Structural Designer - Hydropower

Location

Chicago, IL

Wage

$72,200 – $104,600/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

Apply for This Position

Posted on August 31, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Stantec is seeking a Structural Designer to join their Energy and Resources Design Team, focusing on hydropower and related infrastructure projects. The role involves collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver innovative solutions while contributing to complex projects across North America and globally.

Responsibilities

  • Understand and work according to Stantec Safety Culture and comply with all Health and Safety rules and regulations.
  • Perform modeling, drafting, and structural design tasks for various projects.
  • Complete project deliverables on budget and schedule.
  • Work collaboratively with engineers, designers, and project teams to produce quality design deliverables.
  • Support projects involving hydroelectric generating stations, dams, and other heavy civil infrastructure.
  • Work with Engineers and Junior Designers on fit-for-purpose designs.
  • Provide coaching and mentoring to designers.
  • Conduct quality assurance and quality control on projects.
  • Attend project coordination meetings with internal team members.
  • Travel to local project sites as needed.

Requirements

  • Demonstrated experience in hydropower and water resources, dams, spillways, navigation structures, naval facilities, and industrial facilities.
  • Proficiency in design tools such as Revit and AutoCAD.
  • Ability to develop Revit content and manage parameters.
  • Knowledge of CAD/BIM tools like Autodesk Recap, Civil 3D, Navisworks, and GIS.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong understanding of structural design concepts.
  • Desire to lead projects and mentor team members.
  • Graduate of Technical or College Course in Design/Drafting or equivalent experience.
  • 6 to 12 years of experience in engineering consulting or construction industry.
  • Experience in hydropower, dams, navigation structures, marine infrastructure, or waterfront projects is preferred.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO
  • 401k
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Professional Membership Fee Coverage

Additional Information

  • Full-time position.
  • Travel required.
  • Primary location: United States | WA | Bellevue.
  • Other locations: United States | IL | Chicago.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k
Tuition Reimbursement
Professional Membership Fee Coverage

How this job compares in Chicago, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $43/hr, this posting comes in about 23% below the $55/hr median for structural welder jobs in Chicago, IL, where the middle half runs $43–$63/hr across 11 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 18% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Chicago, IL

We're tracking 104 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 66 different employers. 56 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 371 other active welding openings from 241 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chicago, or widen the search to Illinois.

Stantec currently has 1 other opening live in Illinois, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Staff on Site (13), S&C Electric Company (12), and Gerber Collision & Glass (11). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $38/hr, Itasca at $36/hr, and Downers Grove at $36/hr. Chicago is among them.

Similar openings near Chicago, IL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Structural Designer - Hydropower figures were last recalculated when this page was built.