Lead Structural Engineer - Ports & Maritime

Jacobs; Virginia Beach (VA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Executive Deferral Plan

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking an experienced Structural Engineer to support our Ports and Maritime team in Virginia Beach. This role offers significant growth potential and involves leading complex maritime infrastructure projects from planning through construction.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in Civil/Structural Engineering, a Professional Engineering license, and 10+ years of relevant experience. We offer comprehensive benefits, including medical coverage, a 401(k) plan, and a hybrid working policy.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in ports & maritime planning and design.
• 5+ years managing design teams and/or delivering multi-disciplinary engineering assignments.
• Design of reinforced concrete and steel structures.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of technical proposals for projects.
• Oversee engineering design teams to deliver cost-effective solutions.
• Contribute to engineering design projects for clients in Virginia Beach.

Skills

Port planning

Maritime design

Managing design teams

Project delivery

Structural modeling software

AutoCAD

Proficiency in MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil / Structural Engineering

Professional Engineering (P.E.) license in VA

Tools

STAAD

SAP

AutoCAD

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission‑critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting‑edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Are you an experienced Structural Engineer looking to take the next step? If so, this is the opportunity for you! You’ll have tremendous growth potential supporting Jacobs’ world class Ports and Maritime team across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and the opportunity of working with our wider US and Global teams to deliver complex maritime infrastructure development projects from planning through construction. By joining us, you’ll work on operational improvement, port planning, and engineering design projects in the maritime sector within the Mid‑Atlantic and Northeast regions and will have exposure to our global portfolio of projects and design resources. Your responsibilities will include contributing to and/or leading the development of technical proposals and overseeing our engineering design teams to deliver cost‑effective and integrated solutions for our Ports and Maritime clients in Virginia Beach, and beyond.

You will play a key technical role in new and ongoing projects that we are delivering locally for the Port of Virginia, US Navy, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, while also contributing to detailed engineering design projects and proposals throughout the country for major port authorities, terminal operators, government agencies, municipalities, and additional public and private sector clients. Working together, we’ll help you grow and pursue what fulfills you so that we can make impacts on the future – big and small, global and local.

The final candidate could be located in Virginia Beach, Richmond or Reston, VA. This role will involve significant time collaborating in‑person with our existing Ports and Maritime team and client base in the Virginia Beach area. Relocation assistance may be provided.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil / Structural Engineering
• Professional Engineering (P.E.) license in Commonwealth of Virginia, or ability to obtain licensure within 12 months
• 10+ years of experience in ports & maritime planning and design
• 5+ years managing design teams and / or delivering multi‑disciplinary engineering assignments
• Design of reinforced concrete and steel structures in a marine environment
• Experience leading the full detailed engineering design of marine structures
• Working understanding of civil, structural, coastal, transportation, and geotechnical disciplines at a working port and in a marine environment
• Strong project delivery skills with design management or project management capability and ability to manage multiple tasks and/or project design teams independently
• Passion for working on waterfront and maritime projects
• Proficiency in MS Office suite, including MS Project, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint
• Experience with structural modeling software (STAAD / SAP / etc.)
• Experience with AutoCAD

Ideally, you’ll also have

• Master’s degree in Structural Engineering
• Field experience on maritime infrastructure construction projects
• Experience with construction cost estimating
• Familiarity with regional clients and contractors in the Ports & Maritime sector, including but not limited to the Port of Virginia, US Navy, and regional municipalities

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well‑being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full‑time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $150,000.00 to $207,000.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Job posted on September 17, 2025. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.