Who We Are
Schaaf & Wheeler is an award-winning civil engineering firm focused on water resources. We are a forward-thinking company looking to grow beyond our current size of 40 people based in Santa Clara, San Francisco, Salinas, Santa Rosa and Truckee. Our innovative projects have been recognized across the state.
By becoming a part of our team, you will be an active participant in our company’s success. We offer flexibility and responsibility while giving you the ability to grow and learn in an environment where people love what they are doing for their profession and communities.
Company Culture
Our company culture is founded on a group of close-knit, diverse engineers who are treated with respect and encouraged to develop within the firm. We have an open-door policy to boost communication and improve our work environment.
Schaaf & Wheeler emphasizes the importance of a work/life balance. You will be given options for schedule flexibility to help your hours work for you.
We’re not afraid to have fun at work either. We regularly organize team events, like softball games, a tour of the Winchester Mystery House (complete with matching Hawaiian shirts), and company participation in San Francisco’s Bike to Work Day.
We also have a "Monthly Brownbag" lunch to give employees the opportunity to talk shop in a casual environment and learn about our more complex projects from senior engineers.
A Sense of Community
Employees at Schaaf & Wheeler maintain involvement in professional organizations and societies. We pay for memberships to keep our employees involved with engineers around the country. Here are some of the associations our employees take part in:
- American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
- American Public Works Association (APWA)
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- American Water Works Association (AWWA)
- California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA)
- Engineers without Borders
- Floodplain Management Association (FMA)
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Additionally, you’ll be able to attend conferences, like the Floodplain Management Conference and the APWA Northern California Public Works Conference, to present your work and learn from peers in the industry.
Employee Benefits
Room for Growth
Schaaf & Wheeler supports our employees as they grow within the engineering community.
Get Licensed
If you’re seeking certification, we’ll reimburse an employee’s cumulative expenses for test preparation, including exam fees, up to $1,000.
A Team with Experience
At Schaaf & Wheeler, you’ll be working with a team that will nurture your career goals and help you grow as an engineer.
Vacation
You will receive ample vacation time to support a healthy work/life balance. Vacation benefits grow as your journey at Schaaf & Wheeler continues.
Low Turnover
Many of our employees have been with us for 10 years or more.
Profit Sharing
We maintain a 401(k) profit-sharing plan at Schaaf & Wheeler. The better we do financially, the more we’ll contribute to your retirement.
Healthy Lifestyle
Unused sick time is paid out at a rate of 50% at the end of the year, so you get an annual bonus just for taking care of yourself. We even offer commuter benefits for public transit and bicycle use.
Health Insurance
S&W offers a generous medical insurance plan that begins the first of the month after an employee's start date. Several insurance providers & plans are available to meet employees needs as their lives change. Our dental and vision care program provides direct reimbursements to employees.
Engineering Positions
Principal Engineers
Our principals are co-owners of the company with a combined 126 years of commitment to Schaaf & Wheeler. But they are more than financial investors. Principals regularly lead teams on high-level projects and provide mentorship to junior and assistant engineers. With hard work and dedication, you could become a co-owner one day, too.
Senior Engineers
Senior engineers run their own projects, lead teams, and manage day-to-day tasks. They also interact with clients regularly to verify our products meet stakeholder expectations.
Associate Engineers
Our associate engineers do the heavy technical lifting on projects. With tools like AutoCAD and ArcGIS, they ensure our drafts and reports are developed correctly and efficiently. They use models such as Innovyze ICM, HEC-RAS, InfoWater, and many others to solve complex engineering problems.
Junior & Assistant Engineers
Junior engineers make sure our analyses and designs are completed in cost-effective and innovative ways that meet client expectations, with full support from the project team. Junior and assistant engineers work on high-level projects. They are mentored every day by our senior engineers and principals to gain knowledge and skills they can apply for the rest of their lives.