Senior Forensic Engineer

Company Description

The Vertex Companies, LLC (VERTEX) is a global $150M professional services firm that offers integrated forensic consulting, expert witness services, construction project advisory, and compliance and regulatory consulting to a myriad of markets and industries. Our brand purpose is to better outcomes for our clients, colleagues, and communities. Join us if you are looking for a career that offers you a chance to love what you do, continuously learn, and take pride in your work.

Our Forensic team is a collaborative group of architects, engineers, fire investigators, and building consultants who provide expert analysis for clients including insurance firms, law firms, developers, and property owners. We work on complex projects involving property damage, construction defects, and design errors, with a strong pipeline of challenging assignments across industries.

Job Description

Senior Forensic Engineers are involved in a wide variety of tasks, including forensic investigations of residential, commercial, andor mixeduse buildings, code research and construction document review, failure analysis, the scope of repair preparation, and report writing. These activities will generally be performed for both insurance property claims and construction defect litigation matters. Senior Forensic Engineers have cultivated a strong client following and excel at ongoing business development.

Business Development, Leadership, Management

• Responsible for supporting assigned Director in meeting or exceeding the defined annual budget for the entire practice areapractice division (including proactive management of assigned resources to meet or exceed defined utilization targets, oversight of execution of profitable engagement work streams, and communication with clients as assigned or requested)
• Responsible for managing and leading the execution of any new accounts and supporting the retaining and expansion of existing engagements to achieve sales goals
• Effectively delegate assignments to assigned direct reports, instruct and monitor progress, and ensure work product is consistently high quality
• Support Director in proactive monitoring of all relevant data such as utilization, Accounts Receivable, discretionary spending, etc.
• Meet or exceed defined individual average utilization goals (and incorporating consideration of individual revenue targets) as set forth by company leadership
• Directly manage, mentor and develop a team of assigned direct reports in a “lead by example” manner, with emphasis on creating a team and culture that is empowered to execute
• Responsible for learning business development methodology and for being proactive in supporting assigned Director with drafts of relevant work documents (reports, presentations) or client communications
• Travel throughout region to support client, employee, and leadership needs.
• Establish quality control of service delivery, maintaining an excellent reputation of quality
• Lead and manage in a manner that assists with rapid identification and escalation to Director of any client, team member or operational challenges

• Operations

  • Conduct forensic field inspections into the cause and origin of incidents related to residential and commercial property damage claims andor construction or design defect claims (litigation)
  • Assess the condition of existing structures for prospective buyerssellerstenants
  • Inspect inconstruction structures to prevent future claimslosses (loss control)
  • Research failures attributed to the building design or construction to determine cause and origin of incident
  • Develop detailed plan for remediation of loss: scope, schedule, budget
  • Develop expert investigative reports with detailed findings and plans for remediation for senior management review and client presentation
  • Plan and execute business development activities and presentations, including regular contact with existing and prospective clients in the region
  • Provide expert witness testimony for litigation cases
  • Lead and manage in support of strategic plans that align with the organization’s vision and defined business objectives
  • Support construction of strong crossfunctional teams to achieve success in shared goals, understanding that multiple perspectives and talents build stronger teams and results
  • Manage assigned projects consistent with contracts and proactively alert assigned Director to any potential challenges or issues
  • Ensure compliance of operations with all local, state and Federal (and International, if applicable) regulations, as well as compliance with company policy
  • Ensure consistent high quality on deliverables for the practice
  • Other duties as assigned

  • Qualifications

    • Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering field (i.e.: Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Geotechnical, etc.) or other advanced degrees as called for in area of specialization.
    • Minimum of 7 years’ industry experience
    • Professional Engineering (PE) license required, with multiple states preferred
    • Proven track record of customer relationship management and staff management and development
    • Demonstrated leadership skills
    • Ability to carry and operate a 24foot extension ladder unassisted, walk on sloped roofs and uneven surfaces, and work in small spaces (attics, crawl spaces)

    • Knowledge & Skills

      • Strong knowledge of the residential (IRC), commercial (IBC) and existing (IEBC) Icodes
      • Understanding of wood, steel, concrete, and masonry structural framing and foundation components
      • Understanding of building envelope components preferred
      • Experience in providing reliable work product review for technical deliverables
      • Able to communicate effectively (written and verbal) with coworkers, clients, subcontractors, and vendors
      • Able to provide oversight and direction to assigned staff
      • Strong leadership, communication and organizational skills
      • Strong analytical and problemsolving skills
      • Developing increased emotional intelligence to work effectively with a wide variety of individuals at all levels, both internally and externally
      • Able to handle multiple priorities and perform consistently and positively under high stress conditions
      • Knowledge of computer operations and standard software packages (word processing, spreadsheets, Adobe) required

      • Additional Information

        All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

        VERTEX offers a solid total compensation package including base salary and discretionary bonus plan. We also offer a robust benefits package including, healthcare (with multiple plan options) and dental; Companypaid Life Insurance, Short Term Disability, and LongTerm Disability. We offer a 401k plan with immediate match and vesting, Flex Spending Account, Employee Assistance Program, and other perks. We provide a generous paid time off plan for eligible employees including 15 days of vacation, 64 hours of sick time, and 9.5 paid holidays (prorated for eligible parttime employees). Our “Lifetime of Learning” program also offers tuition reimbursement and additional support for pursuing advanced education, to help employees grow their skills and careers.

        VERTEX is an Equal OpportunityAffirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

        If you require assistance to complete any part of the application process, please contact our Recruiting team at [email protected].

        NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

        Please note that VERTEX does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, VERTEX will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, VERTEX explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of VERTEX.