Sr. Engineer, Civil and Structural

NextDecade•Brownsville, TX

8d•Onsite

About The Position

NextDecade is seeking a full-time Senior Engineer, Civil and Structural to support long-term operations at the Rio Grande LNG facility near Brownsville, Texas. The position is based in Brownsville and sits within the Operations Department. The incumbent reports to the Sr. Manager, Brownfield Projects, under the leadership of the Sr. Director of Engineering and Sr. Vice President of Operations, and maintains a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Sr. Manager, Asset Integrity and Mechanical Engineering for civil and structural operations engineering support. The role has no direct reports and works alongside engineering peers across facility disciplines. The Senior Engineer serves as technical authority, barrier owner, and equipment owner for civil and structural engineering matters. The role supports brownfield projects and plant operations, and is responsible for the safety, reliability, inspection, maintenance, assessment, and lifecycle management of civil and structural infrastructure across the LNG facility. Assets include process foundations, containment systems, drainage ponds, roads, pipe racks, and marine and utility infrastructure. The position also leads continuous improvement and asset integrity efforts, develops and executes inspection programs, performs condition and integrity assessments, and provides frontline engineering response to structural issues and failures. It provides engineering-level subject-matter expertise for lifting activities, including evaluation of complex lifts involving structures and scaffolds. The role supports coordination with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Quality, Process Safety Management, and Health, Safety, Security and Environmental teams. The job involves working in a complex construction environment, both indoors and outdoors, and requires the ability to wear necessary PPE. The position may involve exposure to weather, moving mechanical parts, electrical circuits, and distracting noise, as well as confined spaces and elevated structures. Domestic and international travel of approximately 10–15% may be required.

Requirements

B.S. or higher in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or equivalent.
10+ years of project design and construction engineering experience.
5+ years of civil engineering experience in an LNG operating facility.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed, approximately 10–15%.
Advanced skills in troubleshooting and resolving civil and structural issues that affect operations.
Advanced skills in design of civil and structural equipment, including brownfield project applications.
Intermediate skills applying LNG-facility industry standards, regulatory codes, and recommended practices.
Intermediate skills defining and implementing QA/QC programs for civil and structural assets.
Intermediate skills inspecting foundations, concrete structures, steel structures, and related civil infrastructure.
Intermediate root cause investigation skills.
Intermediate skills managing assets within the scope of a technical authority role.
Intermediate skills in lifting operations, including technical assessment and approval of critical lift design and planning.
Basic or beginner skills in Process Safety Management and operational risk management.
Basic or beginner skills in Management of Change.
Basic or beginner skills managing interfaces and working closely with Project and Operations teams through detailed design, construction, commissioning, startup, and post-startup operations.
Able to lift up to 40 pounds unassisted and push or pull with up to 50 pounds of force; able to grip objects with up to 50 pounds of force.
Able to perform frequent standing, walking, balancing, and climbing stairs and ladders, and regular reaching, bending, stooping, handling, and spinal twisting.
Able to move throughout facility areas, travel to a designated muster point during emergencies, and drive to other company work locations as required.
Able to stand and/or sit continuously and perform job functions for a full shift; have full mechanical motion and usage of all extremities.
Able to walk, stand, bend, stoop, kneel, reach, twist, lift, push, pull, climb, balance, crouch, and handle items weighing up to 20 pounds without assistance.
Visual acuity corrected to perform job functions, including close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Able to clearly communicate with others by radio, phone, and verbal methods.
Able to wear all necessary PPE to perform job functions.

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical authority, barrier owner, and equipment owner for civil and structural engineering matters.
Provide civil and structural engineering support for brownfield projects, including reviewing and approving design packages for compatibility with existing infrastructure; verifying existing site conditions; assessing new loads, vibrations, and tie-ins; and supporting site development planning, grading, drainage, and constructability.
Collaborate with project engineering, EPC contractors, and Operations to minimize disruption to LNG operations.
Participate in HAZOP, constructability, and risk reviews for modifications affecting civil and structural assets.
Develop scopes of work and technical specifications, and oversee construction and commissioning activities.
Ensure project execution complies with company standards, regulatory requirements, and industry codes.
Support the safety, reliability, and long-term performance of civil and structural infrastructure through inspection, maintenance, assessment, and lifecycle management.
Provide engineering support for day-to-day plant operations and long-term reliability and availability targets, including frontline response to structural issues and failures.
Act as engineering-level subject-matter expert for lifting activities and evaluate complex lifts, including lifts involving structures and scaffolds.
Drive continuous improvement through maintenance strategy optimization, Root Cause Failure Analysis, bad actor analysis, Management of Change, debottlenecking, and efficiency optimization.
Develop and execute inspection programs for equipment foundations, stormwater and retention systems, concrete and steel structures, and drainage systems, culverts, and channels.
Perform condition assessments and integrity evaluations using applicable industry standards, including ACI, ASCE, and API.
Ensure the Management of Change process is followed for changes affecting civil and structural assets, systems, and infrastructure.
Interact with and support Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Quality, Process Safety Management, and HSSE teams.