Assistant Resident Engineer / Assistant Structures Representative

HDR, Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR, Inc. in Irvine, CA is seeking an Assistant Resident Engineer / Assistant Structures Representative to support roadway, utilities and structural construction oversight on transportation projects.

You will assist with contract administration, field inspections and coordination with contractors, Caltrans, OCTA and local agencies, ensuring compliance with plans, specs and safety protocols. Ideal candidates have a bachelor's in engineering or construction management, 5+ years of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management or related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required/recognized.
• Experience in highway/bridge construction inspection and management.
• Proficiency in CPM scheduling, submittals, RFIs and change orders.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support HDR and its Clients with daily field inspections to verify construction activities that follow approved plans, specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Assist with contract administration, submittals, RFIs, Field Directives and change orders.
• Monitor contractor progress and participate in schedule reviews and look-ahead coordination.
• Ensure compliance with Caltrans standards, project specs, and safety protocols on site.
• Develop and maintain project records, daily reports, punch lists and as-built documentation.

Skills

Communication skills

MS Office proficiency

Construction inspection

Structural knowledge

Field inspections

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Construction Management

Tools

CPM Scheduling Software

Estimating Software

Microsoft Excel

Web-based collaboration tools

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story: ' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

The Assistant Resident Engineer / Assistant Structures Representative supports the roadway, utilities and structural construction oversight on transportation and public infrastructure projects. This role involves contract administration support, construction engineering, and coordinating with contractors, coordinating with stakeholders (OCTA, Caltrans and Local Jurisdictional Departments), coordinating with utilities and 3rd parties, ensuring compliance with project plans and specifications, maintaining thorough project documentation, and supporting quality assurance and safety protocols on site. This role also involves assisting the Structures Representative with contract administration, structures construction engineering, inspection, documentation, and coordination for bridge, retaining wall, falsework, and other structural components, ensuring compliance with Project standards and project specifications.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support HDR and its Clients with daily field inspections to verify construction activities that follow approved plans, specifications, and regulatory requirements (e.g., Caltrans, local agency standards, utility agreements etc.)
• Coordinate and support HDR and its Clients with daily field inspections to verify contractor operations related to structural components, including cast-in-place concrete, structural steel, falsework/temporary works, precast elements, post-tensioning, and CIDH Pile Construction.
• Prepare and maintain checklists for structures inspections, field material sampling and testing, source inspections in accordance with project plans, specifications, and contract documents.
• Assist HDR and its Clients in verifying that materials, methods, and workmanship conform to contract documents, Caltrans Standard Specifications, and the Caltrans Bridge Construction Records and Procedures (BCRP) manual.
• Prepare and maintain project records, including conformed set of plans and specifications, daily reports, quantity calculations, photos, develop punch-lists and as-built documentation.
• Maintain detailed field records including daily reports, quantity calculations, inspection logs, and photographic documentation, develop punch-lists and as-built documentation.
• Assist with the review and processing of submittals, RFIs, Field Directives, request for task orders, change notices and change orders.
• Assist in the review and preparation of Caltrans and Local Cities Lane closure requests.
• Monitor contractor progress and participate in schedule reviews and look-ahead coordination.
• Support enforcement of jobsite safety, traffic control, environmental / MMRP compliance, and SWPPP requirements.
• Monitor temporary structures operations for conformance with approved falsework plans, erection plans, temporary shoring and other temporary works working drawings.
• Develop 4-scale drawings, grade / elevation sheets for various elements of CIP Post-Tension Box Girder Bridge and verify the grades for various elements of the structures in the field using basic surveying principals and tools.
• Coordinate materials sampling and testing with Caltrans METS or other QA entities.
• Communicate with the Resident Engineer, Structures Representative, contractor personnel, and agency stakeholders to resolve field issues.
• Assist with punchlists, closeout documentation, and final reports for structural work.
• Able to be flexible and workdays, nights, and/or weekends in heavy construction at elevated heights, if needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years Degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or relevant field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant construction inspection and management experience on similar highway and bridge construction projects.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant construction inspection and management experience on similar construction projects involving bridges, retaining walls, sound walls, barriers, drainage structures, sign structures, and other structures.
• Knowledge of construction practices, physical characteristics and properties of highway and bridge construction inspection, and the approved methods and equipment used in performing physical inspections.
• Ability to perform calculations such as grade, deflection, stress, alignment. Ability to perform calculations to check the various elements of structures (i.e. beams, columns, etc.) as used in contractor's temporary work.
• Assist in reviewing false work plans, shoring plans, demolition plans, concrete mix designs and other submittals provided by the contractors as required by the contract documents.
• Ability to work independently and perform inspection duties in the construction field office.
• Ability to effectively make minor decisions concerning work in progress and solving field and office problems.
• Ability to use typical computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Teams, Outlook, and Excel.
• Ability and experience with review of Critical Path Method (CPM) baseline schedule including updates and revisions. Ability to run Claim Digger or other available software to detect changes to the CPM schedule for Claims analysis purposes.
• Assist in the response to potential claims filed by the contractor and preparation of documentation for contract claims and claim reports.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management or closely related field
• Previous construction engineering experience
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Experience using Microsoft Office, Estimating & CPM Scheduling Software, and web-based document collaboration software.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. The expected compensation range for this position depends upon skills, experience, education and geographical location. (Stated benefits are for full-time regular positions. Temporary and part-time roles eligible for limited benefits.) {Los Angeles}: $115,000 to $156,000

Primary Location: United States-California-Irvine

Other Locations: United States-California-Los Angeles

Industry: Construction, Project Controls & Design/Build

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

BusinessClass: Field Services

Job Posting: Oct 2, 2026