Senior Construction Engineer

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Abbott Park, IL location within the GES Global Engineering Services division.

The Senior Construction Engineer – Structural plays a critical role in the planning, execution, and delivery of construction projects for GMP manufacturing, office, warehouse, and laboratory facilities across all Abbott business units. This position ensures compliance with regulatory standards, safety protocols, and Abbott’s quality requirements. The engineer advocates for the owner’s interests, collaborates with cross-functional teams, manages contractors, monitors progress, and resolves field issues to ensure successful project outcomes.

In addition to project responsibilities, this role will also provide day-to-day support for Lake County Operations (LCO) activities, including review and approval of penetration permits, development and maintenance of the Capital Long-Range Plan (LRP), and other tasks as assigned.

What You’ll Work On

• Develop and manage construction plans and schedules for GMP projects.
• Plan and execute capital projects up to $20MM.
• Support commissioning, qualification, and turnover activities.
• Coordinate turnover, validate readiness, and ensure documentation is complete.
• Assist in lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee Construction Manager (CM) performance.
• Coordinate with design, engineering, validation, procurement, and legal teams.
• Select, manage, and procure architectural/engineering and general contractor firms.
• Escalate issues and facilitate resolution between parties.
• Provide Abbott program updates and translate technical issues for stakeholders.
• Observe site activities and verify alignment with owner’s goals.
• Monitor construction activities for safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Independently verify construction quality and coordinate third-party inspections.
• Participate in site inspections and audits.
• Support regulatory inspections and ensure documentation readiness.
• Track project budgets and support cost control through field validation and reporting.
• Validate pay applications and monitor contingency usage.
• Review and approve/reject changes based on impact to owner.
• Approve awards based on owner’s criteria and budget.
• Verify purchase order issuance, delivery timelines, and budget compliance.
• Validate schedule progress and flag risks to milestones.
• Ensure efficient use of resources in accordance with contract terms.
• Maintain construction logs and documentation for closeout and audits.
• Review and approve RFIs, submittals, and change orders.
• Review Bill of Materials (BOM) for completeness and alignment with scope.
• Review bid packages for clarity, risk, and alignment with owner’s scope.
• Participate in bid reviews, ensure transparency, and recommend contractor selection.
• Promote continuous improvement across construction practices.
• Serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in design reviews
• Conducts load capacity analysis and feasibility evaluation of proposed structural modifications.
• Evaluates existing facilities for deficiencies, and new designs for compliance, with respect to all applicable code requirements and regulations, including seismic requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, , or Architecture, and a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering.
• 5–10 years of experience in construction engineering, preferably in FDA/ISO regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of construction methods, codes, and GMP regulations.
• Conceptual estimating skills for early-stage project planning and budgeting.
• Field construction experience with contractor coordination and issue resolution.
• Technical proficiency in civil/architectural, and structural systems.
• Willingness to travel 25% within the United States.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Registrations: Licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer strongly preferred.
• Experience in the following Areas of Practice: Underground pipelines, failure investigation, construction troubleshooting, foundations, repair/rehabilitation, structural evaluation, seismic repair and retrofit.
• Experience with analysis, review, inspection, and restoration of buildings and structures.
• Experience with design, construction and assessment of buildings and structures made of masonry, wood, concrete and steel.
• Proficiency in MS Project/Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook, AutoCAD, SAP, Smartsheet, and Bluebeam.
• Proven track record of successful execution throughout the entire project lifecycle: Feasibility –> Concept –> Design –> Construction –> Commissioning & Qualification –> Turnover –> Closeout.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

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