Senior Civil/Structural Designer
Part-Time / Contract — Flexible Side Work
Location: Tyler, Texas / Hybrid or Remote
Job Type: Part-time or contract
Suggested Compensation: $30–$65 per hour, depending on experience and ability to work independently.
Schedule: Flexible; project-based hours that may be completed during evenings or weekends.
About the Position
Davis Engineering & Consulting is seeking an experienced Civil/Structural Designer to provide part-time or contract design and drafting support for residential and industrial projects.
Our primary need is for someone with prior experience working in a structural, civil, multidisciplinary engineering, or EPC firm. The ideal candidate understands how engineering drawing sets are developed and can convert an engineer’s calculations, sketches, markups, and design direction into coordinated construction documents.
This is not an entry-level drafting position or a role focused only on drawing residential floor plans. We are looking for a designer who understands structural systems, construction detailing, load paths, drawing coordination, and constructability.
Current full-time employment elsewhere is acceptable. This position is intentionally structured to accommodate experienced designers seeking consistent side work, supplemental income, or a gradual transition into part-time consulting.
Responsibilities
- Develop complete and coordinated civil and structural construction drawings from engineer-provided calculations, sketches, architectural plans, field information, and Bluebeam markups.
- Prepare structural plans, sections, schedules, and details for wood, steel, concrete, masonry, and foundation systems.
- Produce residential structural drawings that may include:
- Foundation and grade-beam plans
- Floor, ceiling, and roof-framing plans
- Beam, header, post, and column layouts
- Shear-wall, hold-down, and lateral-force-resisting-system layouts
- Wood-framing connections and construction details
- Building sections and structural schedules
- Repair, alteration, and addition drawings
- Assist with civil drawings when qualified, including:
- Site plans
- Grading and drainage plans
- Existing and proposed surface development
- Drainage-area delineation
- Detention or stormwater layouts
- Utility plans and profiles
- Erosion-control plans
- Use sound design judgment to identify missing information, conflicting dimensions, incomplete load paths, difficult connections, construction conflicts, and other items requiring engineering review.
- Coordinate structural and civil drawings with architectural, survey, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and manufacturer information.
- Incorporate engineer and client redlines accurately and efficiently.
- Maintain company drawing standards, layers, blocks, sheet organization, notation, and title-block requirements.
- Perform thorough self-checks before submitting drawings for engineering review.
- Assist with revisions resulting from field conditions, permit comments, contractor questions, and design changes.
- Communicate clearly regarding missing information, design assumptions, project status, and upcoming deadlines.
Required Qualifications
- At least five years of relevant civil or structural design and drafting experience. Greater experience is preferred.
- Previous experience working directly with professional engineers in an engineering firm, structural consulting firm, civil firm, multidisciplinary firm, fabrication environment, or EPC organization.
- Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD.
- Strong proficiency reviewing and marking drawings in Bluebeam Revu or comparable PDF software.
- Ability to interpret engineering calculations, sketches, redlines, architectural drawings, surveys, and construction documents.
- Demonstrated ability to develop plans, sections, details, schedules, and coordinated drawing packages—not simply trace or reproduce existing plans.
- Understanding of structural load paths, framing systems, foundations, connections, and general construction practices.
- Strong attention to drawing quality, coordination, constructability, and document organization.
- Ability to work independently while recognizing which decisions require review by the responsible professional engineer.
- Reliable communication and the ability to meet agreed project deadlines.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Civil 3D, including surfaces, feature lines, grading, profiles, pipe networks, and plan production.
- Experience with Revit Structure or multidisciplinary Revit models.
- Experience preparing structural drawings for custom homes, additions, remodels, light-commercial buildings, and structural repairs.
- Familiarity with conventional wood framing, engineered wood products, roof framing, diaphragms, shear walls, hold-downs, and Simpson Strong-Tie products.
- Experience detailing structural steel, reinforced concrete, masonry, or light-gauge framing.
- Ability to review architectural drawings and help develop practical structural framing layouts.
- Familiarity with applicable building codes and common structural design standards.
- Experience coordinating drawings with architects, contractors, fabricators, surveyors, and other engineering disciplines.
- Experience developing Civil 3D production drawings for grading, drainage, utilities, or small land-development projects.
Candidates may be stronger in either structural or civil design. Our immediate priority is structural design and detailing; Civil 3D capability is a significant advantage.
Software
The most relevant software for this position includes:
- AutoCAD
- Autodesk Civil 3D
- Autodesk Revit
- Bluebeam Revu
- Microsoft Excel and Word
Experience with additional structural, BIM, rendering, or analysis software is welcome but is not a substitute for strong AutoCAD production skills and engineering-office experience.
Flexible Side-Work Arrangement
Applicants may maintain another full-time position while performing work for Davis Engineering & Consulting, provided that:
- The outside work is permitted by the applicant’s current employer.
- No conflict of interest exists.
- The applicant does not use another employer’s time, software licenses, equipment, standards, templates, or confidential information.
- Project deadlines and communication expectations are consistently met.
- All work performed for Davis Engineering & Consulting remains confidential.
The workload may vary from week to week. The initial arrangement is expected to involve approximately 5–20 hours per week, depending on project volume, availability, and demonstrated capability. There is potential for a continuing long-term relationship and increased responsibility.
The engagement may be structured as part-time employment or independent contract work depending on the candidate’s experience, availability, work arrangement, and applicable requirements.
Professional Responsibility
This position does not require a professional engineering license. The selected designer will work under the direction and review of a licensed professional engineer. The designer will not be expected or authorized to independently provide engineering opinions, approve engineering designs, or represent themselves as the engineer of record.
Application Requirements
Please submit:
- A current résumé describing your civil and structural design experience.
- A brief description of the types of engineering drawings you have personally developed.
- Your proficiency level with AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, and Bluebeam.
- Your general weekly availability.
- Your requested hourly rate.
- Two or three non-confidential or properly redacted drawing samples that you are authorized to share.
Drawing samples should preferably include structural framing plans, foundation plans, sections, schedules, construction details, or civil grading and drainage drawings. Architectural renderings and floor plans alone will not demonstrate the experience required for this position.
Applicants selected for final consideration may be offered a paid sample assignment involving the development of structural drawings from engineer-provided plans, calculations, sketches, and redlines.
Davis Engineering & Consulting is seeking a dependable long-term design partner who can contribute engineering-office experience, technical judgment, and high-quality construction documents.
Pay: $30.00 - $100.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Tyler, TX 75702
