Senior Associate, Engineering Sciences ; Chicago Unit

Chart Your Journey at Secretariat

From a collaborative culture to teammates who will always be by your side, find a career that will grow with you. Deliver your impact at Secretariat.

ABOUT THE FIRM

Secretariat professionals are trusted in the highest‑stakes legal, risk, and regulatory matters around the world.

When you join Secretariat, you become part of a rapidly growing elite team of bright minds and passionate problem‑solvers. Your skills and expertise will be utilized on day one – working with the world’s most renowned law firms, leading corporations, and influential institutions to answer complex questions that shape critical financial, economic, and strategic business decisions.

Our globally integrated teams are united by the ambition, energy, and commitment they bring to every challenge. We inspire and empower an open, collaborative culture that embraces ongoing professional development, recognition, diversity, and – most importantly – you.

Make your impact at Secretariat.

ABOUT OUR ENGINEERING SCIENCES TEAM

As part of our expanding Global Engineering and Scientific consulting team, you will work at the forefront of today’s most complex engineering challenges. You will be engaged in analyzing failures of a myriad of products from a variety of industries, but with a heavy focus on large industrial facilities like power plants, oil & gas facilities, chemical processing plants, construction, and similar.

Outside of that work, you will be engaged in automotive, consumer products, consumer electronics and medical devices.

Secretariat leverages our diverse technical expertise, and industry knowledge of a variety of structures and products to provide clients with world‑class value to identify solutions that drive performance and safety.

Secretariat is a diversified international expert services firm with more than 500 professionals in 20+ cities around the globe. Furthermore, Secretariat was recently ranked as the #1 firm in Global Arbitration Review’s prestigious GAR 100 Expert Witness Firms’ Power Index, and more than 90% of Secretariat’s leading experts are recognized as leading experts in their field by the independent Lexology rankings.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct hands‑on failure analysis investigations.
• Perform laboratory tests.
• Assist with field inspections.
• Assist with client communications in all time zones.
• Perform technical analysis and draft report sections.
• Analyze technical reports offered by others and develop rebuttal points.
• Develop positive relationships with colleagues, peers, and clients.
• Demonstrate excellent analytical skills with acute attention to detail to successfully achieve project milestones.
• Manage workload to achieve simultaneous project milestones while maintaining project schedules and budgets.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a similar designation; advanced degree preferred.
• 2+ years of prior experience in forensic/root cause analysis.
• Pursuing PE credentials is a plus.
• Strong expert report writing skills to complement analytics.
• Able to quickly assimilate relevant information in unfamiliar situations and develop creative approaches and solutions necessary to resolve complex problems.
• Ability to manage and prioritize your time and your team’s time, potentially against a backdrop of competing deadlines.
• Ability to manage external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently while knowing which issues and risks need to be highlighted to senior staff, ideally accompanied by suggested viable solutions.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑resolution abilities.
• Excellent listening, verbal, written, technical, and presentation skills.
• The desire to join in with, and/or lead, auxiliary tasks associated with a growing practice within a rapidly growing firm.
• Highly proficient with Microsoft Office products, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Working proficiency in a second non‑English language is a plus.

As set forth in Secretariat’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.