Structural Conservation Senior Specialist

About the Role

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is seeking a Structural Conservation Senior Specialist dedicated to guiding and overseeing the technical review and governance of structural assessments and conservation interventions for modern heritage buildings across Abu Dhabi Emirate. This role supports the sustainable preservation of Abu Dhabi’s cultural landmarks, ensuring they retain their authenticity and integrity while enabling appropriate structural safety measures.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead independent technical evaluations, quality assurance, and validation of structural assessments, material testing programs, analytical models, and intervention plans for modern heritage assets, including buildings, sites, districts, and urban heritage landscapes.
• Analyze structural behavior of existing heritage structures by considering factors such as material degradation, historical construction techniques, condition surveys, pathology studies, and fabric analysis.
• Critically review consultant approaches, assumptions, findings, testing data, modelling outputs, and recommendations to guarantee reliability, technical soundness, and alignment with conservation mandates.
• Assess, confirm, and advise on repair, strengthening, retrofitting, restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and other conservation methods that prioritize minimal intervention and material compatibility.
• Advocate evidence- and performance-based assessment and design methods, including ASCE 41 frameworks where relevant, to avoid unnecessary interventions driven purely by prescriptive codes.
• Ensure structural interventions carefully balance safety with preservation of authenticity, architectural character, defining features, urban scale, and cultural values.
• Provide formal technical counsel on structural documentation such as reports, reviews, presentations, specifications, method statements, restoration drawings, and repair strategies.
• Support management of modern heritage portfolios by identifying priorities, risks, inconsistencies, feasibility, cost implications, procurement, and adaptation plans.
• Oversee and contribute technically to on-site conservation and structural improvement activities, monitoring structural conditions, logistics, compliance, and approved methodologies.
• Plan and implement preventive and curative conservation measures collaboratively with DCT teams and external partners.
• Manage monitoring, maintenance, and risk management processes, including condition and compliance monitoring, risk detection, emergency planning, and corrective actions for vulnerable heritage properties.
• Lead development of technical frameworks, standards, guidelines, processes, and quality controls for structural assessments aligned with international best practice and DCT regulations.
• Cooperate closely with internal and external stakeholders including regulatory bodies, municipalities, academic institutions, consultants, and contractors to advance heritage conservation goals.
• Lead or assist in research, publications, educational efforts, awareness initiatives, and capacity building activities related to modern heritage conservation engineering.
• Comply with all Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) regulations, reporting hazards promptly and promoting safe, sustainable work practices.
• Adhere to departmental policies, promote organizational values, and actively participate in change management efforts to enhance DCT’s mission.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering, with a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering preferred.
• Professional certifications (e.g., PE) are advantageous.
• 6 to 8 years of specialized experience in concrete repair, durability engineering, corrosion mitigation, and cathodic protection systems.
• Proven expertise with structural condition assessments, structural modelling, and advanced structural analysis techniques.
• Familiarity with applicable standards and codes such as ADIBC/UAE regulations, ACI 318, ACI 562, ASCE 7, IEBC, and ASCE 41.
• Strong proficiency in structural engineering software including ETABS, SAFE, SAP2000, AutoCAD, and Microsoft Office tools.
• Excellent command of English is essential; Arabic language skills are preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret technical data, review complex engineering submissions, produce defensible recommendations, and communicate effectively with various stakeholders.