Senior Structural Engineer

Lerch Bates Company: Studio LB

Location: Aspen, CO (onsite)

Studio LB, part of the Lerch Bates family of companies, is seeking a Senior Structural Engineer to lead the design and delivery of innovative structural engineering projects across a diverse portfolio of commercial, institutional, specialty, and architecturally significant projects.

In this role, you will serve as both a technical leader and trusted advisor, guiding projects from early concept development through construction. You'll collaborate closely with architects, owners, contractors, and multidisciplinary project teams to develop practical, creative, and high-performing structural solutions that bring complex designs to life.

Beyond project delivery, you'll play a key role in mentoring engineers, influencing design direction, strengthening client relationships, and contributing to the continued growth of Studio LB's structural engineering practice.

This position is ideal for a licensed Professional Engineer who enjoys tackling challenging projects, leading teams, working directly with clients, and helping shape the future of a growing design-focused consulting practice.

About Studio LB and Lerch Bates

Studio LB is a multidisciplinary design and engineering practice within the Lerch Bates family of companies, providing innovative structural engineering, architectural, and consulting solutions for a diverse portfolio of commercial, institutional, specialty, and architecturally significant projects.

As part of Lerch Bates, Studio LB combines the creativity, agility, and collaborative culture of a design-focused practice with the resources, expertise, and stability of a global consulting organization.

For more than 75 years, Lerch Bates has partnered on some of the world's most complex and high-profile projects. Today, the company delivers Total Building Performance expertise through integrated Building Science and Building Flow consulting services, helping clients solve complex challenges across the entire building lifecycle.

Together, Studio LB and Lerch Bates bring a multidisciplinary approach to the built environment, combining structural engineering, architecture, building science, vertical transportation, logistics, and specialty consulting expertise to help clients create better-performing, more resilient buildings.

As a member of our team, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate with experts across multiple disciplines, work on challenging and meaningful projects, and contribute to an organization that values technical excellence, innovation, and long-term client partnerships.

What You'll Do:

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed in this position. They are not intended to prescribe or restrict the assignments that management may make.

Project Leadership & Management

• Lead structural engineering projects from proposal through construction completion.
• Manage project scope, schedules, budgets, profitability, and overall project performance.
• Serve as the primary client contact and trusted technical advisor throughout the project lifecycle.
• Forecast workloads and coordinate staffing to support successful project delivery.
• Monitor project financial performance, including billing, work-in-progress, accounts receivable, and profitability.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with quality standards and client expectations.
• Facilitate project meetings and maintain effective communication among project stakeholders.

Structural Design & Technical Leadership

• Lead the structural design of commercial, institutional, industrial, specialty, and architecturally significant projects.
• Prepare and review structural calculations, engineering reports, specifications, plans, and construction documents.
• Analyze reports, drawings, models, testing data, and field information to develop practical engineering solutions.
• Develop construction cost estimates and participate in project scoping and pricing activities.
• Utilize structural analysis, modeling, and engineering software to develop technical deliverables.
• Review and approve technical work prepared by project team members to ensure quality, accuracy, and consistency.
• Apply sound engineering judgment to solve complex technical challenges and support innovative project solutions.

Team Leadership & Construction Support

• Mentor and develop engineers, designers, and Revit modelers through technical guidance and project leadership.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams to produce high-quality construction documents and successful project outcomes.
• Conduct construction site visits to monitor progress and verify compliance with contract documents.
• Provide contract administration support throughout design and construction phases.
• Support a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with company quality management procedures and engineering standards.

Client Development & Business Growth

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, architects, contractors, developers, and project partners.
• Assist leadership with proposals, project scoping, pricing strategies, and business development initiatives.
• Participate in client presentations, project interviews, and marketing activities.
• Identify opportunities to expand services within existing client relationships.
• Support the continued growth of Studio LB through exceptional client service, technical excellence, and trusted advisory relationships.

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required. Candidates licensed in another state who are eligible for licensure by comity will be considered.
• Structural Engineer (SE) license preferred.
• 8+ years of structural engineering experience with demonstrated technical leadership and project management responsibilities.
• Extensive experience designing structural systems utilizing steel, concrete, masonry, timber, and foundation systems.
• Proven experience managing structural engineering projects from concept through construction.
• Strong understanding of project budgeting, scheduling, financial management, and contract administration.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and mentoring junior engineers and designers.
• Proficiency with structural analysis and design software and Autodesk Revit.
• Strong understanding of construction methods, building codes, and engineering best practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical information to clients and project teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a collaborative, fast-paced consulting environment.
• Experience with specialty structural materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, glass, cables, carbon fiber, or composites is a plus.

Why Join Studio LB

• Competitive base salary of $165,000 - $200,000 per year , based on experience, qualifications, and location
• Annual performance-based bonus opportunity , with target incentive levels varying by position and based on individual and company performance.
• 100% Employee-Owned ESOP (company-funded retirement benefit that allows eligible employees to share in the company's long-term success)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off (starting at 17 days annually)
• 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) with 6% employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement
• Employee assistance and wellness programs

Become an Employee-Owner

One of the biggest advantages of working at Lerch Bates is that we are 100% employee-owned through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Unlike many companies that offer only a salary and retirement plan, eligible employees receive company-funded ESOP shares at no cost to them as part of their long-term retirement benefits.

As Lerch Bates grows, employee-owners share in the company's success. For many employees, the ESOP becomes one of the most valuable financial benefits of their career by helping build meaningful long-term wealth in addition to their salary and traditional 401(k).

When you join Lerch Bates, you are not just building better buildings. You also have the opportunity to build your financial future alongside the company's success.

Core Values

Ownership • Community • Integrity • Respect • Optimism

Working Environment:

This position is performed in a combination of office, remote, client, and field environments. Regular travel to project sites is required and may include commercial buildings, occupied facilities, active construction sites, industrial locations, rooftops, and other environments where building evaluations, testing, or construction observations are performed. Work may occur indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, climb stairs and ladders, and navigate active construction sites and existing buildings. Employees may be required to access rooftops, traverse uneven terrain, work at elevated heights, and enter confined or restricted spaces as project conditions require. Frequent use of computers, keyboards, measuring equipment, and handheld devices is required.

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of equipment and materials weighing up to 40 pounds may be required. Employees must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, gloves, safety footwear, hearing protection, and fall protection when applicable.

Travel by automobile and occasional air travel may be required.

Mental Demands:

This position requires strong analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills. Employees must be able to interpret construction documents, building codes, technical specifications, engineering data, and field observations while exercising sound professional judgment.

The role requires managing multiple projects, balancing competing priorities, meeting deadlines, and adapting to changing project conditions. Effective written and verbal communication, technical report writing, client presentations, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and attention to detail are essential.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check and drug test. The drug test includes screening for marijuana, regardless of state or local laws permitting its use. A conditional offer of employment will be rescinded if a candidate fails either the background check or the drug test. This requirement is mandated by federal regulations applicable to our government contracting obligations.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.