Principal Marine Structures Engineer

Job Description

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water.

We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story.

If you share that vision, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we’d still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let’s explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America.

We are seeking a Principal Marine Structures Engineer to be located in the Washington DC area to lead the delivery and growth of complex federal waterfront and coastal infrastructure programs.

This is a high-impact leadership role focused on Design-Build delivery, federal client engagement, and technical excellence, with responsibility for major marine infrastructure programs and a strong pipeline of federal and public-sector opportunities.

You will play a critical role in securing and delivering projects typically valued in excess of $100M–$300M+, while strengthening relationships with key federal agencies and delivery partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, design, and delivery of major marine and coastal infrastructure projects, including seawalls, waterfront structures, flood protection, and resilience works

• Serve as Design Manager and/or Engineer of Record (EOR) on large-scale, complex programs

• Provide technical leadership in the development of marine structural, waterfront infrastructure, coastal protection, and resiliency solutions conceptualization, design, specifications, cost estimates, tender packages, and technical reports.

• Act as a primary client interface with federal, state, and local agencies

• Lead Design-Build and Progressive Design-Build pursuits and delivery

• Ensure compliance with federal design standards, permitting requirements, and QA/QC processes

• Support federal pursuits and capture strategy, and scope and proposal development including development of SF330 submissions (Sections E, F, and G) and coordination of past performance and key personnel narratives

• Manage and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams

• Drive delivery excellence across schedule, budget, and risk management

Key Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering (Master’s preferred)

• Professional Engineer (PE) license

• 15+ years of experience in marine/coastal structural engineering

• Proven experience delivering large-scale marine infrastructure projects ($100M+)

• Experience delivering projects for federal agencies such as USACE, NAVFAC, or National Park Service

• Familiarity with federal design and construction standards (e.g., USACE EM, UFC, or similar)

• Experience preparing or contributing to SF330 submissions, including project descriptions, organization charts, and key personnel resumes

• Experience working in highly regulated environments and multi-agency coordination

• Strong experience in Design-Build / Progressive Design-Build delivery

• Experience performing inspections and condition assessment of waterfront infrastructure

• Experience in construction engineering activities related to administration and review of contractor submittals

• Expertise in marine structures such as seawalls, bulkheads, piers, and waterfront systems

• Experience with structural analysis software such as SAP2000, STAAD, LPILE, CWALSH, DeepEX

• Knowledge of coastal resilience, flood protection, or shoreline stabilization practices and applications

Benefits & Reward

At Mott MacDonald, our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, providing them with a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses. We provide a comprehensive benefit package that includes 401k, medical, dental and vision insurance, short-term/long-term disability, paid holidays, PTO, parental leave, and company paid life insurance.

Individual pay is determined based on several factors such as work location, education, experience, and unique skills.

The expected salary for this position is $168,000 - $205,000

Collaboration at Our Core

At Mott MacDonald, we believe great ideas happen when we’re together. Our hybrid approach centers on an in-office culture, with most of your time spent collaborating face-to-face and a minimum of three days per week in the office. We balance flexibility with connection, so you and your manager can choose how to meet client, team, and personal commitments.

Equal opportunity is the law.

We seek to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

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