Company Overview

Founded in 1964, L & M Ditching Ltd. is an established civil construction service company specializing in sewer and water repair, replacement and underground infrastructure services.

For more than 60 years, L & M Ditching has built a strong reputation based on quality workmanship, practical solutions, competitive service and extensive experience in the civil construction industry.

Our team performs a diverse range of underground infrastructure work, including sewer and water services, fire hydrants, excavation, utility repairs, trenchless rehabilitation and related civil construction services.

L & M Ditching is committed to safety, quality, accountability, teamwork and customer service, with a focus on completing work efficiently while maintaining the standards expected by our customers and the communities in which we work.

Position Summary The Civil Engineer / Project Manager is responsible for the planning, estimating, coordination and execution of L & M Ditching Ltd.'s civil construction projects and field operations.

This position replaces the traditional Superintendent role while adding civil engineering, estimating, construction takeoff and project-management responsibilities.

This is a hands-on operational leadership position responsible for managing projects from initial review and estimating through planning, field execution, cost control and close-out. The position provides leadership to field personnel and serves as the primary operational link between company management, field crews, customers, consultants, municipalities, suppliers and subcontractors.

The role combines five primary functions:

Civil Engineering & Estimating | Project Management | Field Operations | Crew Leadership & Safety | Financial & Administrative Control

1. Civil Engineering, Estimating & Takeoffs

- Review engineering drawings, specifications, surveys, site information, camera reports, tender documents and customer requirements.
- Complete detailed construction takeoffs and determine required quantities.
- Determine anticipated labour, materials, equipment, trucking, disposal, subcontractor and specialty-service requirements.
- Prepare project estimates, budgets, quotations and change-order pricing.
- Obtain and review supplier and subcontractor pricing.
- Conduct site visits when required to verify conditions and assist with estimating and project planning.
- Review grades, elevations, slopes, pipe requirements, utility information and other technical project requirements.
- Identify constructability concerns, potential conflicts, exclusions, assumptions, project risks and potential additional work before construction begins.
- Recommend appropriate construction or rehabilitation methods based on project and site conditions.
- Review completed project results to improve future estimating and takeoff accuracy.

1. Project Management

- Manage projects from initial review through construction and final close-out.
- Develop project scopes, budgets, schedules and resource plans.
- Coordinate permits, inspections, utility locates, surveys and municipal requirements where applicable.
- Coordinate customers, consultants, municipalities, inspectors, suppliers and subcontractors.
- Ensure project requirements are sufficiently defined before work is released to the field.
- Monitor project progress against scope, budget and schedule.
- Identify delays, cost concerns, scope changes and additional work as early as reasonably possible.
- Prepare and manage change orders when required.
- Maintain clear communication with customers regarding scheduling, progress, changes and project concerns.
- Ensure projects are properly documented and ready for invoicing and close-out.

1. Field Operations & Scheduling

The Civil Engineer / Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day coordination of L & M Ditching's field operations.

Responsibilities include

- Prepare and manage daily and upcoming work schedules.
- Establish project priorities and assign crews, equipment and vehicles.
- Coordinate Foremen, operators, pipe layers,



drivers and other field personnel.
- Ensure labour, equipment, materials, specialty tools, trucking, disposal and subcontractor requirements are arranged before they are needed.
- Ensure Foremen and crews understand project scope, expectations and known site conditions before beginning work.
- Provide technical and operational support to field personnel.
- Address unexpected field conditions and determine appropriate next steps.
- Adjust schedules and resources when weather, emergencies, customer requirements or changing site conditions affect operations.
- Maintain regular communication with Foremen and active projects.
- Plan upcoming work sufficiently in advance to reduce avoidable downtime, unnecessary mobilization and last-minute resource issues.

1. Crew Leadership & Safety

The Civil Engineer / Project Manager has direct operational responsibility for Foremen and field employees.

Responsibilities include

- Provide clear direction and expectations to field personnel.
- Monitor productivity, quality of work and employee performance.
- Hold employees accountable for assigned responsibilities and company expectations.
- Support employee training, competency development and advancement.
- Address attendance, conduct and operational performance concerns.
- Communicate significant employee or disciplinary matters to Jim Nelson, Owner/President, and appropriate office administration.
- Participate in employee performance evaluations when required.
- Promote effective communication, teamwork and accountability between crews.
- Support the development of Foremen and future operational leaders.
- Incorporate company safety requirements into project planning and daily operations.
- Consider excavation, ground disturbance, shoring, confined space, traffic, utilities, mobile equipment and other applicable hazards when planning work.
- Ensure crews understand applicable project-specific hazards, controls and company safety requirements.
- Reinforce required Safe Work Practices, Safe Job Procedures and field-level hazard assessment requirements.
- Stop or correct unsafe work or conditions when identified.
- Ensure incidents, near misses, equipment damage and significant hazards are promptly reported and documented.
- Participate in incident investigations and corrective actions where required.

