About this Role
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Senior Lead Civil-Structural Engineer is the civil-structural discipline lead on the QDC Engineering team, responsible for the technical completeness, technical compatibility and buildability of civil and structural scope on fast-track, advanced technology projects: foundations for buildings and equipment, structural steel, pipe and cable racks, equipment supports and yard structures, underground duct banks, and coordination of the site development, grading and drainage scope performed by Quanta's civil OpCos. In QDC's current delivery model the detailed design is performed by Quanta engineering OpCos and third-party engineers of record; the Senior Lead Civil-Structural Engineer provides technical oversight of that work, sets and enforces QDC design criteria, reviews calculations, drawings and specifications, and asks the questions the designer cannot: is the design complete, does it work with the rest of the project, and is this the right foundation, structure or site solution for the equipment and conditions. The Senior Lead Civil-Structural Engineer reports to the (Sr) Engineering Project Manager, QDC, supports all projects in the division, works hand in hand with the Senior Lead Civil-Structural Designer, and serves as the civil-structural technical point of contact between Engineering, Procurement, Field Operations and the client from proposal and early engineering through detail design, construction, startup and commissioning. As the QDC Engineering team grows, this position is expected to lead the civil-structural discipline, planning, assigning and reviewing the work of QDC engineers and designers.
What You'll Do
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical Design & System Definition
- Develop and maintain QDC civil-structural design criteria and the project basis of design, including design loads and load combinations, foundation types and the geotechnical parameters they rely on, structural steel and concrete criteria, and equipment support and anchorage requirements
- Develop or review foundation designs (spread footings, mats, drilled piers and driven piles) and structural steel and concrete designs for buildings, equipment yards, pipe and cable racks, equipment supports, platforms and retaining walls; read and apply the geotechnical report's recommendations to the foundation design and confirm the design carries the equipment, wind, seismic and operating loads the facility will actually see
- Perform, direct or review structural analyses and calculations (RISA, STAAD, SAFE, LPILE or equivalent) and foundation and anchorage calculations, and confirm the results are carried into the drawings and details
- Prepare or review specifications, data sheets and technical requisitions for structural steel, precast, miscellaneous metals and deep foundations, and lead technical bid evaluations and vendor and fabricator submittal reviews
- Apply applicable codes and standards (for example IBC, ASCE 7, ACI 318 and 315, and AISC 360 and 341) and client design criteria; identify deviations, requirements versus preferences, and the risks of each
- Support proposals and early engineering with foundation and structure approaches, order-of-magnitude quantities (concrete, reinforcing, steel), long-lead item identification and technical narratives
Design Oversight, Review & Quality
- Provide technical oversight of OpCo and third-party civil-structural design from concept through IFC: review calculations, drawings, specifications and models for technical completeness, technical compatibility, constructability, procure-ability and compliance with codes and QDC and client criteria
- Understand and coordinate with the site development package (grading, drainage, stormwater, paving and site utilities) prepared by Quanta's civil OpCos or the civil engineer of record so the foundation, structural and underground design is compatible with it, without performing that design
- Confirm scope compatibility with the electrical and mechanical-piping scope and with the client's operating and maintenance requirements; raise questions early, and discuss and explore alternatives with the OpCos, the client and the field
- Participate in and help lead design reviews, constructability reviews, model (30/60/90 percent) reviews and IFC readiness reviews for civil-structural scope; document review comments, track them to closure and verify their incorporation
- Perform quality reviews of civil-structural deliverables against QDC checklists and standards, and provide recommendations to the OpCos and the Engineering Project Manager
Engineering, Construction & Procurement Coordination
- Facilitate communication, coordination and document flow for civil-structural scope among the client, Quanta engineering OpCos, field execution teams, geotechnical and survey consultants, fabricators and third parties
- Identify and remedy gaps between Engineering and Construction and between Engineering and Procurement; remove hurdles and resolve issues
- Coordinate equipment loads, anchorage and foundation requirements, underground routing, duct bank and pipe conflicts, and rack and support requirements with the electrical and mechanical-piping disciplines and with the field, working through the Senior Lead Civil-Structural Designer
- Help sequence early foundation and underground packages so the field can start while the balance of design is completed, and stay informed of the permitting, floodplain and authority having jurisdiction requirements the civil OpCos are carrying that affect that sequence
- Support procurement with technical requisitions, bid evaluations, shop drawing and submittal review for structural steel, reinforcing, precast and deep foundations, and long-lead item tracking; flag designs that are waiting on equipment or geotechnical data
- Support the Engineering Project Manager with scope definition, deliverable lists, engineering schedules, work-hour estimates and status reporting for civil-structural scope
Change, RFI & Documentation Management
- Provide the technical response to construction RFIs, field change requests and redlines for civil-structural scope, or direct the OpCo's response, and confirm the answer is carried into the drawings and model
- Assess the technical impact of proposed changes on foundations, structures, site work, schedule and cost, and provide that assessment so the project team can run the change through the formal QDC change process rather than by informal agreement
- Keep civil-structural engineering documentation current in the project document management system (e.g., Procore), including design criteria, calculations, geotechnical data, specifications and inputs to the project issue, RFI and decision logs
