Building Envelope Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Department: Existing Building

Lerch Bates is seeking a Senior Building Envelope Restoration Consultant to lead complex building envelope restoration, repair, and existing building consulting projects. This role serves as a senior technical authority responsible for evaluating building enclosure systems, identifying performance deficiencies, developing restoration and repair strategies, and overseeing projects from initial investigation through construction completion.

As a Senior Building Envelope Restoration Consultant, you will serve as a trusted advisor to building owners, architects, contractors, property managers, and project teams while leading multidisciplinary project teams, mentoring consultants, and managing the successful delivery of complex restoration projects. You will apply advanced building science expertise to solve challenging problems involving roofing systems, waterproofing, façades, glazing, windows, curtain walls, sealants, parking structures, concrete repair, and other building enclosure assemblies.

This role is ideal for an experienced building envelope professional who enjoys combining technical expertise, project leadership, client development, and team mentorship while remaining actively involved in field investigations, design development, and construction support.

Please Note: The internal title for this position is Senior Consultant within our Existing Building department

Become an Employee-Owner

One of the biggest advantages of working at Lerch Bates is that we are 100% employee-owned through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Unlike many companies that offer only a salary and retirement plan, eligible employees receive company-funded ESOP shares at no cost to them as part of their long-term retirement benefits.

As Lerch Bates grows, employee-owners share in the company's success. For many employees, the ESOP becomes one of the most valuable financial benefits of their career by helping build meaningful long-term wealth in addition to their salary and traditional 401(k).

When you join Lerch Bates, you are not just building better buildings. You also have the opportunity to build your financial future alongside the company's success.

About Lerch Bates:

Lerch Bates (LB) is a global technical consulting firm focused on improving how buildings perform for owners, designers, and the people who use them every day. For more than 75 years we’ve partnered on some of the world’s most complex and high-profile projects. Today we provide Total Building Performance expertise that integrates Building Science and Building Flow into a unified delivery model.

Our work spans design, construction, investigation, repair, rehabilitation, management, and modernization with one consistent goal: helping clients make confident, well-informed decisions in an increasingly complex built environment.

We are 100% employee-owned through our ESOP. That means when the company succeeds, our employee-owners share in that success. It's more than a retirement benefit—it's an ownership mindset backed by the opportunity to build long-term financial value while helping shape the future of the company. 

What You’ll Do:

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed in this position. They are not intended to prescribe or restrict the assignments that management may make.

Building Envelope Assessments & Investigations

• Evaluate existing buildings to identify deterioration, water intrusion, building enclosure failures, material deficiencies, and restoration needs.
• Perform condition assessments, forensic investigations, leak investigations, and rehabilitation evaluations of building envelope systems.
• Prepare detailed technical reports documenting findings, repair recommendations, probable repair costs, and long-term maintenance strategies.
• Conduct code reviews, permit reviews, constructability evaluations, and technical peer reviews of reports prepared by project team members.

Restoration Design & Technical Consulting

• Develop restoration and repair strategies for existing building envelope systems, including roofing, waterproofing, façades, glazing systems, sealants, concrete repair, and related assemblies.
• Prepare and oversee construction drawings, repair details, technical specifications, bid documents, and rehabilitation packages.
• Review drawings, specifications, shop drawings, and submittals to ensure compliance with project objectives, applicable codes, and building science best practices.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, and specialty consultants throughout project delivery.
• Clearly communicate technical findings and recommendations through reports, presentations, sketches, and client meetings.

Project Leadership & Construction Administration

• Lead restoration and rehabilitation projects from investigation through construction completion.
• Manage project scope, schedules, budgets, quality, staffing, and client expectations.
• Perform site visits, construction observations, and quality assurance reviews during restoration activities.
• Provide technical oversight during construction to ensure repairs are installed in accordance with design intent and project requirements.
• Monitor project performance and proactively address schedule, budget, quality, and technical challenges.

Client Development & Business Growth

• Serve as a trusted advisor to building owners, property managers, architects, attorneys, contractors, developers, and other project stakeholders.
• Build and maintain long-term client relationships through exceptional service and technical expertise.
• Assist with proposals, scopes of work, fee development, and project planning.
• Identify opportunities to expand services within existing client relationships.
• Participate in business development activities, industry organizations, presentations, and market development initiatives.

Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor, coach, and develop consultants and technical staff.
• Provide technical review and guidance to project teams.
• Foster collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous learning across the organization.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and succession planning initiatives.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering (or related discipline)
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Structural Engineer (SE) license preferred
• 8+ years of experience in structural engineering, with a focus on forensics, rehabilitation, or existing buildings
• Proven experience acting as Engineer of Record on structural repair or retrofit projects
• Strong expertise in structural systems behavior, building failures, and rehabilitation design
• Experience with structural condition assessments, investigations, and repair documentation
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including report preparation and client presentations
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage complex engineering projects
• Strong knowledge of building codes and structural rehabilitation practices
• Experience with project budgeting, scope development, and client management preferred
• Proficiency in structural analysis/design software (e.g., RISA, ADAPT, or similar) preferred
• Master’s degree or specialized certifications in structural/forensic engineering preferred

Why Work with Lerch Bates?

• Competitive compensation
• 100% Employee-Owned ESOP (company-funded retirement benefit that allows eligible employees to share in the company's long-term success)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off (starting at 17 days annually)
• 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement
• Performance-based incentives and bonuses
• Employee assistance and wellness programs

Core Values

Ownership • Community • Integrity • Respect • Optimism

Working Environment:

This position is performed in a combination of office, remote, client, and field environments. Regular travel to project sites is required and may include commercial buildings, occupied facilities, active construction sites, industrial locations, rooftops, and other environments where building evaluations, testing, or construction observations are performed. Work may occur indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Physical Demands:

This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, climb stairs and ladders, and navigate active construction sites and existing buildings. Employees may be required to access rooftops, traverse uneven terrain, work at elevated heights, and enter confined or restricted spaces as project conditions require. Frequent use of computers, keyboards, measuring equipment, and handheld devices is required.

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of equipment and materials weighing up to 40 pounds may be required. Employees must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, gloves, safety footwear, hearing protection, and fall protection when applicable.

Travel by automobile and occasional air travel may be required.

Mental Demands:

This position requires strong analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills. Employees must be able to interpret construction documents, building codes, technical specifications, engineering data, and field observations while exercising sound professional judgment.

The role requires managing multiple projects, balancing competing priorities, meeting deadlines, and adapting to changing project conditions. Effective written and verbal communication, technical report writing, client presentations, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and attention to detail are essential.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check and drug test. The drug test includes screening for marijuana, regardless of state or local laws permitting its use. A conditional offer of employment will be rescinded if a candidate fails either the background check or the drug test. This requirement is mandated by federal regulations applicable to our government contracting obligations.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.