Overall responsibility and authority for L & M Ditching Ltd.'s Health and Safety Management System remains with Jim Nelson, Owner/President. The Civil Engineer / Project Manager is responsible for implementing and enforcing applicable safety requirements within the operations and employees under their direction.
1. Financial & Administrative Control

- Monitor actual labour, equipment, materials, trucking, disposal, subcontractor and other project costs against estimates and budgets.
- Monitor project productivity and schedule performance.
- Identify scope creep and unapproved additional work.
- Ensure additional work and potential change orders are documented and communicated promptly.
- Advise Jim Nelson, Owner/President, when projects are trending over budget, behind schedule or outside the approved scope.
- Review completed projects to identify estimating, productivity and cost variances.
- Ensure labour, equipment, materials, quantities and other required field information are accurately documented.
- Ensure project photographs and supporting records are collected where required.
- Maintain accurate project information within company systems.
- Provide office administration with complete and timely information required for customer billing.
- Use completed project information to improve future estimating, planning and operational performance.

Areas of Work





Projects may include

- Water services and water mains.
- Sanitary sewer systems.
- Storm sewer and drainage systems.
- Fire hydrant installation, servicing and repair.
- Excavation and trenching.
- Shoring.
- Underground utility installation and repair.
- Sewer camera inspection.
- Pipe lining and trenchless rehabilitation.
- Pipe bursting.
- Municipal infrastructure.
- Concrete and asphalt restoration associated with civil construction.

Qualifications

Required

- Degree in Civil Engineering from a recognized institution.
- Eligible for registration with APEGA as an Engineer-in-Training (E.I.T.) or Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), as applicable.
- Civil construction, underground utility, municipal infrastructure or related experience.
- Ability to complete construction takeoffs and estimates.
- Project-management, construction-management or construction-coordination experience.
- Knowledge of water, sewer, storm, excavation, trenching, grading and drainage construction.
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, surveys and construction documents.
- Understanding of construction scheduling, resource planning and project costing.
- Strong leadership, communication, organizational and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to supervise field personnel and coordinate multiple active projects.
- Ability to work effectively both in the office and on active construction sites.
- Strong computer skills and ability to learn company construction-management, estimating and field-management systems.
- Valid Alberta driver's licence.

Preferred Assets
- Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) designation or equivalent training.
- Previous Superintendent, Construction Manager or operations-management experience.
- Underground water and sewer construction experience.
- Civil estimating and tendering experience.
- Municipal infrastructure experience.
- Experience supervising civil construction crews.
- Trenchless rehabilitation experience.
- Experience working with municipalities, consultants and utility owners.

Compensation & Salary Structure The salary range for this position is $65,000–$100,000 annually. Placement within the range will be based on education, engineering qualifications, relevant civil construction experience, estimating and takeoff ability, project-management experience, leadership experience and demonstrated ability to independently manage field operations.

$65,000–$75,000 – Development Level

Suitable for a Civil Engineering graduate, E.I.T. or developing candidate who possesses the required technical foundation but requires additional practical experience in underground construction, estimating, project management or crew leadership.

$75,000–$90,000 – Experienced Level

Suitable for a candidate capable of independently completing takeoffs and estimates, planning and managing projects, coordinating crews and equipment, interpreting civil drawings and overseeing routine civil construction operations with limited supervision.

$90,000–$100,000 – Senior / Independent Level

Suitable for an experienced candidate capable of independently overseeing field operations while managing estimating, takeoffs, project planning, scheduling, cost control, crew leadership, customer coordination and project close-out.

A P.Eng., PMP, significant underground infrastructure experience, previous Superintendent or Construction Manager experience, or comparable demonstrated expertise may support placement toward the upper end of the salary range.

Initial salary placement will be determined at the time of hire. Salary progression within the established range is not automatic and will be based on demonstrated competency, performance, increased responsibility and the ability to independently manage safe, efficient and profitable civil construction operations.

Pay: $65,000.00-$100,000.00 per year

Advantages

- Company pension
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- RRSP match
- Vision care

Work Location: In person

📌 Civil Engineer / Project Manager (St. Albert)
🏢 L u0026 M Ditching
📍 St. Albert