Scientific Engineer

University of British Columbia•Vancouver, BC

1d•CA$7,502 - CA$10,788•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for conducting advanced structural engineering research on reinforced and precast concrete buildings subjected to seismic loading. Responsibilities include developing conceptual and detailed designs of archetype high-rise buildings in Canada and the United States, development of advanced numerical models using Python and OpenSeesPy to simulate the seismic response of the buildings, interpretation of the analysis results, and preparation of technical reports and peer-reviewed journal papers documenting how the analysis was done and what was learned from the analysis. The position works independently and reports to Professor Perry Adebar in the Department of Civil Engineering. The position provides technical oversight and mentorship to graduate students, co-op students, and other research staff contributing to the project, and interacts with external research partners.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in Engineering or Applied Science.
Minimum of five years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Nice To Haves

Research-based master’s degree in structural engineering.
Minimum five years of professional experience in the structural design of high-rise concrete buildings in both Canada and the United States.
Demonstrated expertise in performance-based seismic design and nonlinear analysis.
Strong familiarity with state-of-the-art nonlinear structural analysis software.
Registered professional engineer (PEng).

Responsibilities

Conducting advanced structural engineering research on reinforced and precast concrete buildings subjected to seismic loading.
Developing conceptual and detailed designs of archetype high-rise buildings in Canada and the United States.
Developing advanced numerical models using Python and OpenSeesPy to simulate the seismic response of the buildings.
Interpreting the analysis results.
Preparing technical reports and peer-reviewed journal papers documenting how the analysis was done and what was learned from the analysis.
Determining appropriate modelling strategies, material constitutive models, boundary conditions, and load protocols to achieve valid nonlinear analysis results.
Selecting and justifying design parameters and code provisions when interpreting or comparing Canadian and U.S. seismic design standards.
Choosing computational tools, analysis workflows, and data-processing methods best suited for the research objectives.
Evaluating results to identify errors, inconsistencies, or opportunities for improved modelling accuracy, and deciding on corrective actions independently.
Prioritizing research tasks, allocating effort among simulation, analysis, and documentation, and recommending adjustments to project scope or methods when needed.
Advising the supervisor on the technical feasibility of new approaches and implications of findings for ongoing or future research projects.
Providing technical oversight and mentorship to graduate students, co-op students, and other research staff working on related projects.