Job Description

Senior Structural Engineer – Nuclear Projects

Location: Birmingham, AL
Contract- 3 Years
Client- Alabama Power 

Southern Nuclear is seeking a Senior Structural Engineer to support analysis, design, and technical delivery for nuclear projects, including safety-related structures, heavy industrial facilities, and advanced reactor infrastructure.

This position is part of the Civil/Structural Department within the Technical Shared Services organization at the Energy Center in Birmingham, AL. The selected candidate will collaborate with senior engineers and multidisciplinary teams to support design development, structural analysis, regulatory documentation, and project execution within a nuclear QA environment.

This role requires strong familiarity with nuclear processes, structural codes, and regulated project delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering & Technical Execution

• Perform, prepare, and verify structural engineering calculations

• Develop and review Engineering Change packages and technical specifications

• Produce and review structural design calculations and drawings

• Create and check calculations for reinforced concrete and structural steel systems

• Support equipment swap-outs and heavy equipment support structures

• Develop scope, man-hour estimates, and cost estimates for assigned projects

• Prepare material takeoffs

Nuclear Process & Documentation

• Apply nuclear documentation processes including:

  • Corrective Action Program (CAP)

  • Standard Design Process (SDP)

  • Requests for Information (RFIs)

  • ITAAC (Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria)

• Support owner’s acceptance reviews

• Ensure design control, traceability, and compliance within nuclear QA environments

Coordination & Project Leadership

• Coordinate structural design activities with other disciplines and third-party consultants

• Provide staffing and scheduling input for projects

• Effectively communicate with supervisors, project teams, and plant contacts

• Lead and direct technical work of junior engineers and designers

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering (PhD preferred for advanced analysis roles)

• 7–12+ years of structural engineering experience

• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Civil/Structural Engineering

• Significant experience in nuclear, power generation, or heavy industrial projects

• Experience producing contract documents (calculations and drawings)

• Experience working in regulated or safety-related environments

Technical Expertise

Structural Design

• Reinforced concrete, structural steel, and composite systems

• Foundations, base mats, and heavy equipment support structures

• Shielding structures and safety-related buildings

• Heavy industrial structural components

Structural Analysis

• Finite Element Modeling (linear & nonlinear)

• Thermal and transient load analysis

• Impact and drop-load assessments

Codes & Standards

• ACI 349, ACI 318, ACI 355

• AISC 360, AISC N690

• ASCE 4, ASCE 7

• International Building Code (IBC)

• Nuclear QA documentation and design control processes

Software

• STAAD Pro

• ANSYS

• spMats

• Navisworks

• AutoCAD

• MathCAD

• Bluebeam

• Microsoft Excel