Associate Structural Engineer - (ENG-L8.76) at Zutari

Role responsibilities

• Key client portfolio leadership: Own and lead structural (and integrated multi-disciplinary) delivery across all projects for an assigned key client, ensuring consistent technical quality, delivery performance, and alignment to the client’s standards and ways of working.
• Technical strategy & direction: Set the technical vision for the client portfolio or team (design philosophy, preferred systems, standard details, risk posture, constructability approach), ensuring safe, buildable and efficient solutions across concept, tender, detailed design and construction support.
• Portfolio governance & delivery oversight: Establish and run portfolio-level governance (programme, deliverables, resourcing, risk management, and reporting) to ensure predictable delivery across multiple concurrent projects.
• Lead and manage teams: Build, lead and performance-manage the client-dedicated team creating a strong quality culture and effective ways of working.
• Technical assurance (review/verify): Review, check and verify high-risk or high-value deliverables (calculations, models, drawings, specifications, design briefs, design risk notes) and ensure robust checking processes are implemented across the portfolio.
• Complex structural leadership: Provide senior technical leadership on complex building structural systems (reinforced concrete, post-tensioned concrete, structural steel; stability systems, transfer structures, upgrades/retrofits, operational/live environments, staging/sequence constraints).
• Standards and compliance: Interpret and apply client standards and national/international codes to ensure compliance, traceability, and defensible engineering decisions across varied code environments (South African, Australian/New Zealand, American and/or European).
• Integrated coordination: Drive early alignment and manage interfaces across disciplines and stakeholders to resolve clashes, de-risk construction, and protect programme (including coordination with architects, MEP services, contractors and independent reviewers/certifiers).
• Client relationship management: Act as the senior technical/client interface, building trusted relationships with client executives, technical authorities and delivery teams; manage expectations, decisions, and escalations.
• Commercial leadership & account growth: identify opportunities, shape pursuits, and support/lead proposals and negotiations to grow client revenue, improve margins, and expand Zutari EX’s footprint globally.
• Mentorship & capability uplift: Mentor engineers and technical leaders; develop capability in technical excellence, delivery discipline, quality checking, and innovation/automation.
• Safety, sustainability & innovation: Promote safety in design, sustainability and innovation consistent with Zutari’s values and engineering ethos; embed lessons learned and continuous improvement across the Built team.

Minimum requirements

• BSc or BEng in Civil/Structural Engineering from a recognised institution (postgraduate qualification advantageous).
• Typically 10–15+ years relevant structural engineering experience within the built environment structures, including leadership roles across multiple projects.
• Professional registration (e.g., ECSA Pr Eng or equivalent).
• Proven experience leading the analysis and design of complex or large-scale projects (steel and concrete structures), from concept through detailed design and construction support.
• Demonstrated experience in portfolio oversight and/or governance across multiple concurrent projects, including risk management, resourcing, and delivery assurance.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant design codes and standards (South African, Australian/New Zealand, American and/or European), with the ability to work across different code environments where required.
• Proficiency in common structural analysis and design software and a solid understanding of CAD/BIM workflows and model-based coordination.
• Strong track record in technical review/verification, quality systems, and producing/overseeing high-quality documentation (calculations, reports, specifications, design risk notes).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical information clearly and confidently to senior client stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commercial capability (scope definition, fee/cost estimation, proposal contribution/leadership, and client growth orientation).

Beneficial experience and competencies

• Experience in complex finite element analysis and/or specialist assessments (e.g., complex modelling, advanced staging/sequence modelling, seismic analysis and design/detailing where required).
• Exposure to dynamic/vibration assessments (modal/harmonic/time-history or vibration studies), particularly for mission-critical/industrial facilities.
• Experience implementing portfolio-level QA/checking frameworks and technical governance across teams.
• Experience with scripting/coding and automation to improve design workflows, coordination, and quality checking.
• Experience leading delivery for mission-critical facilities (e.g., data centres), public venues/stadia, transport buildings, and/or major upgrades/retrofits in constrained or operational environments.
• Strong bid leadership and account management experience (account planning, opportunity shaping, negotiation support).

Skills and characteristics

• Technical excellence: authoritative technical judgement; ability to set direction and resolve complex structural challenges with safe, efficient outcomes.
• Technical leadership & strategy: able to define technical approach across a portfolio and embed consistent standards, details, and quality expectations.
• Delivery leadership: disciplined approach to programme, risk, resourcing, and governance across multiple concurrent projects.
• Client leadership: trusted advisor mindset; confident with senior stakeholders; able to manage expectations, make decisions, and handle escalations.
• Commercial acumen: understands fee, scope, margin, and value; able to grow revenue and improve account performance.
• Coordination mindset: strong ability to manage interfaces across architects, façade, MEP and contractors; drives alignment and resolves clashes pragmatically.
• Constructability focus: designs and reviews with sequencing, access, tolerances, temporary stability and site constraints in mind.
• Mentorship and culture-building: develops people and builds a high-performance, high-quality team culture.
• Self-driven and adaptable: thrives in dynamic environments; proactive, solution-oriented, and accountable.
• Attention to detail: ensures technical accuracy, consistency, and traceability across deliverables and decisions.