Title: Geotechnical Senior Project Engineer
Company: ECS Southwest LLP
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Nicholas Vitale, geotechnical senior project engineer at ECS Southwest LLP, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in geotechnical engineering.
Mr. Vitale has enjoyed a rewarding career in geotechnical engineering for over a decade. Since 2024, he has been employed by ECS Southwest LLP, ECS Group of Companies, in Tempe, Arizona, as a geotechnical senior project engineer. In addition to taking on various engineering projects as they arise, Mr. Vitale focuses on marketing aspects to ensure his firm’s continued success.
Based in Chantilly, Virginia, ECS Southwest LLP offers geotechnical engineering and other key client services, including environmental consulting, construction materials testing and inspection, and facilities engineering and consulting. Founded in the late 1980s, the employee-owned corporation now encompasses over 90 offices and over 2,500 hundred employees.
Before being recruited by his firm, Mr. Vitale excelled as a staff engineer at Speedie & Associates in Phoenix from 2018 to 2024. The civil engineering company provides expert consulting in geotechnical, environmental and construction materials testing. Mr. Vitale’s responsibilities included report preparation, project setup, fieldwork, investigations and report writing. He also collaborated with structural and civil engineers on various projects, such as student housing, roadwork and sewer projects.
Mr. Vitale’s foundation role was a staff engineer II at Northwest Geotech Inc. d/b/a Northwest Testing Inc., a similar organization based in Wilsonville, Oregon, between 2015 and 2018. His role encompassed involvement in slope stability, seismic analysis, foundation settlement analysis, pile capacity calculations, and phase I environmental site assessments, among other tasks.
In preparation for his career in this sector, Mr. Vitale received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 2014 and a Master of Science in engineering with a focus on geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering in 2015 at Arizona State University. While pursuing his degrees, he interned with Terracon between 2013 and 2014, gaining invaluable expertise in AutoCAD drafting, slope stability and laboratory work.
In addition to his formal education, Mr. Vitale became a licensed professional engineer through the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration, State of Arizona, in 2019. This credential is a testament to his dedication to advancing his career.
Mr. Vitale has enjoyed participating in his professional community through memberships with industry-related organizations like the American Society of Civil Engineers. Through his community, he has enjoyed volunteering and donating to various causes, such as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Honoring his work, Mr. Vitale received an Engineering Leadership Award from Speedie & Associates for his contributions during his tenure as a staff engineer. Beyond his accolades, his most notable achievement was serving as the engineer and managing the geotechnical works on a four-year main waterline project. Mr. Vitale credits much of his professional success to the support of his family, particularly his mother and sister, as well as several friends and mentors.
Excited about the future of his career at ECS Southwest LLP, Mr. Vitale intends to help position the company as a local leader in geotechnical services. He plans to serve as the geotechnical department manager in the future, overseeing a well-organized and efficient team that collaborates with universities, agencies and municipalities. His goal is for ECS to be the first name that comes to mind for geotechnical services in the region.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Mr. Vitale:
