Principal Structural Consultant

Rimkus Consulting Group Inc

Irvine, CA

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$130,100–$195,100 Per Year
SKILLS
Analysis Skills, Architectural Services, Asset Management, Automation, Best Practices, Budget Management, Budgeting, Building Design, Business Development, Change Control, Change Management, Change Requests/Orders, Coaching, Communication Skills, Concrete, Construction, Construction Drawings, Construction Planning, Construction Support, Consulting, Continuous Improvement, Cost Control, Customer Relations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Customer Support/Service, Decision Support, Delivery Management, Develop and Maintain Customers, Document Control, Documentation, Documentation Standards, Engineering Management, Feasibility Analysis, Financial Management, Forecasting, Identify Issues, Investigative Reports, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Masonry, Mentoring, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), Onboarding, Options Analysis, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Project Design, Project Engineering, Project Planning, Project Schedule, Project/Program Management, Property Maintenance, Proposal Writing, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Reporting Skills, Resource Management, Retail, Retrofit, Risk, Risk Management, Safety/Work Safety, Sales Management, Scaffolding, Stability Analysis, Strategic Planning, Structural Engineering, Structural Evaluation, Support Documentation, Sustainability, Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Technical Leadership, Technical Writing, Thought Leadership, Time Management, White Papers, Writing Skills
LOCATION
Irvine, CA
POSTED
30+ days ago

## Built Environment Solutions - Senior Structural Engineer

At Rimkus, our Built Environment Solutions team operates on a global scale with the advantage of local expertise. Our licensed engineers, architects, and technical specialists bring deep knowledge of regional requirements and industry best practices, enabling us to deliver customized, high-quality solutions that maximize the success of our clients' investments. With a comprehensive portfolio that spans nearly every engineering and architectural discipline, we help organizations plan, build, and manage assets with confidence.


What sets us apart is our forward-thinking approach. We integrate carbon footprint reduction, resiliency, maintainability, and long-term sustainability into everything we do, helping clients not just meet today's needs but prepare for tomorrow's challenges. From design and pre-construction through construction, closeout, and ongoing operations, we provide tailored support at every stage. By identifying potential issues before they arise, we mitigate risks, extend asset life, and reduce costly unplanned repairs. Whether an asset is newly constructed, leased, or purchased, our innovative solutions empower clients to operate more efficiently and sustainably. Joining Rimkus means being part of a team that's shaping the future of the built environment-one smart, resilient solution at a time.


OVERVIEW:

In this position, you will use your technical knowledge to evaluate new and existing buildings and design solutions for the complex and unique problems for our clients. New projects consist of residential, multi-family, commercial, retail, industrial and hospitality properties. Repairs include buildings damaged by fire, wind, flood, and impact. The candidate must have experience with adaptive reuse of older buildings and enhancements to existing facilities to accommodate changes in use and implementation of equipment and machinery.


Salary Range:

$130,100 - $195,100 (dependent on education, experience, location and certifications/licensure)


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 assignment 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 Support

  • 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.

Reporting, Documentation & Professional Practice

  • Prepare and/or review technical reports (assessment reports, feasibility studies, repair recommendations, load ratings, basis-of-design narratives).
  • Document field observations and investigations with clear photos, sketches, and defensible engineering conclusions.
  • Ensure compliance with professional ethics, licensure obligations, and firm standards for recordkeeping and document control.
  • Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with senior leadership responsibilities.

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
  • 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

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.
  • Business-development support skills, including:
  • Participating in client meetings and pursuits
  • Helping define scope and fee assumptions

About the Company

R

Rimkus Consulting Group Inc

Rimkus Consulting Group is a world leader in forensic engineering and consulting with more than 60 offices across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For the past 35 years, Rimkus Consulting Group has been dedicated to the timely resolution of accidents, claims, and legal disputes.

In order to meet today’s complex challenges, Rimkus provides more than 500 professional engineers, scientists, and consulting experts who offer real-world expertise that spans across a broad spectrum of public and private environments. At Rimkus, our clients can count on us for timely delivery, clear communications, and scientifically correct and reliable answers to some very complex questions.

COMPANY SIZE
500 to 999 employees
INDUSTRY
Engineering Services
FOUNDED
1983
WEBSITE
http://www.rimkus.com