CONTRIBUTE TO INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SAFER STRUCTURES WITH
AN AWARD-WINNING NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

POSITION OPENING:    Simpson Strong-Tie Engineering Excellence Fellow 

Industry:                      Non-profit/International Development

Function:                     Engineering/Technical

Job Location:               Flexible base with significant international travel (Latin America, Caribbean, and South/Southeast Asia)

Start Date:                   July 1, 2017 

Term:                            Full time, one year fellowship ending June 30, 2018

Compensation:           Salary, travel costs, food allowance and housing abroad, with health and emergency evacuation insurance

THE SIMPSON STRONG-TIE® FELLOWSHIP FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

Build Change, with the generous support of Simpson Strong-Tie, has established the Simpson Strong-Tie® Fellowship for Engineering Excellence program. Complementing the Simpson Strong-Tie goal to find solutions for structures to make them safer and stronger, this fellowship will allow innovative engineers the opportunity to provide impactful contributions to important programs for housing and schools around the world, working directly with Build Change for a period of one year.  In turn, the fellowship program will contribute to Build Change’s work, providing support from experienced and innovative engineering professionals who can apply their knowledge and judgment to the unique contexts in which Build Change works, while synthesizing local and contextual information. This is the inaugural year of the Fellowship program; one fellow will be selected.

ABOUT BUILD CHANGE

Founded in 2004, Build Change is a non‐profit social enterprise whose mission is to save lives in earthquakes and hurricanes. Build Change designs disaster-resistant houses and schools, trains homeowners, builders, engineers and government officials to build them, works with governments to develop and implement building standards, partners with the private sector to improve building materials quality and create jobs, and facilitates access to incentive-based capital for reconstruction and retrofitting by partnering with financing institutions and government subsidy programs.

More than 27,000 people have been trained in disaster-resistant design and construction techniques and have built over 51,000 safer buildings, impacting an estimated 257,621 people. Visit www.buildchange.org and follow us on Twitter @BuildChange or on Facebook.

For more than 60 years, Simpson Strong-Tie has dedicated itself to creating structural products that help people build safer, stronger homes and buildings. Considered an industry leader in structural systems research, testing and innovation, Simpson Strong-Tie works closely with construction professionals to provide code-listed, field-tested products and value-engineered solutions. Our engineered structural products and systems are recognized for helping structures resist high winds, hurricanes and seismic forces. They include structural connectors, fasteners, fastening systems, lateral-force resisting systems, anchors and product solutions for repairing, protecting and strengthening concrete. From product development and testing to training and engineering and field support, Simpson Strong-Tie is committed to helping customers succeed. For more information, visit strongtie.com and follow us on facebook.com/strongtie, twitter.com/strongtie, YouTube and LinkedIn.

THE OPPORTUNITY 

The Simpson Strong-Tie Engineering Excellence Fellow (“Fellow”) will be a key supplement to the Build Change Engineering Program by providing expertise and mentorship to programs, staff and projects globally. The Fellow will work directly with the engineering teams which are composed of national and international staff, travel to program offices, and apply her or his experience and knowledge in structural engineering to new contexts and systems which may not already have well-established standards. It is anticipated that the Fellow will work in two to four different programs throughout the year. The projects and staff that the Fellow will support will focus on implementation and development of disaster-resistant designs and standards for retrofit and new construction of locally appropriate housing and schools, with illustrative examples such as post-earthquake and post-hurricane housing reconstruction in Haiti, a school safety improvement program in Indonesia, and pre-disaster risk mitigation through retrofitting informal housing in Latin American cities.

The Fellow will have the opportunity to learn about and understand different cultures and program contexts while working in a collaborative and diverse environment.

The Fellow will report to Build Change’s Director of Engineering and will also help improve Engineering Program knowledge and resource development and sharing across country programs over the course of the year. The Fellow will participate in a short orientation period prior to joining a country program abroad, and is required to provide monthly updates as well as contribute to mid-term and final reports for the Fellowship.
 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPLICANTS:

We are seeking exceptionally competent engineer applicants who are passionate about reducing risk in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities and sharing knowledge and expertise with coworkers and partners.

Technical

• A completed university degree in a civil or structural engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
• A Professional or Structural Engineering license (or equivalent) in civil (structural) engineering.
• A minimum of 6 years professional experience in structural engineering in a country with well-established building code adoption and enforcement. Additional experience in designing and supervising construction of disaster-resistant buildings in a developing country is a strong plus.
• Work experience in earthquake- and wind-resistant design and construction of buildings.
• Engineering work experience in existing building seismic and structural evaluation and retrofit according to recognized standards, such as ASCE 41. (Experience in performance-based design is a plus.)
• Experience using international building codes and guidelines, including the IBC, ASCE 7, ASCE 41, etc.

Interpersonal and Communication

• Strong sense of obligation and responsibility to support and help others through the sharing of knowledge and experience.
• Desire to learn and understand different cultures and program contexts, and work in a collaborative and diverse environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully in a team environment.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, taking cultural norms into account, verbally and in writing.
• Drama-free, optimistic, flexible, humble, patient, no ego, and having a good sense of humor.
• Fluent in English.

Additional

• Valid passport for the fellowship duration.
• Willingness to travel to, live and work in emerging countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and South and Southeast Asia.

HOW TO APPLY

Please visit http://www.buildchange.org/about/careers and click on the link for the Fellowship.  Applications should include a cover letter, resume, and one professional letter of reference.  Applications will be accepted through June 5, 2017. Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by June 9, 2017. No calls please.