Director, Principal Structural Engineer at ICON in Austin, TX

ICON is building the future of human shelter using large-scale additive construction technology to deliver homes and structures that are more resilient, more sustainable, and more attainable than anything conventional construction can produce. Our work spans single-family housing to large-scale federal facilities, and our projects are redefining what's structurally possible when design, engineering, and technology are developed as a unified system.

ICON is looking for a Director of Structural Engineering to lead and own the structural delivery of ICON's design-build projects. This is a senior engineering leadership role where you will serve as Engineer of Record for internal project delivery and engage with external engineering professionals in a design-assist capacity. The role sits at the intersection of structural practice, computational design, and a construction technology that doesn't have decades of precedent to fall back on. This role will report to the Senior Director Design Delivery at our Austin, TX office.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Function & Team Leadership

• Own ICON's structural engineering function — its standards, tools, methods, and delivery quality across the project portfolio.
• Build, lead, and develop the structural engineering team; own hiring, performance, and career growth.
• Set and steward structural design standards, details, and review processes; drive their adoption across design-build teams.
• Own the structural engineering budget and resourcing; forecast capacity against the project pipeline and resolve bottlenecks before they hit schedule.
• Contribute to engineering-wide strategy and policy alongside senior leadership; represent structures in portfolio and roadmap decisions.

Engineering Leadership & EOR Accountability

• Serve as Engineer of Record across ICON's design-build project portfolio, taking full structural responsibility from design through construction completion.
• Lead structural calculations and documentation for complete building and wall systems, coordinating across ICON's architecture, materials science, print path, and construction teams.
• Evaluate ICON's structural building systems for compliance with applicable building codes, standards, and performance criteria — including systems with no direct code precedent.
• Provide senior-level guidance on foundation system design across varied site and soil conditions.

Design-Build Integration

• Act as the primary structural voice in cross-disciplinary design-build teams, coordinating with architects, MEP consultants, Construction Architects, Print Path Technologists, and Project Managers to keep projects moving without sacrificing structural integrity.
• Maintain project delivery schedules in collaboration with the broader design-build team, identifying and resolving structural bottlenecks early.
• Propose structural designs optimized for both performance and cost, leveraging state-of-the-art computational tools to explore solutions that conventional structural practice wouldn't consider.

Team & Consultant Oversight

• Lead and develop a small team of structural engineers executing project delivery.
• Review structural drawings from third-party consultants for conformance with ICON standards, cost efficiency, and constructability using ICON's technology.
• Review shop drawings and submittals from contractors for conformance with ICON's structural standards and details.

Field & Testing

• Conduct field inspections, site observations, and structural testing in support of new project construction.
• Participate in test preparation and execution with project team members and external partners.
• Travel to project sites as required (typically 1–2 overnight trips per assignment).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• 9+ years of structural engineering experience, with meaningful exposure to concrete structural systems.
• Licensed PE in your state of residence; ability to obtain Texas PE licensure within 6–8 weeks of hire.
• Degree in Structural or Civil Engineering (or closely related discipline).
• Demonstrated experience across multiple structural system types — concrete, wood-framed, light-gauge steel, and structural steel.
• Proficiency with structural analysis software and computational design tools.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD, FEA software (Abaqus or equivalent), Navisworks, and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings, building envelope details (cladding, curtain wall, waterproofing, roofing), and structural specifications.
• Working knowledge of test methods and standards required for code compliance of structural systems.
• Strong communication skills — written and verbal — and the organizational discipline to manage multiple projects against hard deadlines.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Advanced degree in Structural or Civil Engineering.
• 9+ years specifically in complex concrete structural projects within a design-build delivery environment.
• Experience with computational design and parametric structural modeling; familiarity with Trimble Tekla, Autodesk Forge, or CATIA.
• Background in forensic structural investigation and failure analysis.
• Familiarity with sustainability metrics in structural material selection — embodied carbon, life cycle assessment, material efficiency.
• Experience with novel or non-standard construction methods where engineering judgment had to extend beyond established code pathways.