Civil/Structural Engineer (Buildings)

Opportunity Overview

Handshake is looking for experienced civil and structural engineers with plan review experience to support AI research through flexible, part-time contract work. This is not a traditional job. You’ll work from real building project materials, including drawings, specifications, and permit records, to build expert-level review tasks that test how well AI models handle professional plan review and drawing-set coordination workflows. The Handshake AI program runs year-round, with project opportunities opening periodically across different areas of expertise.

This is an ongoing, project-based opportunity you can take on alongside your current role.

What You’ll Do

• Work from real building project drawings, specifications, and permit records to create expert review tasks, each focused on one professional workflow, such as plan review, code compliance, drawing-set quality control, or cross-checking structural and civil sheets against architectural and MEP sheets
• Write the prompt for each task and review AI model attempts to confirm where they fall short
• Define the critical components of a correct answer, so each task can be evaluated accurately
• Provide clear, structured written feedback to help improve AI model performance
• Work remotely and complete tasks at your own pace, with no set schedule or minimum hour requirement

Qualifications

• Degree: Completed Bachelor’s degree or higher in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a closely related field (Master’s degree preferred)
• Professional experience: At least 5 years of professional engineering experience in the United States on building projects, including hands-on plan review experience, such as reviewing construction documents for code compliance in a jurisdiction, as an engineer of record responding to plan review comments, or as a third-party reviewer
• US code expertise: Working knowledge of US building codes and engineering standards, applied in real projects
• Construction documents: Able to read full construction document sets, including architectural, structural, civil, and MEP sheets, and cross-check them against each other

Additional qualifications (not required, but strengthen your application)

• Professional engineer (PE) or structural engineer (SE) licensure
• Experience with a range of project types, such as commercial, institutional, multifamily, healthcare, or mixed-use, or with jurisdictions in multiple states
• Experience in permitting and approvals, special inspections, or drawing-set quality control

Required for all applicants

• Must be based in the United States and have US work authorization
• Experience limited to US codes and US practice
• Strong written communication and attention to detail
• Ability to explain complex engineering and code concepts clearly
• Ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment