Sr. Engineer, Civil and Structural

NextDecade · Brownsville

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SUMMARY OF THE ROLE

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. This position will be based in Brownsville, Texas.

• The incumbent will report to the Sr. Manager, Brownfield Projects within the Operations Department, under the leadership of the Sr. Director of Engineering, and Sr. Vice President of Operations.  
• The Senior Engineer, Civil and Structural will also maintain a dotted line report to the Sr. Manager, Asset Integrity and Mechanical Engineering for the provision of civil and structural operations engineering support.
• The role has no direct reports. 
• Peer level personnel will include other members of the engineering team across all facilities disciplines. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Serve as the technical authority, barrier owner and equipment owner for civil and structural engineering matters.

Provide civil/structural engineering support for brownfield projects including:

• Review and approval of design packages to ensure compatibility with existing foundations, structures, and underground systems
• Performance of field verification of existing conditions (as-built validation, constructability reviews)
• Assessing impact of new loads, vibrations, and tie-ins on existing infrastructure
• Supporting site development planning, grading, drainage, and constructability within constrained operating environments
• Collaborating with project engineering, EPC contractors, and operations to minimize disruption to ongoing LNG operations
• Participate in HAZOP, constructability, and risk reviews for modifications affecting civil/structural assets
• Develop scopes of work, technical specifications, and provide oversight during construction and commissioning phases
• Ensure compliance with company standards, regulatory requirements, and industry codes during project execution.
• Ensure the safety, reliability, and long-term performance of civil and structural infrastructure across the LNG facility, including inspection, maintenance, assessment, and lifecycle management of critical structures such as process foundations, containment systems, drainage ponds, roads, pipe racks, and marine/utility infrastructure.
• Provide civil and structural 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 the engineering level SME for lifting activities, supporting the engineering evaluation of complex lifts, including use of structures, scaffolds etc. in lifting activities.

Drive continuous improvement in civil and structural assets through:

• Maintenance strategy optimization
• Root Cause Failure Analysis
• Bad actor analysis
• Management of Change
• Debottlenecking and efficiency optimization

Develop and execute inspection programs for civil and structural assets, including:

• Equipment foundations (compressors, tanks, pumps, LNG trains)
• Stormwater, levee and retention ponds
• Concrete and steel structures
• Drainage systems, culverts, and channels
• Perform condition assessments and integrity evaluations using industry standards (ACI, ASCE, API, etc.)
• Ensure the Management of Change process is followed for changes affecting civil and structural assets, systems, and infrastructure.
• Provide integral interaction and support for other intercompany teams, such as Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Quality, Process Safety Management (PSM), and Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE).

EDUCATION, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, & COMPETENCIES

Basic 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%.

Preferred Requirements:

Advanced skills in the following areas:

• Troubleshooting and resolving civil and structural issues that impact operations
• Design of civil and structural equipment (including Brownfield project applications)

Intermediate skills in the following areas:

• Application of LNG facility applicable industry standards, regulatory codes, and recommended practices
• Define and implement QA/QC programs for civil and structural assets.
• Inspection of foundations, concrete structures, steel structures, and related civil infrastructure.
• Root cause investigations
• Managing assets within the scope of technical authority role.
• Lifting operations including technical assessment and approval of critical lift design and planning

Basic / beginner skills in the following areas:

• Process Safety Management (PSM) and operational risk management
• Management of Change (MOC)
• Managing interfaces and working closely with Project and Operations teams during detailed design, construction, commissioning, startup, and post-startup operations.

Physical Requirements: 

• Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds unassisted and push/pull with up to 50 pounds of force.
• Required to grip objects with up to 50 pounds of force.
• Frequent standing, walking, balancing, climbing stairs and ladders.
• Regular reaching, bending, stooping, handling and spinal twisting.
• Use of hands, arms and legs to lift. Ability to push and pull machinery and other mechanical components.

Site Working Conditions & Physical Expectations

Work Environment

• Must be able to wear all necessary PPE equipment to perform job functions.

• Operates in a complex construction environment.

• Exposure to indoor and outdoor weather conditions.

• Not necessarily protected from weather and temperature changes. Possible exposure to hot, cold, wet, humid, or windy weather conditions.

• Exposure to moving mechanical parts and electrical circuits.

• Exposure to constant or intermittent sounds of a pitch level sufficient to cause marked distraction.

• Routinely uses standard office and field communications equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers w/scanner and fax, and radios.

Able to meet the following physical demands of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations:

• Ability to drive to other Company work locations as required.

• Ability to move throughout all areas of the facility, including being physically capable of traveling to a designed muster point during emergency situations.

• Stand and/or sit continuously and perform job functions for a full shift.

• The incumbent is required to have fully mechanical motion and usage of all extremities.

• Physically able to walk, stand, bend, stoop, kneel, reach, twist, lift, push, pull, climb, balance, crouch, handle, and lift items weighing up to 20 lbs. without assistance.

• Visual acuity corrected to perform job functions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

• Must be able to clearly communicate with others via radio, phone, and verbal methods.

• May be required to enter confined spaces.

• May be required to work at elevated heights and access elevated structures without assistance.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

*In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

NEXTDECADE VALUES

• Safety – We make safety a priority. Everything we do relies on the safety of our people and the communities around us.

• Integrity – We do the right thing, and are open, ethical, and fair. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in all that we do.

• Honesty – We value truth and honesty in ourselves and others. We honor our commitments and take responsibility for our actions.

• Respect – We listen, and respect people, the environment, and the communities in which we live and work.

• Transparency – Transparency builds trust. We promote open communication with our people, our customers, and all our stakeholders.

• Diversity – We value diversity of people and thought. It takes people with different strengths, ideas, and cultural backgrounds to make our company succeed.

NextDecade provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. NextDecade complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. 

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