Job Description
Title: Senior Structural Engineer
About B&K Hybrid Solutions
B&K Hybrid Solutions is an innovative company, specialising in the design and delivery of structural steel and timber-steel hybrid projects. Part of one of the most recognised businesses within the industry, Bowmer and Kirkland, BKHS work closely alongside key partners and clients to bring the capabilities of both hybrid and traditional steel superstructures to the mass market, assisting with innovative and sustainable schemes. Supported by our state-of-the-art steel manufacturing facility, we are committed to helping clients cut cost, programme time and carbon emissions, through innovative hybrid solutions.
About the role
Due to our growing portfolio of steel and hybrid timber/steel projects, B&K Hybrid Solutions have an opportunity for a Senior Structural Engineer to join our Derby based design team. This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic industry leader in low carbon construction.
We are looking for an experienced Structural Engineer to join our design team to actively work on hybrid steel and timber projects, commercial and industrial construction projects, design and build portal frames and multi-storey/complex structures. Candidates will have extensive experience in steel frame design, to, British Standards, the Eurocodes and industry best practice, using industry-leading computational analysis software.
As a senior member of the design team, you will be responsible for project management and leadership, leading on and producing structural designs from concept stage to detailed design. These designs will also include the design of connections and temporary works. You will be experienced and confident in representing BKHS in pre and post contract design meetings as lead technical representative and be a confident communicator, capable of liaising and interacting with different departments within the business as well as with our clients and collaborators.
The successful candidate will be eager to develop on existing experience to include the design and detailing of engineered timber and contribute to our internal research and development programme. You will ideally have a minimum of five years design experience in building structures, be engineering degree qualified or have equivalent industrial experience and be either a Chartered Engineer with the IStructE or ICE or close to becoming chartered. You will report directly to the Design Manager.
Key Duties and Responsibilities include:
- Lead the design on projects (including design work carried out by other internal designers), communicate with external engineering resources and interact with project teams.
- Represent the company at meetings in a confident and professional manner, at both tender and contract stage. This may include meetings with Main Contractors, Architects, Consulting Engineers or Clients directly. Advice should be given with confidence and accuracy based on knowledge and experience.
- Develop areas of research; work with other departments and external specialists to turn ideas into reality that improve construction methods.
- Produce designs for structures for both tender and live contacts including primary/secondary member designs together with connection details and temporary works requirements for the safe erection of the structure.
- Produce sketches and marked up drawings to communicate design intent, as well as detailed calculations to back up design proposals, presented in a clear, legible manner.
- Develop design spreadsheets (and/or other software) and assist in the development of design procedures for use by the in-house design department. This includes improving design automation and implementing BIM processes where appropriate.
- Review and assess designs produced by other engineers (either internal or external), ensuring validity. This includes conformance with design codes, quality procedures, project requirements, fabrication and procurement constraints and engineering best practice. The candidate should have the confidence and experience to proactively guide the work of other engineers.
- Liaise with other departments within the company and have an appreciation of pressures on other areas of the business.
- Pro-actively contribute to the consolidation of the current knowledge in the business, in respect of working details, tolerances and preferences.
- Provide competent design advice, in support of the Contracts, Estimating and Commercial departments. This includes structural advice and the relationship with other related disciplines (Architecture, Fire Engineering, Client-side Structural Engineers and Building Physics).
- Ensure that the design files for each contract are kept up to date and that new files are set up in line with the company QA procedures.
- Further develop knowledge of structural design and the design knowledge base within the company.
- Carry out an active role in the commercial management of the business, in support of the Contracts/Commercial teams.
- Estimate design periods and report on design progress. Delegate design tasks effectively to other internal or external designers where required.
- Assess the BKS design scope on a project and provide advice to other departments and contracts teams on the suitability of that scope.
Skills, experience and attributes required:
- The candidate is required to have a Civil/Structural Engineering degree or equivalent industrial experience. The applicant should either be a Chartered Engineer with the IStructE or ICE or be close to achieving Chartered status.
- Candidates will have experience of steel frame design within industrial and retail sectors including the design of portal frames, from concept design through to detailed design. This experience should extend to member design, connection design and temporary works.
- Candidates should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and should be capable of presenting technical information in a clear and concise manner to technical and non-technical colleagues.
- Candidates should be comfortable managing engineering teams to deliver projects with enthusiasm and a proactive approach.
- Candidates should have a good working knowledge of relevant design codes, technical good practice and current analytical software. A high level of independence in the design of steel and/or engineered timber structures is required.
- Candidates should have a holistic appreciation to construction and the impact that structural engineering design has in terms of construction sequencing, structural efficiency and embodied carbon.
- Good IT skills are required, (Excel, Word and Outlook), as well as previous experience of using structural design software including TEDDS and Tekla Building Designer. BKS currently operate MasterSeries, Dlubal RFEM and IdeaStatica software – experience in using these packages would be preferable.
- Candidates should take an active interest in the development and mentoring of junior colleagues.