Senior Aquatic Engineer

Smart Aquatics; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Smart Aquatics is a leading aquatic design and engineering firm delivering complex swimming pools, spas, water features, and wellness environments across the United States and internationally. We seek a Senior Aquatic Engineer to drive structural design from concept through permitting, coordinating with architectural and MEP teams.

The role demands ownership, proactive communication, rigorous calculations, and mentorship of junior engineers on high-end residential, commercial, and hospitality

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience designing and engineering swimming pools, spas, water features, or other aquatic structures.
• Demonstrated experience performing structural analysis and calculations for reinforced concrete aquatic structures.
• Strong understanding of reinforced concrete design, structural detailing, hydrostatic loading, buoyancy, and aquatic vessel construction.

Responsibilities

• Develop structural designs for swimming pools, spas, water features, surge tanks, collector tanks, and other aquatic structures.
• Perform structural engineering calculations for reinforced concrete aquatic vessels and associated structures.
• Develop reinforcement plans, sections, details, schedules, and comprehensive construction documentation.
• Engineer elevated, suspended, on-grade, and other complex aquatic structures.
• Coordinate pool structures with building foundations, slabs, decks, walls, waterproofing systems, architectural elements, and surrounding construction.
• Coordinate structural designs around pool piping, drains, returns, lights, penetrations, fittings, overflow systems, and other embedded aquatic components.
• Understand and coordinate aquatic MEP systems, including circulation, filtration, heating and cooling, sanitation, surge systems, and equipment requirements.
• Develop engineering solutions for specialized conditions such as acrylic panels and windows, vanishing edges, perimeter overflow systems, movable floors, elevated vessels, and custom water features.
• Review architectural, structural, civil, landscape, and MEP drawings for coordination.
• Produce detailed, coordinated construction documents suitable for permitting and construction.
• Perform technical quality control of drawings, details, and calculations.
• Respond to permitting comments, RFIs, submittals, and construction-phase engineering questions.
• Participate in coordination meetings with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and clients.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineering staff.
• Take ownership of assigned projects from design development through permitting and construction

Skills

Revit

PE license

Structural analysis

Concrete design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Structural/Civil Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Excel

Job description

Company Description

Smart Aquatics is an aquatic design and engineering firm specializing in technologically complex swimming pools, spas, water features, and wellness environments. Our work includes high-end residential, commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use projects throughout the United States and internationally.

Our projects often involve complex structural conditions and specialized aquatic technologies, including elevated and suspended pools, vanishing edges, perimeter overflow systems, acrylic panels, movable floors, cold plunges, and custom water features.

Role Description

Smart Aquatics is seeking a Senior Aquatic Engineer with direct professional experience in the design and engineering of swimming pools, spas, water features, and other aquatic structures.

This role will focus primarily on the development and structural engineering of aquatic vessels and associated structures. The ideal candidate must be capable of taking an aquatic design from concept through detailed engineering and construction documentation, including structural analysis, calculations, detailing, and multidisciplinary coordination.

While this position is not primarily responsible for aquatic MEP design, the Senior Aquatic Engineer must have a strong understanding of pool hydraulics, plumbing, equipment, and other aquatic systems in order to properly coordinate the structure with the complete aquatic design.

This is a senior-level position requiring more than technical ability. We are looking for someone who takes ownership of their work, communicates proactively, exercises sound judgment, anticipates problems before they become issues, and consistently follows through on commitments.

Responsibilities

• Develop structural designs for swimming pools, spas, water features, surge tanks, collector tanks, and other aquatic structures
• Perform structural engineering calculations for reinforced concrete aquatic vessels and associated structures
• Develop reinforcement plans, sections, details, schedules, and comprehensive construction documentation
• Engineer elevated, suspended, on-grade, and other complex aquatic structures
• Evaluate loads, hydrostatic conditions, soil and groundwater conditions, buoyancy, structural interfaces, and other conditions affecting aquatic vessels
• Coordinate pool structures with building foundations, slabs, decks, walls, waterproofing systems, architectural elements, and surrounding construction
• Coordinate structural designs around pool piping, drains, returns, lights, penetrations, fittings, overflow systems, and other embedded aquatic components
• Understand and coordinate aquatic MEP systems, including circulation, filtration, heating and cooling, sanitation, surge systems, and equipment requirements
• Develop engineering solutions for specialized conditions such as acrylic panels and windows, vanishing edges, perimeter overflow systems, movable floors, elevated vessels, and custom water features
• Review architectural, structural, civil, landscape, and MEP drawings for coordination
• Produce detailed, coordinated construction documents suitable for permitting and construction
• Perform technical quality control of drawings, details, and calculations
• Respond to permitting comments, RFIs, submittals, and construction-phase engineering questions
• Participate in coordination meetings with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and clients
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineering staff
• Take ownership of assigned projects from design development through permitting and construction

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience designing and engineering swimming pools, spas, water features, or other aquatic structures
• Demonstrated experience performing structural analysis and calculations for reinforced concrete aquatic structures
• Strong understanding of reinforced concrete design, structural detailing, hydrostatic loading, buoyancy, and aquatic vessel construction
• Experience developing complete structural construction documents for swimming pools and water features
• Strong understanding of aquatic MEP systems and how they interface with the pool structure
• Advanced proficiency in Revit
• Knowledge of applicable building codes, structural standards, swimming pool codes, and industry best practices
• Experience with complex aquatic structures such as elevated pools, suspended pools, perimeter overflow systems, vanishing edges, acrylic panels, and water features is strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in Structural, Civil, or related Engineering discipline
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to pursue licensure is preferred

Leadership & Intangible Qualities

• Strong sense of ownership and personal accountability
• Proactive communicator who does not wait to be asked for updates
• Reliable and consistent with commitments and deadlines
• High attention to detail and pride in the quality and presentation of their work
• Ability to think critically rather than simply follow instructions
• Strong engineering judgment and practical problem-solving ability
• Anticipates coordination issues and identifies solutions before they affect the project
• Comfortable making recommendations and explaining the reasoning behind them
• Organized and capable of managing multiple complex projects simultaneously
• Receptive to feedback and committed to continuous improvement
• Collaborative and willing to support and mentor other team members
• Professional and confident when communicating directly with clients and consultants
• Comfortable taking responsibility for decisions and escalating issues when necessary
• Self-motivated and capable of performing at a high level in a remote environment
• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced aquatic engineer who understands how swimming pools and water features are actually designed, engineered, detailed, and constructed.

This is not a general structural engineering position. Direct experience engineering swimming pools, spas, water features, or similar aquatic structures is required.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who operates like a senior professional: someone who takes ownership, thinks ahead, communicates clearly, solves problems, holds themselves to a high standard, and can be trusted to take a complex aquatic project from design through construction without requiring constant direction.