Texas Forensic Engineering Lead / Practice Builder - Austin, TX

A growing multidisciplinary engineering consultancy is seeking a senior forensic engineering leader to join its existing Austin team and build out the Texas forensic department.

This is a market-building opportunity rather than a standard project delivery role. The successful candidate will be the first dedicated forensic hire in the Texas market, with the opportunity to build local client relationships, lead complex investigations, help define the direction of the practice, and eventually grow a team underneath them.

The role is best suited to an experienced forensic engineer, senior project manager, principal-level consultant, or practice builder who has a strong structural foundation, a local or regional reputation, and the motivation to build something long term.

The Opportunity

The firm is expanding its investigative and forensic engineering capabilities in key growth markets, with Texas being one of the main priorities. Austin is a target location where the business already has an established office presence, but is now looking to develop a dedicated forensic engineering function locally.

The initial hire will act as the senior local lead for forensic engineering work, supported by an established multidisciplinary technical platform. Over time, this person will help shape hiring, team culture, client development, and the long-term growth strategy for the Texas forensic practice.

This would suit someone who wants more autonomy than a traditional corporate role, but still wants the stability, resources, and cross-disciplinary support of a larger engineering business.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead forensic and investigative engineering projects across Austin and the wider Texas market
• Perform and oversee structural investigations, damage assessments, condition evaluations, and failure-related assignments
• Evaluate issues involving structural distress, building performance, deterioration, storm-related damage, water intrusion, restoration needs, and property-related conditions
• Review project records, site conditions, technical data, photographs, and construction documentation to develop clear findings
• Prepare technical reports, recommendations, repair scopes, and client-facing documentation
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to clients, insurers, attorneys, property owners, consultants, and project stakeholders
• Support business development through local relationships, referrals, networking, client retention, and pursuit of new project opportunities
• Help establish the forensic engineering practice locally, including future hiring, mentoring, and team development
• Work with internal technical teams across structural, civil, transportation, and other related engineering disciplines where needed
• Maintain strong project delivery standards across quality, schedule, communication, and client service

Ideal Background

• Licensed Professional Engineer
• Strong structural engineering foundation
• Significant experience in forensic engineering, investigative engineering, structural assessments, restoration consulting, or building evaluation work
• Ideally senior-level experience, with a preference for candidates who have led complex forensic or investigative assignments
• Experience managing clients, projects, reports, and technical deliverables
• Strong local or regional reputation in Texas preferred
• Existing client relationships, market presence, or potential book of business highly valuable
• Experience with structural investigations, building failures, damage assessments, restoration projects, parking structures, insurance-related assignments, or dispute-related work
• Expert witness, deposition, mediation, arbitration, or litigation support experience is helpful, but not required
• Ability and interest in mentoring future hires and building a local team
• Comfortable being primarily office-based and visible in the local market

What They Are Looking For

The firm is not looking for one narrow forensic niche. The priority is finding a senior engineer who can show:

• Progressive career growth
• Increasingly complex project experience
• Strong technical credibility
• Client-facing confidence
• Leadership capability
• Business development exposure or appetite
• Local market relationships
• Desire to build and mentor a team
• Motivation to create a long-term regional forensic practice

The role could appeal to someone who feels capped in a larger organisation, a senior forensic engineer frustrated by bureaucracy, an employee from a recently acquired firm, a boutique consultant looking for more stability, or a senior PM who wants to build a practice with proper backing.

Project Exposure

Relevant experience may include:

• Structural investigations
• Building failure evaluations
• Damage assessments
• Restoration-related consulting
• Parking structure assessments
• Water intrusion investigations
• Flood, wind, storm, or weather-related damage
• Property loss and insurance-related work
• Existing building assessments
• Repair recommendations and technical reporting
• Dispute-related or expert support assignments

Why This Opportunity?

• Opportunity to become the first forensic engineering hire in the Texas market
• Ability to build a local practice from the ground up while joining an existing Austin office
• Senior role with autonomy, visibility, and long-term leadership potential
• Platform to develop business and bring client relationships across
• Support from an established multidisciplinary engineering business
• Opportunity to hire, mentor, and shape a future team
• Pathway toward team leadership, project director, or regional practice leadership
• Flexible compensation for the right senior-level profile
• Chance to build something entrepreneurial without being on an island

Working Arrangement

The firm has a strong preference for local office presence and market visibility. This role is best suited to someone based in or near Austin who is comfortable being in the office regularly and active with clients in the local market.

Some travel may be required over time, particularly as the practice grows or project work expands across Texas and beyond.

Compensation

Compensation is flexible and will be based on experience, licensure, leadership capability, client relationships, and business development potential. Strong senior candidates will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Summary

This is a rare opportunity for a senior forensic engineer in Austin who wants to build, lead, and grow rather than simply step into another delivery role.

The right person will bring the technical credibility to lead investigations, the local reputation to build trust, and the ambition to help establish a long-term forensic engineering practice in Texas