Civil & Structural Engineering — M1
CIVILS.CIVILSTRDD74.M1
Management track for engineers who lead the design, analysis, permitting, and delivery of civil infrastructure and structural systems (buildings, bridges, dams, foundations, transmission/utility structures). Distinct from individual-contributor design tracks: these roles direct teams of engineers, own project/department budgets and schedules, hold accountability for QA/QC and PE-stamped deliverables, and increasingly shape firm-wide engineering standards, client relationships, and business strategy. Excludes pure architecture, construction management without engineering authority, and non-structural civil disciplines (e.g., transportation planning) except where they intersect structural delivery.
Management track for engineers who lead the design, analysis, permitting, and delivery of civil infrastructure and structural systems (buildings, bridges, dams, foundations, transmission/utility structures). Distinct from individual-contributor design tracks: these roles direct teams of engineers, own project/department budgets and schedules, hold accountability for QA/QC and PE-stamped deliverables, and increasingly shape firm-wide engineering standards, client relationships, and business strategy. Excludes pure architecture, construction management without engineering authority, and non-structural civil disciplines (e.g., transportation planning) except where they intersect structural delivery.
Focus — Civil & Structural Engineering
Management track for engineers who lead the design, analysis, permitting, and delivery of civil infrastructure and structural systems (buildings, bridges, dams, foundations, transmission/utility structures). Distinct from individual-contributor design tracks: these roles direct teams of engineers, own project/department budgets and schedules, hold accountability for QA/QC and PE-stamped deliverables, and increasingly shape firm-wide engineering standards, client relationships, and business strategy. Excludes pure architecture, construction management without engineering authority, and non-structural civil disciplines (e.g., transportation planning) except where they intersect structural delivery.
General focus — no material pay or skill differential vs the function baseline.
Responsibilities by level
What this person actually does at each level on the management track — escalating scope, not one generic blob. Your level is highlighted.
- Supervises a small team of EITs and junior engineers performing design calculations, CAD/BIM drafting, and site-specific structural analysis reports, assigning daily tasks and reviewing output before it goes to a licensed PE for stamping.
- Coordinates field observations and condition assessments, ensuring junior staff support licensed engineers and follow established inspection and materials-testing procedures.
- Applies structural design codes (IBC, ASCE 7, AISC, ACI) to check team deliverables against established firm standards and project specifications.
- Tracks the team's portion of project schedules and deliverables in Procore and Bluebeam, escalating slippage or scope issues to the project manager.
- Mentors EITs on software proficiency (RISA 3D, ETABS, Revit, Enercalc, Mathcad) and supports their progress toward PE exam qualification.
- Leads a skilled team of project engineers and junior supervisors delivering independent structural component design across multiple concurrent projects, owning tactical design outcomes.
- Reviews advanced analysis and simulations (STAAD, RAM SS, RISA Foundation, L-PILE, MFAD) produced by the team, resolving cross-discipline technical conflicts within known engineering factors.
- Coordinates permitting submittals, environmental assessments, and subcontractor scheduling in Procore, working cross-functionally with surveyors, drafters, and field crews.
- Stamps drawings within license authority and assumes engineer-of-record responsibility for defined project scopes.
- Manages team workload allocation against project budgets and deliverable milestones, reporting status to the department manager.
- Manages a structural engineering department or discipline group, owning operational budgets, staffing, and utilization across a portfolio of civil infrastructure projects.
- Leads project design and development on diverse and complex structures (including dams, transmission lines via PLS-CADD/PLS-TOWER, and seismic retrofits), evaluating analysis trends and design alternatives to resolve issues that lack established precedent.
- Oversees permitting strategy, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder coordination with architects, planners, and government agencies for the department's projects.
- Establishes and enforces QA/QC review standards for stamped deliverables, holding accountability for technical accuracy and on-time, within-scope delivery.
- Maintains key client relationships, supports proposal development, and mentors project engineers including their professional licensure and development plans.
- Directs multiple engineering departments or a critical structural function, setting design and QA/QC policy that aligns engineering execution with firm business objectives.
- Consults on the firm's most complex engineering challenges and leads risk assessments where errors could jeopardize project viability or firm liability.
- Oversees contract negotiations, permitting strategies, and high-stakes stakeholder engagement with regulatory agencies and major clients.
- Develops and codifies firm-wide engineering standards, custom design tools, and report templates (ASCE 41 retrofit, seismic, foundation methodologies built in Mathcad and Excel).
- Engages senior leadership on functional strategy, monitors multi-project budgets and resourcing, and develops senior engineers toward management roles.
- Sets the vision for the firm's engineering standards, technical growth, and project-selection strategy, with decisions impacting overall division or company operations.
- Guides firm-wide QA/QC governance, advises on risk mitigation and innovation direction, and defines the methods and policies other managers execute.
- Builds and owns strategic client relationships, leads major proposals and contract negotiations, and drives business development to grow the engineering practice.
- Represents the organization in public meetings, regulatory hearings, and with executives and major customers on critical engineering and infrastructure issues.
