Principal Structural Engineer

Requirements

OVERVIEW:

• New projects consist of residential, multi-family, commercial, retail, industrial and hospitality properties.
• Repairs include buildings damaged by fire, wind, flood, and impact.

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Technical Leadership & Structural Engineering
• Lead the preparation and review of construction drawings, specifications, and structural calculations for new and existing structures.
• Oversee complex structural evaluations of existing (and sometimes damaged) buildings, including load path verification and stability assessments.
• Direct investigations and condition assessments to determine appropriate repair or retrofit strategies for damaged, deteriorated, or underperforming structural systems.
• Lead design assignments for upgrades, maintenance, restoration, adaptive reuse, and rehabilitation of existing buildings (including phased construction planning).
• Apply advanced engineering judgment to resolve technically challenging issues involving constructability, sequencing, and risk reduction.
• Develop and review repair details and technical specifications (means/methods considerations where appropriate and within professional role boundaries).
• Codes, Standards & Quality Assurance
• Ensure all deliverables comply with applicable building codes, standards, and industry best practices (local and national as applicable).
• Research current and historical codes, zoning/ordinance impacts (when relevant), and determine applicable code upgrades for renovation/retrofit scopes.
• Establish quality control standards for the team (checklists, calculation templates, drawing standards, peer review processes).
• Perform senior-level technical reviews of calculations, drawings, reports, and specifications produced by others (QA/QC sign-off).
• Serve as Engineer of Record (EOR) where appropriate, including sealing/signing documents in accordance with licensure requirements and firm policy.
• Fieldwork, Site Support & Construction Phase Services
• Plan and lead field assessments, including working from ladders, lifts, scaffolds, rooftops, and within confined spaces as required (following safety protocols).
• Coordinate and direct site investigations (openings, probes, material sampling, NDT, monitoring), including managing specialty subconsultants when needed.
• Provide construction-phase engineering support, including: Responses to RFIs and submittal reviews, Site observations and field reports, Evaluation of unforeseen conditions and design modifications, Review of temporary works interfaces (as required/appropriate).
• Communicate technical findings clearly to clients, contractors, and internal stakeholders to support timely decision-making.
• Team Leadership, Mentoring & Resource Management (Team Leader Enhancements)
• Act as team leader responsible for delivering projects successfully across scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
• Assign and manage work across project engineers, designers, and drafters; balance utilization and capability development.
• Mentor and coach staff, including technical development, report-writing, design approach, and professional growth planning.
• Lead internal coordination between disciplines (architecture, MEP, envelope, Geotech, etc.) to ensure integrated project delivery.
• Support hiring and onboarding as needed (interviews, role definition, training plans).
• Build a strong safety and quality culture, reinforcing field safety, ethical decision-making, and documentation standards.
• Project & Financial Management
• Develop and manage project plans, including execution strategy, deliverable schedules, and milestone tracking.
• Prepare and manage budgets, including staffing forecasts, burn-rate tracking, and change management.
• Lead scope definition and change control, including change orders, additional services, and managing client expectations.
• Manage project risk, including technical risk, safety risk, and contractual risk (in coordination with leadership/PMO).
• Client Service & Business Development
• Serve as a practice-area expert in client meetings, providing technical insight, options analysis, and recommendations.
• Support Business Development efforts by: Participating in pursuit strategy and interviews, Reviewing/authoring technical proposals, Developing fee estimates and scope assumptions, Presenting qualifications and project approaches, Maintain and grow client relationships through responsiveness, technical credibility, and consistent delivery.
• Suggested "Team Leader" Additions
• Lead lessons-learned reviews and continuously improve standards, tools, and workflows.
• Develop technical thought leadership (white papers, conference presentations, internal training).
• Champion innovation (analysis tools, BIM coordination, standard details, automation of calculations/deliverables).
• REQUIRED SKILLS and ABILITIES
• Structural Engineering Expertise (Technical Depth)
• Expert knowledge of commercial and residential structural systems, including gravity/lateral systems across common materials (steel, concrete, masonry, wood, light gauge, etc.).
• Strong material and system selection ability, choosing appropriate solutions based on: Building use/occupancy and performance requirements, Site conditions and location (wind/seismic/snow, corrosion, exposure), Constructability, lifecycle cost, and maintainability.
• Ability to perform and/or oversee: Load determination and combinations, Performance criteria definition (serviceability, strength, drift/deflection/vibration), Member sizing/selection and connection concepts, Retrofit/repair design strategy development.
• Strong diagnostic/forensic mindset for existing buildings: interpreting distress, damage mechanisms, and load path behavior.
• Codes, Standards & Technical Quality (QA/QC)
• Proficiency with building codes and referenced standards (current and historical where needed), including the ability to interpret intent and apply to existing-building scenarios.
• High competency in QA/QC leadership, including: Establishing calculation/drawing/report standards, Performing senior technical reviews and constructability reviews, Coaching others on quality expectations and risk reduction.
• Ability to manage engineering risk, making defensible decisions supported by documentation and sound judgment.
• Communication, Reporting & Documentation
• Excellent technical writing skills, producing clear and defensible: Condition assessments and investigation reports, Repair/retrofit recommendations and basis-of-design narratives, Technical memoranda, summaries, and client-facing deliverables.
• Ability to translate complex findings into practical options, impacts, and recommendations for clients and stakeholders.
• Strong presentation and meeting leadership skills, including communicating scope assumptions, risks, and next steps.
• Project Leadership, Budgeting & Delivery Management
• Proven ability to develop and manage: Project scope, schedules, and staffing plans, Budgets, burn rates, and forecasting, Change management (additional services, change orders, re-scoping).
• Skilled at managing multiple deadlines and deliverable types, including: Technical condition reports, Repair designs and bid documents, Addenda, construction documentation, and revisions during construction.
• Ability to lead teams across new and existing construction, coordinating internal resources and subconsultants to deliver on time and within budget.
• Team Leadership, Collaboration & Professional Presence
• Strong people-leadership capability, including delegation, mentorship, and performance support for engineers/designers.
• Collaborative, approachable leadership style with the ability to work effectively across disciplines (Architecture/MEP/Envelope/Geotech/Contractors).
• Client-facing confidence and professionalism—comfortable interacting with staff, clients, property owners, and contractors.
• Ability to set expectations and drive accountability while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Client Development & Relationship Management
• Ability to initiate, build, and maintain trusted client relationships, creating repeat work through reliability and technical credibility.
• Judgment, Independence & Execution Under Pressure
• Ability to work independently with strong judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making in ambiguous conditions.
• Comfort operating under pressure, prioritizing effectively and meeting deadlines without sacrificing safety or quality.
• Highly organized and adaptable, managing competing priorities across multiple active projects.
• REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION and CERTIFICATIONS
• Education
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil/Structural) is required.
• Advanced degree (M.S. Structural Engineering or similar) is a plus.
• Licensure & Certifications
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license (Civil Engineering) - required (active and in good standing).
• Structural Engineer (S.E.) license - preferred (or ability/intent to obtain where applicable).
• Ability to obtain comity licensure in additional states/jurisdictions as project needs require - preferred.
• OSHA/Safety training (e.g., OSHA 10/30) - preferred for field-intensive roles.
• Experience
• 15+ years of progressive structural engineering experience - required, including:
• Structural design for new projects, repairs, and renovations.