Foth is a 100% member-owned science and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Wisconsin, with over 85 years of success. Our 750 members across 33 locations are dedicated to solving our clients’ toughest science and engineering challenges. Consistently ranked by Engineering News Record in the top 150 firms, we offer a values-based, collaborative, and flexible work environment with professional growth opportunities. If you thrive working alongside a smart and caring team, Foth may be the place for you.
Join our team and experience the Foth difference that contributes to our impressive 92+% member retention rate! Learn more at foth.com/careers.
Foth is seeking a Lead Waterfront Engineer to help strengthen and grow our Ports, Harbors, and Waterfront practice in Detroit, Michigan. This is a unique opportunity for an engineer who enjoys both the technical and relationship sides of consulting. You’ll work directly with clients, contribute to significant waterfront and Great Lakes infrastructure projects, and help shape Foth’s growing presence in Michigan. Rather than stepping into a narrowly defined role, you’ll have the flexibility to build on your strengths, expand your experience, and play an important part in growing our work and team in the region.
In this role, you will serve as a local connection between our clients and Foth’s broader multidisciplinary waterfront team, contributing to engineering and project delivery while building strong, trusted client relationships. You’ll have opportunities to work on projects involving ports, terminals, marine facilities, shoreline infrastructure, and other waterfront assets in Michigan, throughout the Great Lakes, and across the country.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Build and maintain strong client relationships in Detroit and throughout the Great Lakes region, serving as a visible and trusted local representative.
- Contribute to the planning, design, analysis, and delivery of waterfront, marine, port, and coastal infrastructure projects.
- Partner with clients to understand their needs and connect them with the appropriate technical resources and expertise across Foth.
- Support project management activities, including scope, schedule, budget, coordination, and overall project delivery.
- Develop and review engineering deliverables, including plans, specifications, technical reports, and calculations appropriate to your area of expertise.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across coastal, structural, civil, geotechnical, environmental, and construction disciplines.
- Support construction-phase activities such as submittal and RFI reviews, field observations, inspections, and project coordination.
- Identify opportunities to expand client relationships and contribute to proposals, pursuits, and business development efforts.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Structural, Ocean, Environmental, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- 10+ years of relevant engineering experience, ideally involving waterfront, marine, civil infrastructure, industrial, transportation, or related projects.
- Experience contributing to engineering design, project delivery, and/or construction-related activities.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with clients, project teams, and other stakeholders.
- Interest and ability to develop client relationships and represent Foth in a client-facing capacity.
- Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and offices.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Professional Engineer (PE) license or interest/ability to pursue licensure.
- Experience with waterfront, port, harbor, marine, coastal, or Great Lakes infrastructure.
- Experience in project or task management.
- Familiarity with the Michigan/Great Lakes engineering or infrastructure market.
- Experience developing proposals, supporting business development, or cultivating client relationships.
- Existing relationships with public agencies, port authorities, industrial clients, terminal operators, or other waterfront stakeholders.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Civil, Structural, Ocean, Environmental, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
- 10+ years of relevant engineering experience
- Experience contributing to engineering design, project delivery, or construction-related activities
- Effective communication with clients, project teams, and stakeholders
- Ability to develop client relationships and represent the company in a client-facing capacity
- Ability to collaborate across disciplines and offices
- Professional Engineer license or interest and ability to pursue licensure
- Waterfront, port, harbor, marine, coastal, or Great Lakes infrastructure experience
- Project or task management experience
- Familiarity with the Michigan or Great Lakes engineering and infrastructure market
- Proposal development, business development, or client relationship cultivation experience
- Existing relationships with public agencies, port authorities, industrial clients, terminal operators, or waterfront stakeholders
What We Do
By combining science, engineering, and technology with a true collaborative spirit, Foth has delivered innovative solutions to our clients since 1938. Our history has been shaped by the evolving needs of our clients – expanding our services, locations, and membership to provide client-centered service. While the challenges we solve and the way in which we solve them have evolved over the years, our commitment to our clients, members, and our communities, as well as our focus on health, safety, and quality have never wavered. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Foth employs 650 members in 28 locations to provide our national and international clients with convenient, personal service. Our dynamic science and engineering teams are organized into business units – Environment Solutions, Infrastructure Solutions, and Production Solutions – each comprised of extraordinary talent embodying decades of knowledge and specialized expertise. We bring our rich history, tradition of success, and interdisciplinary knowledge to every client we serve, understanding their business, providing trusted advice, and developing customized, innovative solutions with remarkable energy and ingenuity. As a private industry or public entity, you can trust Foth to serve as an extension of your team. Whether you need to build new infrastructure, meet complex environmental regulations, or optimize your manufacturing operations, we’ll deliver the results you need by listening, learning, and asking the right questions. Collaboration is at the core of our purpose to solve your toughest science and engineering challenges.