- Leads through department managers and senior staff, ensuring regulatory, safety, and ethical compliance while aligning firm-wide engineering strategy with business objectives.
Level guidelines
The universal leveling rubric applied to this function — how scope, complexity, collaboration, and experience step up across levels.
| Level | Knowledge & Application | Complexity & Problem Solving | Collaboration & Interaction | Typical Degree & Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Functional expert in structural design and analysis with initial leadership exposure; applies established codes (IBC, ASCE 7, AISC, ACI) and firm procedures to direct day-to-day design, drafting, and field-observation work. | Limited scope; resolves routine design and field issues using established practices and precedent, escalating novel technical problems and stamping decisions to senior PEs. | Daily interaction with the supervised team and engineering peers; coordinates with drafters, field staff, and licensed engineers on assigned projects. | Roughly 4-7 years of structural design experience (PE held or in progress) with initial supervisory responsibility over EITs. |
| M2 | Applies deep structural engineering expertise and PE licensure authority to direct independent design across multiple projects, exercising judgment within known engineering factors. | Makes judgment calls on design approach and resource trade-offs within established parameters; resolves cross-discipline conflicts on tactical project outcomes. | Cross-functional cooperation with permitting bodies, subcontractors, and adjacent disciplines; leads a skilled team and junior supervisors. | PE with 2-5 years leading teams or in specialist project-engineering roles atop solid design experience. |
| M3 | Applies broad engineering and operational knowledge to manage a department, evaluating design trends and alternatives for diverse and complex structures. | Addresses diverse technical and operational issues without clear precedent; balances QA/QC, budget, and schedule across a project portfolio. | Leads functional and client teams; engages architects, planners, and regulatory agencies as the department's senior point of contact. | PE/SE with 5-7+ years managing professionals, project budgets, and client relationships. |
| M4 | Sets strategic engineering policy and QA/QC standards across multiple departments, aligning technical methods with firm business objectives. | Resolves complex, high-liability engineering and risk problems where outcomes could jeopardize project viability or firm exposure. | Engages senior firm leaders, major clients, and regulatory authorities on functional strategy and contract negotiations. | PE/SE with 8-10+ years leading complex multi-team engineering organizations. |
| M5 | Defines firm-wide engineering vision, standards, and methods; decisions shape division- or company-wide operations and technical direction. | Solves complex organization-wide problems, defining engineering methods, risk frameworks, and innovation strategy with business-wide implications. | Influences executives and major customers on key issues; leads through department managers and represents the firm in public and regulatory forums. | PE/SE with 10-12+ years including second-level management and firm strategy work. |
Skills
Focus-specific skills the role applies — the relevance layer beyond the occupational base.
- Structural analysis
- Performing advanced analysis and simulations to ensure strength and durability of structures such as buildings, bridges, and dams.
- CAD/BIM drafting
- Producing structural engineering design, analysis, and drafting using tools like AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, and MicroStation.
- Design calculations and custom tooling
- Developing custom design tools, manual calculation sheets, and report templates using Mathcad, Enercalc, or Excel.
- Codes and standards knowledge
- Applying structural design codes such as IBC, ASCE 7, ASCE 41, AISC, TMS, and ACI to design work.
- Regulatory compliance
- Ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, and other governmental regulations across permitting and assessments.
- Field inspection and materials testing
- Inspecting facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications, conducting condition assessments and testing characteristics of materials or structures.
- Project management
- Managing schedules, budgets, deliverables, and subcontractor coordination using tools such as Procore and Bluebeam to ensure on-time, within-scope delivery.
- Structural analysis software proficiency
- Using RISA 3D, RISA Foundation, STAAD, RAM SS, ETABS, Tekla Structural Designer, ROBOT, and Hilti PROFIS to model and validate designs.
- Geotechnical and utility/transmission analysis
- Applying L-PILE, MFAD, PLS-CADD, PLS-POLE, and PLS-TOWER for foundation, pole, and transmission structure design.
- Specialized engineering analytics
- Using HEC-HMS for hydrologic modeling, MATLAB for computational analysis, and Minitab for statistical evaluation of designs and materials.
- PE/SE licensure
- Holding a Professional Engineer or Structural Engineer license enabling legal authority to sign and seal engineering drawings.
- Client relationship and business development
- Building client relationships, preparing proposals, and negotiating contracts to win and shape projects.
Provenance
The evidence base behind this profile — every layer is sourced; quality is scored by an adversarial review panel (1–5; passes at ≥4 on the minimum dimension).
Level — M1 — Manager (Team Lead)
Front-line people manager of a single team; owns delivery, coaching, and execution.
- Scope
- A single team
- Autonomy
- Manages within established goals
- Complexity
- Day-to-day delivery and people issues
- Impact
- Team output and health
- Decision rights
- Owns team execution, hiring input, performance
- Leadership
- Direct people management of one team
- Typical experience
- 3–6 yrs
Adjacent roles
Nearest roles by structural coordinates (level + taxonomy). Distance 0 → 1; each carries its 3-state match band. How coordinates work → · Compare side-by-side →
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O*NET / SOC
- code=17-2051source=jfm-factory.resolve