Associate (lead) | Structural Engineering - (eng-l8.83)
full-time
Based at our Rosebank offices, Zutari is currently seeking an experienced senior Structural Engineering professional who will be accountable for the technical integrity, delivery performance, commercial outcomes, client satisfaction, pipeline support, and capability growth of the structural discipline across assigned built environment projects.
The role leads and manages structural design packages across commercial, mixed-use, transport buildings and upgrades, public venues/stadia, data centres, and mission-critical facilities, ensuring that solutions are safe, buildable, efficient, and aligned with client requirements, applicable codes, and Zutari standards.
The Associate owns the quality and compliance of structural engineering outputs from concept through detailed design and construction support. The role drives coordinated multidisciplinary delivery, manages scope, programme, risk, and financial performance, and acts as the primary technical representative for the discipline in client and stakeholder engagements.
Through technical excellence, trusted relationships, and disciplined project delivery, the Associate contributes to repeat business and sustainable pipeline growth. The role also strengthens structural engineering capability by mentoring team members, enforcing discipline standards, and promoting continuous improvement in methods, governance, digital delivery, safety in design, and innovation.
Key Role Responsibilities:
Technical Leadership & Engineering Integrity
Lead and manage structural design packages for built environment projects, from concept design through detailed design and construction support.
Deliver and oversee structural analysis and design for reinforced concrete, post-tensioned concrete, and structural steel systems in accordance with applicable codes, standards, and project specifications.
Interpret and apply client standards and national/international design codes to develop safe, buildable, efficient, and technically robust structural solutions.
Oversee and approve structural calculations, reports, design briefs, specifications, design risk notes, and other technical documentation to ensure engineering integrity and clarity of design intent.
Drive continuous improvement in structural engineering methods, technical standards, digital delivery, governance, and risk-based engineering decision-making.
Pipeline Contribution & Opportunity Support
Identify future opportunities during project delivery by maintaining strong client engagement and understanding evolving client needs.
Provide discipline-specific input to bids, proposals, and fee estimates, including design strategies, assumptions, risks, and competitive differentiators.
Ensure high-quality delivery that strengthens Zutari's reputation and drives repeat business from satisfied clients.
Advise discipline and sector leadership on emerging market trends, capability gaps, and opportunities aligned with the business strategy.
Support early pursuit discussions by providing informed, technically grounded perspectives on feasibility, scope, risks, and value creation.
Team Capability, Leadership & Technical Development
Lead and mentor engineers, technologists, and technicians, ensuring clarity of expectations, disciplined delivery, and strong technical development.
Assign work effectively based on capability, workload, and risk, ensuring quality and performance standards are consistently met.
Provide structured technical feedback, support performance reviews, and identify development needs across the team.
Contribute to recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning to strengthen longterm structural discipline capability.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement, technical excellence, accountability, and collaboration across the team.
Client Leadership, Technical Advisory & Relationship Management
Act as the primary structural representative for assigned projects, leading client discussions, workshops, reviews, and technical decision-making.
Provide clear, structured advice that helps clients understand tradeoffs, technical risks, valueoptimisation options, compliance requirements, and performance outcomes.
Maintain strong, trustbased relationships by ensuring transparency, proactive communication, timely decision inputs, and reliable delivery performance.
Represent Zutari with professionalism and authority in all external technical engagements, enhancing client confidence and enabling future work.
Minimum Requirements:
Qualifications
BSc/BEng/BTech in Civil/Structural Engineering from a recognised institution (postgraduate qualification advantageous).
Professional registration with ECSA.
Experience
A minimum of 8 years' experience delivering and leading structural engineering design on complex building or infrastructure projects across multiple sectors (e.g. commercial, industrial, mission critical, healthcare, mixed-use, etc.).
Demonstrated experience acting as the structural lead on projects, with accountability for technical integrity, delivery performance, multidisciplinary integration, and client-facing coordination.
Proven experience in the analysis and design of complex or large-scale built environment projects, including steel and concrete structures.
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.
Demonstrated experience across tender, detailed design and construction support phases, including technical responses, design development, and construction-phase query resolution.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical information clearly and confidently.
Experience in complex finite element analysis and/or specialist assessments (e.g. complex modelling, advanced staging/sequence modelling, seismic analysis and design/ detailing to applicable codes where required).
Exposure to dynamic/vibration assessments (modal/harmonic/time-history or vibration studies).
Experience with scripting/coding and automation to improve design workflows and quality checking.
Skills and Characteristics
Technical excellence: strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate and resolve complex structural design challenges in the built environment.
Strong ability to lead design strategy, make informed engineering decisions under uncertainty, and provide authoritative technical direction.
Excellent delivery management skills, including programme planning, work sequencing, risk identification, interface management, and quality assurance control.
Solid commercial understanding: scope definition, fee alignment, change control discipline, margin awareness, hours forecasting, and rework avoidance.
Strong client-facing communication skills, with the ability to present design options, explain trade-offs, negotiate technical decisions, and build client confidence.
Competent in digital design workflows and audit of digital outputs, with the ability to guide automation (e.g., Dynamo/Python) and drive digital delivery improvement (not hands-on modelling).
Effective leadership and delegation skills, ensuring delivery quality, balanced workloads, and capability development within the team.
Excellent problem-solving, analytical thinking, and structured decision-making skills.
Technical Mastery: Demonstrates authoritative engineering judgement, advanced knowledge of codes and systems, and high-standard technical outputs.
Delivery Leadership: Owns structural delivery performance; ensures predictable, high-quality outcomes across scope, programme, risk, and quality dimensions.
Commercial Discipline: Protects commercial outcomes through fee alignment, change control, risk management, scope clarity, and avoidance of cost leakage.
Client Leadership: Builds trust, shapes decisions, manages expectations, and takes accountability for client satisfaction and repeat business.
People Development: Mentors, upskills, and supports team growth; contributes to performance input, capability uplift, and succession planning.
CrossDisciplinary Collaboration: Works effectively across mechanical, structural, architectural and specialist teams to ensure coordinated and integrated design delivery.
Digital Fluency: Promotes high standards of digital engineering, QA/QC, and automation adoption to improve accuracy, efficiency, and consistency.
RiskBased Thinking: Identifies technical, delivery, and commercial risks early, takes proactive corrective action, and exercises sound judgement in complex decisions.
Ownership & Accountability: Takes responsibility for outcomes, not tasks; maintains high standards of professionalism, integrity, and reliability.