- Document assumptions, decisions and handoffs in writing so alignment is created by documentation rather than by meetings alone
Team Leadership, Best Practices & Lessons Learned
- Lead the civil-structural discipline as the QDC Engineering team grows: plan and assign engineering work, review the work of QDC engineers and designers, and be accountable for the technical quality and schedule of the civil-structural engineering package
- Mentor engineers and designers (QDC or OpCo), review their work, and help build the QDC civil-structural design criteria and standards as the team grows
- Capture lessons learned during the project; lead root-cause reviews of civil-structural RFIs, rework and design gaps and record the methods that saved time or money
- Develop and refine QDC civil-structural best practices, design criteria, standard details and specifications, checklists and templates (including where to design in capacity for change in dirt, concrete and steel), and help roll them out to OpCos and project teams
- Identify scope, design, procurement and change risks early and raise them to the Engineering Project Manager with proposed mitigations, in support of the Project Risk Wheel and project risk register
Field Support & Stakeholder Relations
- Travel to project sites to walk down installations, verify field conditions, foundations, anchor bolts and steel against the design, resolve technical issues, and support earthwork, foundation, steel erection and equipment setting
- Present design criteria, alternatives and recommendations in front of the client, OpCos and field leadership; represent QDC professionally in design reviews, coordination meetings and site meetings
- Be willing to speak up and ask questions; bring potential project-related problems and possible solutions to the attention of the responsible party
- Take personal responsibility for the quality and accuracy of his or her work; perform other duties as assigned
What You'll Bring
EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION
Candidates from industrial and EPC structural engineering backgrounds (petrochemical, power, utilities, heavy industrial) with strong foundation, structural steel and equipment support design experience are encouraged to apply. A structural engineer who understands and can coordinate the site development and geotechnical work performed by others, and who has overseen or reviewed the work of other design teams, is the expected profile; data center experience is preferred but not required.
- Bachelor of Science degree in Civil or Structural Engineering from an ABET-accredited program
- Minimum 10 years of civil-structural engineering experience on large commercial, industrial, power, mission critical or EPC projects, including at least 5 years in a senior or lead engineer role
- Demonstrated experience designing foundations, structural steel and reinforced concrete for equipment, buildings, racks and supports, including interpreting geotechnical reports and applying wind, seismic and equipment loads
- Experience performing or reviewing structural analyses and foundation calculations using RISA, STAAD, SAFE, LPILE or equivalent, and applying the results to drawings and details
- Experience reviewing and directing the work of other engineers, designers or engineering firms, including calculations, drawings, specifications and 3D models; able to navigate Revit, Navisworks or an equivalent model review environment (modeling proficiency is not required)
- Working knowledge of the codes and standards that govern structural and foundation design (for example IBC, ASCE 7, ACI 318 and 315, and AISC 360 and 341) and the ability to apply them and to explain deviations
- Ability to read and interpret geotechnical reports, site surveys, equipment and vendor drawings (footprints, weights, anchor bolt patterns and loads), fabricator shop drawings, and electrical and mechanical drawings
- Practical understanding of how site work, foundations, reinforcing, embeds and anchor bolts, and structural steel are procured, built and inspected in the field, and of what makes a design constructable, procurable and maintainable
- A builder's mindset: motivated to help establish a new team and its standards, comfortable working without a fully defined playbook, and eager to create processes rather than only follow them
- Experience supporting construction RFIs, submittal review, field verification and special inspections in a fast-paced environment
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Bluebeam or similar markup tools, and project document management systems
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; comfortable collaborating with multiple disciplines and companies and explaining and defending design decisions to engineers, field leadership and the client
- Detail-oriented and organized; able to deal with ambiguity, work independently, manage multiple projects and set priorities in a complex, multi-party environment
Preferred Qualifications/Skills
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas, or a PE license in another state with the ability to obtain Texas registration by comity
- Data center or other mission critical facility experience (hyperscale, colocation or enterprise), including generator and transformer yards, cooling equipment foundations, duct banks, hardened structures and vibration- or deflection-sensitive equipment supports
- Experience on multi-company, design-build or EPC projects where scope was split among several contractors and engineering firms, including oversight of an engineer of record
- Working knowledge of deep foundation design and geotechnical engineering (drilled piers, driven or auger-cast piles, ground improvement) and of Gulf Coast soil conditions
- Experience with Autodesk Construction Cloud/BIM 360, Procore, and model-based design review workflows
- Field or construction background (contractor project or field engineer, QA/QC or special inspection) on large industrial or commercial projects
- Experience developing design criteria, standard details and specifications, design checklists and lessons learned programs
Travel/Office Location
- Houston, TX office-based position supporting QDC projects
- Occasional travel (up to 30%) to project sites, Quanta OpCo offices, fabricator facilities and client meetings for design reviews, field walkdowns, RFI resolution and construction support
- Specific targeted multi-week site presence may be needed during critical earthwork, foundation, steel erection and equipment setting phases
What You'll Get
- Competitive CompensationComprehensive Health Coverage - Multiple Medical, dental & vision plans with 100% preventive care
- 24/7 telehealth (Te
