Senior Structural Engineer/Manager (Water Infrastructure)

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in geotechnical, geostructural, tunnel, and dam engineering. Schnabel’s high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 700+ employees in 32 offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include:

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)
• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)
• Long-term disability
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• Bonus program
• Paid time off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Wellness program
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description:

Our Jersey City, NJ office is seeking a Senior Structural Engineer/Manager (Water Infrastructure) to support the continued expansion of our Water, Power & Energy, and Government markets in the Northeast region and across the country. In this role, you will serve as both project manager and technical leader, providing project oversight, technical expertise and guidance, and support for business development across a wide range of projects involving dams and levees, flood resiliency, and heavy-civil infrastructure, with a focus on risk-informed dam and levee safety, resilience, and investment planning. As an employee-owner, you will have a say in how our business operates and will benefit from our financial success.

Job Responsibilities:

The candidate will serve as a Senior Structural Engineer. Major focus areas for the role include:

• Lead and/or review structural analyses and designs for water- and earth-retaining structures, including dams, spillways, outlet works, floodwalls, and other hydraulic structures; conduct condition assessments of concrete, steel, masonry, and earth structures.
• Prepare and/or review design drawings, technical specifications and reports, and oversee construction activities.
• Conduct dam safety risk assessments, including screening level, Semi-Quantitative and Quantitative Risk Analysis for Federal agencies, FERC and state regulated dams.
• Participate in and/or facilitating risk-informed workshops for dams and levees, including identification, screening, and evaluation of potential and credible failure modes.
• Apply risk-informed decision-making to dam and levee safety, translating failure-mode evaluations and engineering analyses into risk-reduction strategies, facility planning priorities, and asset-management decisions.
• Contribute to risk-informed capital investment plans for dam and/or levee portfolios, integrating risk assessments, engineering evaluations, consequences, and asset condition to prioritize investments, sequence projects, and support long-term capital planning. (A plus)
• Lead project planning and execution, including scope development, budgeting, scheduling, and invoicing.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality engineering and consulting services, leveraging deep technical expertise across our offices and partner network to ensure excellence in project execution.
• Mentor and support team members, providing guidance and reviews on a wide array of structural topics.
• Contribute to proposal development and marketing efforts.
• Remain on the front line of industry-leading software and technologies and make recommendations for adoption.

Required Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Civil and/or Structural Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree is a plus.
• 7+ years of proven experience in structural engineering applied to water infrastructure. Direct experience with dams and hydropower facilities is a plus.
• Licensed Professional Engineer or ability to become registered within 6 months.
• Experience with computer-aided structural analysis and finite element modeling (STAAD Pro, SAP2000, ANSYS, or similar).
• Experience with risk analysis tools, including various USACE Risk Management Center (RMC) toolboxes, RMC-TotalRisk, and/or Lumivero @Risk and Precision Tree software.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, BlueBeam, and other relevant design software.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, combined with strategic thinking.
• Ability to communicate risk assessment findings clearly to dam owners, regulators, and multidisciplinary engineering teams and translate technical results into practical recommendations.
• Detail-oriented - must demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness while delivering and managing multiple projects.
• Willingness and ability to perform field work and travel.
• Excellent English technical, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Relocation assistance is available for this position.

Other Requirements: 

• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record and credit check 
• Ability to pass a pre-employment screening 

The compensation range for this position is between $120,000 to $160,000. Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.