Structural Restoration Engineer

Department: Existing Building Repair & Modernization

Location: Baltimore, MD (hybrid)

Lerch Bates is seeking a Structural Restoration Engineer to evaluate, investigate, and develop repair solutions for existing buildings and structures.

In this role, you'll help clients solve complex building challenges involving structural deterioration, façade distress, waterproofing failures, parking structure deficiencies, and other building performance concerns. Working across a diverse portfolio of existing buildings, you'll conduct investigations, identify root causes, develop rehabilitation strategies, and oversee restoration projects that improve the long-term safety, durability, and performance of the built environment.

You'll manage projects from initial assessment through construction administration, serving as a trusted technical advisor to building owners, architects, property managers, contractors, and project stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

This position provides opportunities to lead technically challenging projects, mentor junior engineers, build lasting client relationships, and contribute directly to the growth of Lerch Bates' Restoration & Rehabilitation practice.

About Lerch Bates:

Lerch Bates (LB) is a global technical consulting firm focused on improving how buildings perform for owners, designers, and the people who use them every day. For more than 75 years we’ve partnered on some of the world’s most complex and high-profile projects. Today we provide Total Building Performance expertise that integrates Building Science and Building Flow into a unified delivery model.

Our work spans design, construction, investigation, repair, rehabilitation, management, and modernization with one consistent goal: helping clients make confident, well-informed decisions in an increasingly complex built environment.

We are 100% employee-owned through our ESOP. That means when the company succeeds, our employee-owners share in that success. It's more than a retirement benefit—it's an ownership mindset backed by the opportunity to build long-term financial value while helping shape the future of the company. 

What You’ll Do:

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed in this position. They are not intended to prescribe or restrict the assignments that management may make.

Building Assessment & Investigation

• Conduct condition assessments of existing buildings, structures, and building envelope systems
• Investigate deterioration, distress, water intrusion, material failures, and performance deficiencies
• Review construction documents, historical records, field conditions to identify root causes and develop repair strategies
• Evaluate structural systems, façades, waterproofing assemblies, parking structures, and related building components

Engineering Evaluation & Repair Design

• Prepare technical reports documenting findings, conclusions, and repair recommendations
• Develop restoration, rehabilitation, modernization, and preservation-sensitive repair solutions for existing buildings and structures.
• Perform engineering calculations and analyses to support repair designs and code compliance
• Review reports, calculations, and technical deliverables prepared by project team members

Project Management & Construction Support

• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and deliverables
• Coordinate with architects, engineers, contractors, and specialty consultants throughout project delivery
• Prepare or oversee repair drawings, specifications, bid documents, and construction administration activities
• Conduct site visits and quality assurance observations during construction
• Review shop drawings, submittals, and contractor requests for information

Client Leadership & Business Development

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to building owners, property managers, architects, and contractors
• Present findings and recommendations to clients and project stakeholders
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships
• Support proposal development, scope definition, fee development, and project pursuits
• Identify opportunities to expand services and support business growth initiatives

Mentorship & Technical Leadership

• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and training to engineers, specialists, and technical staff
• Review project deliverables for quality, consistency, and technical accuracy
• Contribute to technical excellence initiatives and knowledge sharing across the organization

What You’ll Bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Active Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 5 years of experience in structural engineering, restoration engineering, forensic engineering, rehabilitation consulting, existing building consulting, or related disciplines.
• Experience conducting building condition assessments, structural investigations, failure evaluations, and repair design.
• Strong understanding of structural systems, construction practices, and building behavior in existing structures.
• Experience preparing technical reports, engineering calculations, construction documents, and repair recommendations.
• Experience managing project scope, schedules, budgets, and client relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with structural restoration, parking structure rehabilitation, facade restoration, or building enclosure rehabilitation projects.
• Experience with forensic engineering investigations and failure analysis.
• Experience with historic preservation, adaptive reuse, or landmark building projects.
• Structural Engineer (SE) license.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers and technical staff.

Why Work with Lerch Bates?

• Competitive base salary of $88,000 - $120,000 per year, based on experience, qualifications, and location
• Annual performance-based bonus opportunity, with target incentive levels varying by position and based on individual and company performance.
• 100% Employee-Owned ESOP (company-funded retirement benefit that allows eligible employees to share in the company's long-term success)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off (starting at 17 days annually)
• 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) with 6% employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement
• Employee assistance and wellness programs

Become an Employee-Owner

One of the biggest advantages of working at Lerch Bates is that we are 100% employee-owned through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Unlike many companies that offer only a salary and retirement plan, eligible employees receive company-funded ESOP shares at no cost to them as part of their long-term retirement benefits.

As Lerch Bates grows, employee-owners share in the company's success. For many employees, the ESOP becomes one of the most valuable financial benefits of their career by helping build meaningful long-term wealth in addition to their salary and traditional 401(k).

When you join Lerch Bates, you are not just building better buildings. You also have the opportunity to build your financial future alongside the company's success.

Core Values

Ownership • Community • Integrity • Respect • Optimism

Working Environment:

This position is performed in a combination of office, remote, client, and field environments. Regular travel to project sites is required and may include commercial buildings, occupied facilities, active construction sites, industrial locations, rooftops, and other environments where building evaluations, testing, or construction observations are performed. Work may occur indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, climb stairs and ladders, and navigate active construction sites and existing buildings. Employees may be required to access rooftops, traverse uneven terrain, work at elevated heights, and enter confined or restricted spaces as project conditions require. Frequent use of computers, keyboards, measuring equipment, and handheld devices is required.

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of equipment and materials weighing up to 40 pounds may be required. Employees must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, gloves, safety footwear, hearing protection, and fall protection when applicable.

Travel by automobile and occasional air travel may be required.

Mental Demands:

This position requires strong analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills. Employees must be able to interpret construction documents, building codes, technical specifications, engineering data, and field observations while exercising sound professional judgment.

The role requires managing multiple projects, balancing competing priorities, meeting deadlines, and adapting to changing project conditions. Effective written and verbal communication, technical report writing, client presentations, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and attention to detail are essential.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check and drug test. The drug test includes screening for marijuana, regardless of state or local laws permitting its use. A conditional offer of employment will be rescinded if a candidate fails either the background check or the drug test. This requirement is mandated by federal regulations applicable to our government contracting obligations.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Salary : $88,000 - $120,000