Engineer (Summer 2025) - Protective Design & Security
Thornton Tomasetti

Job Info

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Thornton Tomasetti applies engineering and scientific principles to solve the world's challenges. An independent organization of creative thinkers and innovative doers collaborating from offices worldwide, our mission is to bring our clients' ideas to life and, in the process, lay the groundwork for a better, more resilient future. We provide support and opportunities to our employees to achieve their full potential and cultivate a rewarding career.

Our Protective Design practice helps architects, owners, developers, and public agencies worldwide achieve security objectives while upholding each project's aesthetic, functional and budgetary goals. A recognized leader in security services - with more than 60 years of experience - we collaborate with clients and project teams to develop physical, technical, and operational security solutions for facilities of every type, use, and size.

The Role

A Protective Design Structural Engineer performs building design for manmade hazards such as explosive blasts, hostile vehicle impacts, and large fires. This is in addition to performing conventional structural design for natural hazards like wind and earthquakes. Protective design engineers will work on project teams performing the design of new buildings and assessments of existing facilities.

Due to the wide-ranging nature of security threats, our team works on a variety of high-profile projects spanning many market sectors. These may include sports stadiums, transportation hubs, government buildings, and laboratory facilities. Over time, a Protective Design engineer will work on projects that involve skills well beyond structural engineering, including performing risk assessments and implementing security technology.

Protective design structural engineering is not a topic found in many schools, so we have a strong training program to get new hires up to speed. You will build on skills learned in college coursework to learn how to analyze structures subject to shock and impact loads. A strong fundamentals background in statics, mechanics of materials, and structural dynamics is something we look for in the interview process. Protective design structural engineering work goes well beyond the building code and we seek creative people to help solve challenging problems in innovative ways.

Responsibilities:

• Provide physical security/protective design consulting services for new and existing construction. Physical security topics include, but are not limited to, blast design, site layout, progressive collapse, and design of vehicle barriers.
  
• Perform calculations to determine blast-loading environments.
  
• Perform nonlinear, dynamic analysis of building structures and façade systems using a single degree of freedom, multi-degree of freedom, and finite element analysis methodologies for dynamic blast loadings.
  
• Perform nonlinear, dynamic analyses of building structures using SAP 2000, ETABS, and other commercially available software for the prevention of progressive collapse.
  
• Read and interpret design drawings and REVIT models.
  
• Transfer design information from calculations to structural, architectural, and physical security drawings/models.
  
• Draft reports and memorandums to communicate physical security requirements and other technical design information.
  
• Coordinate physical security requirements and design information with architects, owners, contractors, and other engineering disciplines.
  
• Review shop drawings, calculations, and RFIs related to physical security design items during construction.
  

Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
  
• Students intending to work towards a graduate degree are preferred.
  
• Coursework in structural dynamics or blast engineering.
  
• Strong academic record.
  
• Excellent verbal and technical writing skills.
  
• Self-motivated and team-oriented.
  
• Experience in Revit, Tekla, and AutoCAD is helpful, but not required.
  
• The position requires the candidate to gain and hold US Security clearance.
  

Compensation
The rate for this position generally is$78,000-$90,000annually.This range is a good faith estimate provided pursuant to the California Pay Transparency Law. It is based on what a successful California applicant might be paid and assumes that the successful candidate will be in California or perform the position from California. Similar positions located outside of California will not necessarily receive the same compensation.Actual pay rates may vary from the range, as permitted byCaliforniaEqual Pay Transparency Law. Compensation offers will be based on various factors, including operational needs, individual education, qualifications and experience, work location and comparison to employee already in the role, as well as other considerations permitted by law. A potential new employee's pay history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits

Depending on your employment status, benefits may include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Disability and other voluntary benefits
  
• Flexible Spending Accounts for Medical and Childcare
  
• Paid Time Off, Family Leave for New Parents, Volunteer Time
  
• Tuition Reimbursement
  
• Commuter Transit (where available)
  
• 401k retirement savings with Company matching on employee contributions and/or qualified student loan repayments
  
• Fitness Reimbursement
  
• And other various wellness, diversity/inclusion and employee resource programs and initiatives
  

Pursuant to the SanFrancisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Thornton Tomasetti is proud to be an equal employment workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Thornton Tomasetti are considered without regards to age, ancestry, color, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, protected family care or medical leave status, race, religion (including beliefs and practices or the absence thereof), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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