Licensed CA Structural Engineer

Licensed Professional Engineer

Company: Pacific Sands

Position type: Full-time

Location: Fully remote, hybrid, or in-office

Salary: $100,000–$150,000 per year

Reports to: Owner / President

About Pacific Sands

Pacific Sands provides residential design, planning, and construction documentation services. We help homeowners, contractors, and project partners move projects from initial concept through permitting and approval.

The Opportunity

Pacific Sands is seeking an experienced, California-licensed Professional Engineer to review and stamp plans while providing technical leadership throughout the design and permitting process.

This is more than a plan-stamping position. The right candidate will help strengthen our quality-control procedures, guide our design team, coordinate with building departments and other professionals, and improve how efficiently our projects move from drafting through permit approval.

This position may be performed fully remotely, provided the candidate holds an active California Professional Engineer license and can legally sign and seal the applicable engineering documents. Occasional project, client, jurisdiction, or site meetings may be required depending on project needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Review residential plans, calculations, specifications, and supporting documents for technical accuracy and code compliance.
• Sign and seal drawings and engineering documents that fall within the engineer’s professional competence and responsible charge.
• Provide structural, civil, and general engineering guidance during plan development.
• Lead internal quality-control reviews before permit submittals.
• Identify design concerns early and provide practical, code-compliant solutions.
• Mentor designers, drafters, project coordinators, and other technical team members.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, details, checklists, and review procedures.
• Coordinate with architects, surveyors, contractors, consultants, and clients.
• Support permit applications and oversee responses to plan-check comments.
• Communicate with building departments and reviewing agencies to resolve technical issues.
• Help the team interpret applicable California building codes, local ordinances, and jurisdiction-specific requirements.
• Track recurring permitting issues and improve plans and processes to prevent them.
• Assist with project scoping, technical feasibility reviews, and schedule planning.
• Participate in client, contractor, jurisdiction, or site meetings as needed.
• Maintain appropriate project records in accordance with professional and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Active California Professional Engineer license.
• Ability to sign and seal engineering documents for projects in California.
• Bachelor’s degree in civil, structural, architectural, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Experience preparing, reviewing, and approving residential construction documents.
• Strong knowledge of California building, residential, structural, and energy codes.
• Demonstrated experience with permit submittals, plan-check responses, and building-department coordination.
• Ability to exercise responsible charge over work that will be signed and sealed.
• Strong technical judgment and close attention to detail.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to explain technical requirements to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Experience leading or mentoring designers, drafters, or junior engineering staff.
• Reliable availability and communication while working remotely.

Preferred Qualifications

• Structural engineering experience involving residential additions, remodels, accessory structures, foundations, framing, retaining walls, or similar projects.
• Familiarity with site plans, grading and drainage, utilities, stormwater requirements, or septic-related coordination.
• Experience working with multiple California cities, counties, and permitting jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, structural calculation software, Enercalc, and other tools.
• Experience developing standardized details, review checklists, and quality-assurance systems.
• Existing relationships with California design, construction, or permitting professionals.
• A California Structural Engineer license or additional professional licenses.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first several months, the successful candidate will:

• Become familiar with Pacific Sands’ project types, standards, and workflows.
• Establish a dependable process for engineering review, approval, and stamping.
• Improve the completeness and consistency of permit-submittal packages.
• Reduce avoidable plan-check comments and resubmittal cycles.
• Give the design team accessible, practical technical leadership.
• Create greater predictability in project schedules and permit approvals.
• Help Pacific Sands build a scalable engineering and quality-control function.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines sound engineering judgment with a practical, solutions-oriented approach. You understand that signing and sealing plans requires meaningful involvement and responsible charge—not simply a final signature. You are comfortable taking ownership of technical decisions, coaching a remote team, communicating with reviewing agencies, and helping projects advance without compromising safety, quality, or professional standards.

Compensation and Benefits

Pacific Sands offers:

• Annual salary of $100,000–$150,000, depending on experience and qualifications
• Fully remote work option
• Flexible work schedule
• Health insurance
• Retirement plan
• Continuing-education and professional-development support