DESIGN ENGINEER

About the Role

The Design Engineer reports to the VP Engineering and executes engineering tasks, calculations, drawing support, design coordination, and defined technical problem solving for precast and prestressed concrete structures. This role develops specialized precast design, construction awareness, and project execution skills while collaborating with project management, drafting, production, erection, consultants, and customers.

Responsibilities

• Review plans, specifications, project requirements, and design criteria; identify questions, conflicts, assumptions, and non-standard conditions for review with Engineering leadership or senior engineers.
• Prepare structural calculations and support drawing development for precast and prestressed products using established standards, templates, and senior engineering direction.
• Develop practical design recommendations that support safety, code compliance, schedule, manufacturing efficiency, handling, shipping, erection, and constructability.
• Coordinate assigned engineering work with Engineering leadership, project managers, drafting, operations, field teams, external engineers, architects, contractors, and customers.
• Support engineering for building structures, bridge products, and other precast/prestressed systems, including production, handling, delivery, and erection considerations.
• Perform quality checks of assigned drawings, calculations, submittals, and engineering documents; assist senior-led reviews and coordinate with Quality Control to meet KRPI, Knife River, project, and PCI standards.
• Support improvements to engineering standards, templates, design tools, detailing practices, manufacturing processes, shipping, handling, and installation.
• Develop independent engineering judgment while seeking review and approval for complex projects, unusual load paths, non-standard connections, lifting or bracing conditions, and higher-risk decisions.
• Support KRPI’s safety commitment by following policies and addressing unsafe actions, conditions, processes, or behaviors.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline.
• Engineer-in-Training certification or ability to obtain shortly after hire.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, sketches, specifications, and project documents.
• Working knowledge of structural engineering and concrete design, with desire to develop deeper precast/prestressed expertise.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Excel, Word, Outlook, Bluebeam, AutoCAD, Mathcad, or similar software.
• Professional, self-motivated, and able to manage priorities, communicate clearly, seek guidance when appropriate, and complete work on schedule with internal and external project teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer or Structural Engineer license, or ability to obtain licensure.
• Precast or prestressed concrete design experience.
• Experience with Revit, Tekla Structures, Inventor, AutoCAD, or other BIM/modeling platforms.
• Familiarity with PCI standards, precast detailing, and concrete manufacturing processes.
• Experience coordinating with drafting, consultants, project managers, contractors, or field operations.
• Interest in future technical leadership through standards, design tools, process improvement, mentoring, and project team support.

Why Join Us

• Design structures that are built, not just drawn.
• Gain exposure from concept through manufacturing, delivery, and erection.
• Work directly with production, quality, project management, and field installation teams.
• Contribute to major regional data center, industrial, parking, commercial, education, and infrastructure projects.
• Develop specialized structural and architectural precast/prestressed expertise.
• Join a safety, quality, accountability, development, and improvement-focused Knife River culture.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life insurance, and Employee Assistance Program
• 401(k) with company match, profit sharing, paid time off, and paid holidays
• Training, professional development, career advancement, and licensure support where applicable