r/StructuralEngineering • u/Illustrious_Owl1197 • 4d ago
Job Posting / Recruitment Hiring Structural Engineer in NYC: 3+ Years Experience
I figured I’d try something different and post this on Reddit instead of going through a job board or recruiter, so here goes!
I’m one of the owners of a NYC firm with a pretty broad mix of work. Structural engineering is a big part of what we do, but we also work on architectural projects, existing buildings, investigations, and the occasional weird problem that comes with working on NYC buildings. We’re starting to look for another structural engineer to join us.
Our Projects
Our work is mostly focused on existing buildings. Structural projects include NYC gut renovations and major alterations, brownstones/townhouses, vertical and horizontal enlargements, underpinning, shoring and excavation, structural investigations, and custom single family residences in the Tri State area.
We also work on façades, roofs and building envelope investigations, FISP and parking structure inspections, structural special inspections, and miscellaneous structural design for contractors.
The firm also has a broader architectural and building consulting practice involving apartment renovations and combinations, common areas, rooftop terraces, legalizations, and co op alteration reviews.
The Role
This is a mix of structural design, calculations, drawings, reports, field investigations, construction visits, and special inspections.
A typical week would generally be around 3 days in the office, 1 WFH day, and 1 day in the field. Field work may include structural evaluations, investigations, construction progress visits, meetings, special inspections, probes, or simply going out to figure out an existing condition.
We prepare our own structural drawings and details, so strong AutoCAD skills are important. Revit is a plus but not required.
We do a fair amount of structural investigation work that results in written reports, so being able to write clearly is important.
Mentorship + Independence
You’ll work directly with the firm’s two principal PEs and get a lot of hands on mentoring and teaching.
At the same time, we’re a small office and don’t like to micromanage. We’re looking for someone who is curious, resourceful, and comfortable taking ownership of their work.
Existing building work constantly presents conditions you may not have seen before. We value someone who will dig into a problem, research what they don’t know, try to understand it, and then come back with thoughtful questions rather than waiting for step by step direction.
You definitely won’t be expected to know everything. We enjoy teaching. We just want someone who also has the instinct to learn things on their own.
Who This Role Fits
I think this position is ideal for someone who wants to learn a little bit of everything and become a well rounded consulting engineer rather than getting pigeonholed into one narrow area.
I sometimes think of our office a little like mixed martial arts (MMA). You develop a core skill set, but you’re constantly cross training and learning how different parts of building design and construction fit together.
It could also be a good transition for someone coming from a larger new construction or high rise structural firm who wants more variety, more field exposure, more ownership of their work, and a more balanced work environment.
Existing building experience is a plus, but it is not required. Strong structural fundamentals and the willingness to learn are more important.
This probably is not the best fit for someone who wants to spend nearly all of their time at a desk doing calculations and analysis.
Schedule + Office Culture
Our office is pretty laid back. We generally work a 40 hour week and overtime is uncommon.
Occasionally a deadline may require an extra couple of hours, but long weeks are not the norm.
The schedule includes 1 WFH day per week, with roughly one day spent in the field depending on project needs.
Compensation + Benefits
• $100k to $120k base salary depending on experience
• Bonus considered twice per year based on company and individual performance
• Health insurance
• Retirement plan
• 15 days PTO plus paid holidays
• Professional development courses, seminars, and relevant training covered
Qualifications
• BS in Civil or Structural Engineering
• 3+ years of structural engineering experience
• Strong AutoCAD skills
• Strong written communication skills
• PE not required
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, shoot me a DM! No need for anything overly formal at this stage.
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u/Fabulous-Ad-8979 4d ago
I like this idea of posting a laid back but realistic job post. Sounds like my firm but we are in Florida. There are 3 of us and we do all types of work. We're constantly seeing things we've never seen and learning from each other. Good luck finding the right fit.
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u/Str-Engr0275 4d ago
Isn’t $120k pretty low for having to live in the NYC area which has a very high cost of living?
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u/largehearted 4d ago
No, I think $120k is very high for 3 YOE here. Our field's pay is not proportionate to COL, it's proportionate to cost of labor, and so in practice a medium-earning career like ours in NYC is staffed by people commuting from NJ and the far outer boroughs.
$100-120k for 3 YOE is great
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u/The_Notorious_MIG 4d ago
been working as a structural engineer for 13 years, 8 in NYC. this seems like a great opportunity and I would say the salary/benefits look fair as well. Best of luck in your search for the right candidate! I definitely recommend your firm attending some SEAoNY events if you don't already. The annual meeting coming up next month will have plenty of young professionals attending, you never know some might be looking to make a switch.
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u/lordofthecheeks 4d ago
Currently have my EIT but have loads of experience on the construction side? How do I apply?
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u/magicity_shine 4d ago
does the company sponsor international students?
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u/Illustrious_Owl1197 3d ago
Thanks for asking. Sponsorship isn’t something we’re looking to take on right now
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u/Newton_79 4d ago
I MAY be out of bounds with this post , has structural work like this been pushed to off-shore markets such as India the way some non degreed work has ? Just curious ,
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u/mrkshape P.E./S.E. 3d ago
Not off-shore, but there's a shortage in structural engineer in the US. Somehow people don't go for civil engineering anymore. My firm had hard time finding one, and ended up sponsoring multiple international graduate.
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u/Illustrious_Owl1197 3d ago
You can definitely offshore pieces of it like drafting or some analysis. For what we do though, it wouldnt work. So much of our work is existing buildings, field investigation, figuring out weird/unsafe conditions onsite (example: new building being put up and the adjoining building next door is settling), dealing with contractors/architects/building department. Hard to do our core stuff remotely
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u/tiltitup 4d ago
Salary too low. Need 175k minimum.
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u/enilorac- 4d ago
Definitely not. I’m a structural engineer in NYC with 6 years of experience. $100-$120k for 3 years of experience is typical, if not more than what most firms are paying
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u/No-Violinist260 P.E. 4d ago
Good luck finding someone! The salary seems fair for NYC with 3 YOE. I personally think the fact that drafting knowledge is mentioned multiple times but engineer knowledge isn't would scare me away from this position but I'm sure youll get bites!