Bridge & Structures Technology Leader

About the role

The Bridge and Structures Technology Leader at HDR is responsible for driving the strategic vision, governance, and implementation of technology, hardware, software, and computational workflows specific to bridge and structural engineering delivery. This role collaborates closely with the Bridge and Structures Director and works in close partnership with the Transportation Technology Director to ensure bridge and structures technology priorities remain aligned with the Transportation Business Group (TBG) Technology Vision and broader HDR technology strategy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the Bridge and Structures technology roadmap in alignment with the TBG Technology Vision and execution plan, including measurable initiatives that elevate project delivery through technology.
• Oversee bridge-specific software governance and validation programs across the bridge design software stack.
• Advance model-centric, parametric, computational, and digital delivery workflows for Bridges and Structures projects.
• Integrate analysis, design, BIM, Architecture, data, and visualization tools into cohesive delivery pipelines.
• Grow and champion a technology-first culture across the business class through communication, training, and structured adoption support.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert (SME) for technology-focused areas supporting bridge engineering delivery (e.g., computational design, digital design and delivery, parametric modeling, automation, data capture, and model-centric workflows).
• Collaborate with the Bridges and Structures AI Practice Lead to identify and scale bridge-focused AI use cases with appropriate controls, validation, and change management.
• Support development of technology-focused career paths within the business class, including role definitions, skills and competency expectations, and progression models for emerging digital, computational, and technology leadership roles.
• Coordinate with business class leadership and HR partners to strengthen talent development mechanisms, including mentoring, upskilling opportunities, and alignment to broader digital delivery career path initiatives.
• Identify programmatic hardware, cloud, and software needs supporting bridge engineering workflows, and work with GTG and corporate partners to implement solutions.
• Establish standardized best practices and delivery playbooks connecting analysis, calculation, BIM, data, and visualization tools across the bridge project lifecycle.
• Support and guide technology-related training initiatives and practice groups within Bridges and Structures.
• Translate bridge engineering needs into actionable technology initiatives and clearly communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, supporting consistent adoption across regions.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in bridge analysis, design, and delivery workflows, including use of industry-standard bridge software.
• Proven ability to develop, validate, and implement technology-enabled engineering workflows within a consulting engineering environment.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams to find solutions that advance projects and initiatives.
• Masters's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Experience with computational design, parametric modeling, or low-code engineering platforms applied to bridge and structural engineering.
• Familiarity with bridge analysis and design software ecosystems such as MathCAD, LARSA, CSiBridge, SAP2000, sPColumn, LEAP Bridge, MIDAS, AASHTOWare, LUSAS, or similar tools.
• Experience integrating analysis, BIM, and data workflows across platforms such as OpenBridge, Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, or similar environments.
• Demonstrated leadership in technology governance, validation processes, or practice-wide software programs.
• Familiarity with AI concepts and practical industry applications within transportation and bridge delivery, including automation, computer vision, and decision support analytics.
• Experience partnering with AI, data, and software teams to move prototypes into validated, production-ready workflows with appropriate governance and risk controls.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, communication skills and ability to work with various teams.
• Project management skills desirable.
• Strong communication skills and willing to work in a team environment.
• Must be comfortable being viewed as a technical expert in engineering analysis and design and have proven background of technical leadership on these types of projects.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must.