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      DOWL

      Engaged Employer

      DOWL reviews

      Mixed Bag - Senior Engineer/PM DOWL Employee Review

      2.0
      Jun 12, 2018
      Senior engineer/pm
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Great employees and engineers Nice pay.

      Cons

      Management is hyper-focused on your performance, hours worked, utilization and project profitability. Your worth as a person? Not so much! If you're slow (even for a couple weeks), you WILL be laid off. There is no vacation policy- if you want to take 'X' weeks of vacation per year, you better work X weeks of overtime, or you're in trouble. There are a lot of over-paid, under-utilized "managers" in the company whose sole purpose is to seemingly tell others what to do. Very top-heavy...

      avatar
      DOWL Response
      8y
      I concur with your assessment that we have great employees and engineers. Also, we have a very nice compensation package. Management is focused on running the business to be profitable and growing, and we try to give all offices and employees time to bridge over rough spots and use workshare to even out workloads. That mechanism has been successful at preserving positions in soft markets and assisting those that are very busy. The company is very patient. In my 25 years at the company we have always had an policy whereby salaried employees have an expectation of time commitment to the firm in any given year. We do not measure time away. That has worked at DOWL for almost 60 years and all of our offer letters clearly state the expectation and the freedom it provides. Many employees tell me this policy is the reason they stay at DOWL. In the course of doing business, I can say unequivocally that people are treated with dignity and respect and honesty. It is part of our Charter.

      Explore other reviews about DOWL

      5.0
      Dec 5, 2025
      Land survey technician
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The company attracts highly talented and knowledgeable engineers and project managers. The peer mentorship is invaluable. The benefits package is competitive, particularly the 401(k) match and health insurance options. There's a lot of flexibility in working arrangements and hours, which is helpful for personal scheduling. Clear opportunities for career growth and advancement if you demonstrate initiative.

      Cons

      The company could benefit from more standardized knowledge-sharing protocols between different departments and geographic locations.

      avatar
      DOWL Response
      6mo
      I’m so glad to hear you are using some of DOWL’s programs to your advantage and your career is being supported by some of our great people. You’ll be happy to know that we plan to expand on our supervisor/leadership and project manager training in the coming year! We try and keep the whole company apprised of high-level goings on through intranet posts and all-staff meetings, among other things. Our market sectors get a lot of autonomy, which is important for those groups to be able to run their corners of the business, but can sometimes lead to gaps in communication. Be sure to talk with your supervisor or office manager if there are specific things you wish were better communicated between departments or geographies. These dots can sometimes be connected by regular office or market sector meetings where the larger group can discuss what they’re up to.
      2.0
      May 27, 2026
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      - Met some great people that I am still in contact with - Learned new skills

      Cons

      - Bad management. When I told my supervisor that I was burnt out, I was told to "Smile through it" and "Be happy that I'm not working 60 hours a week like other departments. - No room to grow at all unless you are an engineer.

      avatar
      DOWL Response
      3w
      I agree – we have great people at DOWL! As with most consultancies, our project workload does occasionally necessitate putting in additional hours so we can meet our clients’ needs. I’m sorry you feel your manager did not work with you to take advantage of some our flexible work options or coordinate workshare. The facts do not support your claim that you cannot grow unless you are an engineer. We have many people in leadership roles who do not have PEs, including Practice Area Leaders, Board Members, and most of our C-suite staff.
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