Insights 4 career paths you can take following a structural engineer job

Structural engineers work across a range of industries, from building to manufacturing. They design and oversee the construction of buildings, bridges and other major infrastructure projects. It's a role where you'll combine your analytical thinking with a creative outlook to bring inspiring projects to life. The diversity means there are many different career paths you can take following a structural engineer job. Here are four options that might interest you:

Senior structural engineer

The most obvious next step after a structural engineer role would be a senior structural engineer. This move will enable you to continue specializing while taking on more mentoring and training duties. You'll lead a design team and inspire them to translate their technical skills into imaginative ideas.

At AtkinsRéalis, we know how important progression is. Wherever you're at in your career, whether that's stepping up to a senior structural engineer position or thinking about it as a future move, we'll give you the training you need to build your confidence with us.

Though it might be an obvious career move, that's not to say there aren't other routes better suited to you.

Construction design engineer

Where a structural engineer is responsible for making sure structures will stand up to the elements and adhere to health and safety regulations, construction design engineers focus on what that looks like. You only have to look at the Empire State Building—lauded as a Wonder of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers—to appreciate the ingenuity of construction design.

However, as more projects spring up across the U.S., attention is being placed firmly on the environmental impact because the built environment currently contributes to 40% of all CO2 emissions. The challenge is for construction design engineers to imagine structures that limit this, including alternative materials to glass for skyscrapers because of the energy needed to cool these buildings.

Project management

You might be asking yourself, 'Can engineers become project managers?' and the answer is yes. In fact, the technical understanding that you acquire as a structural engineer will allow you to see the project through a new lens—one that other project managers might not see. The same applies to other built environment professionals. Take Deema, a project manager at Faithful+Gould, who studied as an architect in Saudi Arabia before pursuing her passion to lead others.

Essentially, engineering project management is a great option for anyone who is fascinated by the world of design, particularly for people who want to develop these skills:

1. Scheduling
2. Budgeting
3. Risk management
4. Stakeholder management
5. Leadership

Research & lecturing

Anyone who studied engineering at the higher education level has an eagerness to learn more about the field embedded in them. So it makes sense that some people would want to continue developing their understanding and passing that knowledge on to others. While it might not sound conventional to look into research and lecturing positions following a structural engineering job, it is a viable career path.

Do you want to build a better future?

If you're starting to think about that next step, we could have the right opportunity for you. Our purpose is to engineer a better future for our planet and its people. To do that, we need talented minds to harness the power of technologies and data.

A career with us is an opportunity to work with major clients on stimulating and high-profile projects. Not only that, but you'll also get to work alongside a first-class team, with structural engineers such as James.

View all structural engineering vacancies, or explore our other jobs in the USA and see what careers we can offer you.