial and residential land developers, and the natural resource sector.

We care for our communities and for our people. It’s our differences that make us exciting, and our shared belief in Urban Systems that binds us together. We’re searching for the creative and passionate and the curious and courageous to join us in creating meaningful and generational change in communities.

Permanent, full-time

Our established Vancouver office is looking to add a capable and enthusiastic Civil Engineer / Consultant to the existing team of professionals providing quality service to our Indigenous communities clients. Community development, municipal, and linear infrastructure engineering is an integral part of our diverse practice at Urban Systems. In this role, you will benefit from the support of industry professionals while working on exciting and challenging projects that make a visible difference in many communities, including Indigenous communities/First Nations, with the possibility of also serving local municipalities and governments.

We are looking for someone who shares our values and is excited to provide a high level of service to our clients. Coupled with the diverse learning and project experience opportunities, some of your key responsibilities will include the following:

• Hone your civil engineering skills, apply theory, and provide workable solutions for infrastructure planning design and planning, including roadways, water, sanitary, drainage, and housing.
• Connect with our Indigenous clients, through continuous client relationship strengthening and active listening, to funding opportunities and the diverse breadth of services at Urban Systems (and beyond), including, but not limited to, Infrastructure Planning and Engineering, Active Transportation Planning and Engineering, Community Planning, Land Economics, Governance Policy, Economic Development Strategy.
• Build and grow relationships with existing project leaders and clients; proactively and professionally communicate with contractors, co-workers, clients, and the general public, providing trusted advisor and client liaison services.
• Prepare technical reports, plans, studies, proposals, and presentations. 
• Coach and mentor younger professionals and collaborate with others to continue building our team.
• Preparing, with our design team, design drawings, construction details, specifications, cost estimates and contract documents.
• Collaborate with a diverse and interdisciplinary team of professionals to identify and support market opportunities, practice planning, and team development.
• Develop proposals, work plans, and budgets in response to clients needs and objectives.
• Collaborate with colleagues to prepare engineering designs, cost estimates, capital and implementation plans, risk assessments, and related documentation; and
• Coordinate the efforts of multi-disciplinary teams through the development of concepts, detailed designs, and preparation of tender documents and contracts.

To ensure a successful launch, you will be partnered with coaches and peers, who will help you gain experience across the breadth of our interdisciplinary practice locally and across the company to become a successful consultant and engineer at Urban Systems. 

The right candidate for this opportunity will be a Civil Engineer with a minimum of 5+ years of experience and be registered or eligible for registration as a professional member with EGBC. In addition, the following attributes would be considered a benefit to this role:  

• You are interested in working with Indigenous communities in BC
• You have previous experience in working with Indigenous communities (will be considered an asset but not required)
• You are available to travel throughout Lower Mainland and British Columbia for project work, including visiting communities (possess a valid class 5 driver’s license)
• You have experience with engineering design and analysis of water systems, sanitary systems, land/subdivision development, and stormwater
• Demonstrated knowledge from feasibility to detailed design, and construction administration
• Demonstrated working knowledge of preparing budgets and cost estimates
• Working knowledge of workplans and scope of work preparations
• Working knowledge of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) funding models will be considered an asset
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing personal and professional development
• Ability to effectively deliver our services within multi-disciplinary, fast-paced, multi-year projects
• Desire to take initiative and seek out opportunities to collaborate with people of varying backgrounds and perspectives.
• Ability and desire to collaborate and communicate with clients and internal teams, with the perspective of developing, in parallel to engineering experience, a consulting mindset. 
• A keen interest in coaching and mentoring others.
• Ability to work on multiple projects at a time and thrive in a self-directed work environment.

If this describes your background, skills and attributes, please visit our website for more information and submit your resume and cover letter. If it doesn’t describe you exactly, but you feel you are well suited to this opportunity, we encourage you to apply.

Urban Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create an inclusive culture for all employees. Our clients come from all walks of life, and so do you. We believe that diversity and unity amongst our teams leads to building vibrant communities.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 9:00 am PST