Principal Offshore Structural Engineer (Edinburgh)

About Venterra: Venterra is a global wind energy services company, engineering, building and supporting major wind and renewables projects around the world. Our clear purpose: accelerate the global energy transition by becoming the go-to services provider and strategic partner for the rapidly expanding wind industry. Our diverse team of experts is dedicated to making net zero a reality. We offer specialised services across the entire project lifecycle, including:

• Geoscience consultancy
• Environmental expertise
• Design services
• Project advisory
• Survey capabilities
• Construction support & back-deck mission equipment

By acquiring and bringing together leading offshore engineering and marine science companies like Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions, CAPE Holland, INSPIRE Environmental, Partrac and Ordtek, we provide the most comprehensive services and expertise in the market. At Venterra, sustainability, safety, and quality are prioritised in everything we do, reducing project risk, time, and cost for our clients.

Why join Venterra?

• Shape the future of energy: Dive into groundbreaking renewables projects that are literally changing the world.
• Master the renewables landscape: Gain unique, full-spectrum experience from initial surveys to final construction.
• Go global, make waves: Our worldwide projects aren’t just pins on a map – they’re tickets to diverse experiences, cultures and challenges, with plenty of international travel opportunities on offer.
• Accelerate your career: We don’t just talk about growth – we fuel it. Access cutting-edge training, mentorship from industry leaders, and a clear development path with opportunities to sharpen your skills in the renewables space.
• Be a force for good: Join a team where your values align with your work. We’re committed to cultivating a culture of equality, diversity, and positive impact through our work.

Our Design Team: Venterra's Design team is a multi-disciplinary group combining offshore and onshore civil and geotechnical engineering expertise, operating in the offshore wind, marine development and onshore energy transition sectors. We combine our diverse skill sets to provide tailored solutions to suit client challenges and development plans. This incorporates the design and analysis of foundations and substations for floating and fixed offshore wind, transport & installation, port and marine infrastructure development and onshore renewable energy transition assets. Our multinational team operate on an agile basis to service clients globally. We pride ourselves in our investment in research and development with collaborative relationships with industry organisations providing thought leadership to the partners and clients we work with, whilst providing stimulating career and learning opportunities for our staff.

Role Description: As a Principal Offshore Structural Engineer, you will serve as the lead technical authority within offshore wind projects, providing advanced structural engineering expertise and technical direction. Your role focuses on delivering robust technical solutions while performing hands-on engineering analysis for complex structural challenges. You will be responsible for maintaining technical excellence in project delivery through various development phases including concept, FEED, and detailed design, while supporting the Structural Team Lead in wider technical matters.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead project-specific structural activities, providing state-of-the-art designs in accordance with project planning and budget.
• Execute independent offshore structural analysis, design, and reporting within projects ensuring high-quality technical deliverables.
• Resolve technically challenging issues within projects, communicating solutions effectively to project teams and clients.
• Conduct hands-on structural analyses using relevant engineering software to support the team with complex structural design works.
• Provide guidance and advice to junior staff members.
• Conduct detailed technical reviews of analysis and design work performed by the project team.
• Coordinate with certification bodies for foundation certification/approval.
• Provide construction and fabrication support as part of detailed design work, as required.
• Support tender preparation by identifying a clear scope of work, preparing methodology, person-hours estimates and schedule.
• Supports the Structural Team Lead in maintaining technical competence within the discipline and quality of delivery on projects.
• Represent Venterra Design and lead the team in client meetings and project stakeholder dialogues.
• Manage client relationships and satisfaction for repeat business.

Key Skills/Experience:

• Strong understanding of structural dynamics, in-service and pre-service analysis, hydrodynamic loading, and fatigue assessment.
• Demonstrated experience in offshore wind turbine support structure design (monopiles and jackets).
• Advanced proficiency in linear and non-linear offshore structural analysis & FEA using ABAQUS and/or ANSYS.
• Expertise in structural analysis software (SESAM, SACS, USFOS).
• In-depth knowledge of offshore wind design codes and certification requirements.
• General knowledge of Integrated Load Analysis process and requirements.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills.
• Programming skills in Python or similar languages beneficial.
• Project management and commercial acumen.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Education/Qualifications:

• Masters degree in Civil/Structural/Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered Engineer status or working towards chartership.

Additional Requirements:

• Highly organised with strong attention to technical detail.
• Commitment to technical excellence and continuous professional development.
• Experience working with diverse technical teams.
• Willingness to work in a hybrid environment.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers in technical aspects.
• Availability to travel as required for client meetings.

Right to Work: At this time, we are only able to consider applicants who are authorised to work in one of the listed locations of hire.

At Venterra: At Venterra, we are committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We take inclusion and diversity seriously. We know that getting this right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values. We are always striving to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. We are an equal opportunity employer and our vision is for Venterra to be a place where people of all backgrounds, abilities and identities feel welcomed and supported to work.