Senior Structural Design Engineer (Elsternwick)

Temporary Works / Construction Engineering | Melbourne (Elsternwick) | Full-time Temporary Works Engineering / Construction Engineering is a specialist discipline. Not everyone can do it well, and the people who can usually have options. If you're one of them, here's why AWE is worth a look. About AWE AWE Consulting Group is a boutique structural engineering consultancy based in Melbourne with over 20 years of experience in temporary works, formwork, falsework, scaffolding, propping, façade retention, crane assessments and more. We work on some of Melbourne's most complex construction projects, regularly alongside Tier 1 contractors, and we do it as a small, expert team. Current projects include:
- North East Link;
- Suburban Rail Loop;
- Eastern Freeway;
- M80;
- Various high rise buildings;
- Water treatment facilities;
- Bridge upgrades; etc. We've grown strongly over the past three years and we're also bringing on a structural drafter to grow with us. No big firm politics. No production line. Just engaging work, good engineers, and a team that takes the craft seriously. The role We're open to an intermediate or senior candidate, 3+ years is the floor, but if you bring significantly more, we'll structure the role and the package to match. This is a genuine senior role
- real technical authority, not a title upgrade. You’ll lead complex temporary works from first principles to final sign‑off, be a key technical decision‑maker, and help shape the growth of the engineers around you. Reporting directly to the Director, you’ll run projects end‑to‑end: clients, design leadership, quality, and the occasional deep dive into the kind of engineering problems that make the job fun. At AWE, your week won’t blur into repetitive desk work or endless site visits. You’ll split your time between high‑calibre office design and purposeful, high‑impact site inspections that keep you close to how things are actually built. It’s a role for someone who values precision in the office and practicality in the field. We’re upfront: great temporary works engineering needs site time. But here, it’s targeted, meaningful and never relentless. You’ll be based mainly in our Elsternwick office, easy parking, good coffee
- with site involvement that directly supports the designs you lead. What you'll actually be doing
- Leading the design, review and sign-off of complex temporary works solutions — formwork, falsework, propping, scaffolding, façade retention, demolition staging and more
- Providing senior technical oversight across multiple concurrent projects and being a first point of escalation for the engineering team
- Mentoring and reviewing the work of junior engineers
- lifting the whole team's output, not just your own
- Building and maintaining strong client relationships, leading technical briefings and resolving complex issues independently
- Producing and reviewing design documentation, calculations and QA deliverables to a standard that's audit-ready first time
- Contributing to business development
- proposals, new service opportunities and strategic initiatives with the Director
- Helping drive continuous improvement in AWE's design processes, tools and frameworks Who we're looking for You're an experienced structural engineer who has been doing this long enough to know what good looks like, and to deliver it consistently without needing hand-holding. Specifically:
- Degree in Structural or Civil Engineering (with a structural focus)
- Minimum 3(+) years' experience in structural design, with solid experience in temporary works: formwork, falsework, scaffolding, propping, façade retention, demolition or erection works.
- Strong working knowledge of proprietary systems (Acrow, RMD, PERI, Layher, D
- Strong engineer with 1st principle design of timber, steel and concrete elements coupled with in-depth experience in engineering software including SpaceGass; StructuralToolkit; Excel; IdeaStatica or equivalent.
- Proficient in BlueBeam, AutoCAD, MathCad or equivalent
- Comfortable leading client relationships and site inspections, and able to explain complex engineering clearly to contractors and non-engineers
- Sharp eye for risk
- you pick up on design risks and buildability issues, sequencing clashes and design gaps before they become problems on site
- Experience with jump-form, tower crane or mobile crane assessments is a bonus, not a dealbreaker
- Victorian Driver's Licence and access to your own vehicle Beyond the technical skills, you'll fit well here if you're the kind of engineer who takes ownership, communicates directly and brings a sense of humour to the occasional chaotic project. We're a small team, the culture matters as much as the capability. What's in it for you We know good senior engineers have options. Here's why people choose AWE:
- Competitive salary package commensurate with your experience
- Real technical seniority
- you'll be a genuine authority in the business, not just the most senior person in a large team queue
- Direct access to the Director and a business that's agile enough to actually support your development
- Tier 1 project exposure across a diverse portfolio
- no two design problems are the same
- Training budget to support your ongoing professional development and career goals
- A professional but genuinely enjoyable place to work
- collaborative, honest, and not big on unnecessary process
- We're open to building a package that works for you – travel allowance, gym membership, additional super, or other benefits worth discussing The team AWE is led by Aaron Woolridge, who brings over 20 years of construction industry experience and a genuine commitment to mentoring the engineers he works with. You'll have direct daily access to that expertise
- and you'll be expected to pass it on. We're currently a small but growing team. As a senior engineer, you'll help shape the culture, the standards and the direction of the engineering practice as we grow. That's not something you'll get six levels deep in a large firm. How to apply If this sounds like the right next step, we'd love to hear from you. Please send us a Cover Letter telling us why you're the right fit for this role, along with your Resume, by clicking the apply link. For a confidential conversation before you apply, contact Hayley Meaden on 04•• ••• 682. We review applications as they come in, so don't wait around. Apply on Kit Job: kitjobau.com/job/3qcj3x