Senior Material Expert – Panama

About the role

Jacobs is seeking a Senior Material Expert to lead technical activities for dam and heavy‑civil construction in Panama. The role provides technical leadership for materials engineering, testing, quality assurance and contractor compliance, ensuring all practices meet contract requirements and industry standards.

Key responsibilities

• Provide senior oversight of materials engineering, testing, inspection and QA for dam and heavy‑civil projects.
• Review and evaluate contractor material management, testing, QC and QA plans.
• Verify compliance of materials and construction processes with specifications, codes and standards.
• Assess concrete mix designs, trial batches, laboratory and field test results.
• Coordinate with independent labs, conduct site inspections, material and laboratory audits.
• Prepare technical memoranda, inspection reports and audit documentation.
• Mentor materials engineers, inspectors and laboratory personnel and promote a culture of quality.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials, Civil, Geotechnical or related engineering.
• 15+ years progressive experience in construction materials engineering, testing and QA, including major dam or heavy‑civil projects valued at $100 million+.
• Proven experience reviewing and implementing material management, inspection and test plans.
• Ability to work in Panama and travel to remote sites; authorization to work in Panama.

Required skills

• Concrete, aggregates, soils, rock, grout, shotcrete, asphalt and geosynthetics.
• Concrete mix design evaluation and trial batch testing.
• Knowledge of ASTM, AASHTO, ACI, BS, EN and ISO material standards.
• Laboratory auditing, equipment calibration and test result validation.
• Technical writing and preparation of quality documentation.