Structural Engineer
Sample Resume & ATS Keywords
Structural engineering has an unusual screening problem: most labor agencies fold the role into 'civil engineer' statistics, so there's no independent occupational tracking to lean on. Recruiters compensate by searching hard on the specific vocabulary that separates a structural specialist from a generalist civil engineer — named analysis software, code editions, and SE-tier licensure — which means a resume written in generic civil language is functionally invisible to structural-specific searches even when the underlying experience is strong.
All sample resume content on this page is original and illustrative — fictional candidates, realistic numbers. Use it as a pattern, not a template to copy verbatim.
Sample Structural Engineer resume summary
What a parseable, keyword-complete professional summary looks like for this role:
Structural Engineer (SE, Illinois) with 9 years designing steel and concrete building structures ranging from mid-rise commercial to industrial facilities. Proficient in ETABS, SAP2000, and Tekla Structures, with design experience spanning ASCE 7 seismic and wind analysis and ACI 318/AISC code compliance. Has led structural design or peer review on 25+ completed buildings.
Sample achievement bullets that pass ATS screening
Each bullet follows the pattern recruiters and parsers reward: exact keywords, a specific action, and a quantified outcome.
- Led structural design of a 12-story steel-frame office tower, performing seismic and wind analysis in ETABS to ASCE 7 requirements and delivering construction documents on a compressed 5-month schedule.
- Performed peer review on 8 mid-rise concrete structures for a regional engineering firm, identifying 3 code-compliance issues before permit submission that avoided post-approval redesign.
- Designed the retrofit structural scheme for a 1960s concrete parking structure, extending service life by an estimated 25 years while keeping the facility operational during construction.
- Modeled and detailed steel connections for a 400,000-sq-ft industrial distribution facility in Tekla Structures, reducing fabrication RFIs by 45% versus the firm's prior project baseline.
- Managed structural scope on 6 concurrent projects totaling $210M in construction value, holding design-phase deadlines with zero missed permit submissions.
- Ran nonlinear seismic analysis in SAP2000 for a hospital expansion in a high-seismic zone, achieving code approval on the first submittal cycle.
- Mentored 2 junior engineers through their SE exam preparation, with both passing on their first attempt within 18 months.
- Developed a firm-wide ETABS modeling standard that cut average analysis setup time by 30% across the structural department.
ATS keyword bank for Structural Engineer resumes
From our 2026 research into recruiter sourcing behavior for this role. Recruiter and ATS searches match exact strings — carry the terms your real experience supports, in the wording the posting uses.
| Keyword group | Terms recruiters search |
|---|---|
| Titles & variants | Structural Engineer · Structural Design Engineer · Bridge Engineer · Building Structural Engineer |
| Licensure | SE (Structural Engineer license) · PE · Struct.Eng (BC designated) · CEng MIStructE |
| Software | ETABS · SAP2000 · RAM Structural System · RISA · Tekla Structures · SAFE |
| Codes & design vocabulary | ASCE 7 · ACI 318 · AISC · Eurocodes · seismic design · wind load design |
| Project scope | Building height/spans designed · retrofit vs. new design · peer review experience · steel/concrete/timber |
Structural Engineer resume formatting: do this, not that
Do
- State your SE or Struct.Eng licensure exactly as issued, with the state or jurisdiction named — this is the hardest filter in structural recruiting.
- Name analysis software precisely: ETABS, SAP2000, RISA, Tekla Structures, SAFE — matched to what the posting lists.
- Cite specific code editions where relevant: ASCE 7, ACI 318, AISC, Eurocodes — generic 'code compliance' language doesn't match searches.
- Quantify project scope: building height, spans, square footage, and whether the work was new design, retrofit, or peer review.
- Use the word 'structural' explicitly and often — resumes that read as generic civil engineering miss structural-specific searches entirely.
Don't
- Don't let your title default to 'Civil Engineer' if your day-to-day work is structural — the two are searched separately.
- Don't list software you've only briefly touched; structural interviews probe modeling decisions in depth.
- Don't omit peer review experience — it's a distinct, searchable qualification for senior structural roles.
- Don't write vague material references like 'steel and concrete experience' without project-specific detail.
- Don't leave seismic or wind design experience unstated if you have it — it's a specific filter in high-seismic-zone postings.
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