Service Director, Geotechnical Engineering

Job Boardly; Guelph; Hybrid; CAD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Onterris in Canada seeks a Service Director, Geotechnical Engineering to lead operations, revenue growth and project delivery. You will report to the Service Line VP and drive financial performance, safety, and high-quality service across Canada, with hybrid work in Oakville or Guelph, ON. This role requires 15+ years of geotechnical experience, a P.Eng designation, and hands-on leadership of multidisciplinary teams. Travel up to 20%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Geotechnical Engineering required; P.Eng designation required.
• Minimum 15 years of geotechnical engineering experience.
• Experience with shallow and deep foundations and ground improvement systems.
• Proficiency with geotechnical software such as GeoStudio, LPile, PLAXIS, Settle3D, Rocscience.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for geotechnical services.
• Drive financial performance, safety, and service delivery across Canada.
• Lead and develop Service Leads and cross-functional teams.
• Oversee workforce planning, hiring, and performance management.
• Align operations with business objectives and governance requirements.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

Project management

Leadership

Soil mechanics

Finite element modeling

Technical reporting

Client relationship management

Travel up to 20%

Education

Bachelor's degree in Geotechnical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

P.Eng designation

Tools

GeoStudio

LPile

PLAXIS

Settle3D

Rocscience

Job description

About Us

At Onterris, we build careers grounded in purpose,responsibilityand real-world impact.

“For Planet and Progress” is our north star that guides everything we do. We believe environmental responsibility and human progress are interconnected,interwovenand international. Our scientists, engineers, field teams,consultantsand professionals collaborate across disciplines and geographies, guiding industries and governments, ensuring that communities and environments thrive.

When you join us,you’renot just forging acareer,you’rejoining a movement. A movement for better thinking, smartersolutionsand lasting impact.

Together, we will advance our way of life and protect the integrity of our environment every step of the way.

A Day in the Life

As the Service Director, Geotechnical Engineering, you will report to the Service Line VP. You will provide strategic and operational leadership. This role is accountable for driving financial performance, operational excellence, and safe, high-quality service delivery. As a member of the Canadian leadership team, the Service Director leads growth, develops talent, and advances business priorities through cross-functional collaboration.

This position is hybrid and requires a minimum of 3 days a week in either our Oakville, ON or Guelph, ON office. The compensation range for this role is $160,000 to $210,000, commensurate with experience, skills, and geographic location.

To thrive in this role, you’ll be comfortable taking ownership of the following responsibilities:

Operations & People Leadership

• Deliver RBU performance targets (revenue, profitability, utilization, margins, DSO, pipeline, and cost management)

• Contribute to business planning, budgeting, and resource forecasting

• Lead and develop Service Leads to drive performance and align with strategic goals

• Oversee workforce planning, hiring, performance management, and succession planning

• Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture and address performance issues proactively

• Ensure compliance with company policies, systems, and governance requirements

• Collaborate with functional leaders (HR, Finance, H&S, Legal, Marketing, etc.) to align operations with business objectives

Revenue & Growth

• Support and drive revenue growth initiatives across the RBU

• Partner with Revenue & Growth teams on account strategy, business development, and key hires

• Promote cross-service collaboration to strengthen market position and client delivery

• Contribute to achieving annual revenue and growth targets

Technical Excellence & Project Delivery

• Ensure effective assignment of Project Managers, Project Directors, and technical experts

• Promote quality, technical excellence, and adherence to project management standards

• Oversee project performance through reviews and lifecycle controls to ensure quality and profitability

• Align technical capabilities with client needs to enhance value delivery

• Act as Project Director, SME, or proposal lead where appropriate

Safety

• Champion and model a strong safety culture

• Partner with H&S to ensure compliance with company safety standards and employee engagement

Your Expertise and Skills

These requirements reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities that help you do your best work here.

• Bachelor's degree in Geotechnical Engineering required; master's degree preferred. Must hold a P.Eng. designation.

• Minimum 15 years of progressive geotechnical engineering experience following graduation, including geotechnical investigations, foundation engineering, earthworks, and advanced geotechnical analysis and design

• Demonstrated expertise in the design and assessment of shallow foundations, deep foundations, drilled shafts, driven piles, micropiles, retaining structures, and ground improvement systems

• Extensive experience planning, directing, and interpreting geotechnical field investigations, laboratory testing programs, instrumentation and monitoring, and subsurface characterization

• Strong technical knowledge of soil mechanics, rock mechanics, settlement analysis, slope stability, earth retaining structures, seepage analysis, and finite element modeling

• Experience leading foundation engineering services for major infrastructure, transportation, industrial, commercial, institutional, and land development projects

• Proficiency with geotechnical engineering software and analytical tools such as GeoStudio, LPile, Group, Settle3D, PLAXIS, Rocscience, or equivalent platforms

• Strong project management skills, including scope development, budgeting, resource planning, contract administration, schedule management, and financial performance monitoring

• Experience preparing and reviewing technical proposals, statements of qualifications, technical reports, specifications, and construction documents

• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and mentoring engineers, project managers, and technical specialists, fostering a culture of technical excellence, knowledge sharing, and professional development

• Successful track record in business development, client relationship management, and securing repeat and new work opportunities

• Ability to travel up to 20%

• A valid Class 5 or G driver’s license with no restrictions

Onterris provides support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities; including accommodation that considers an applicant’s accessibility needs. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to work with Human Resources directly.

This posting reflects a current vacancy that the company is actively seeking to fill.

Please note, we are not accepting third party agency applicants at this time.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We acknowledge that these experiences and perspectives help to enrich our teams and contribute to our ongoing success. We are committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in our employment for all applicants. For US residents, click here to learn more.

Onterris is a leading global environmental solutions company partnering with organizations to solve complex challenges where environmental pressures, regulatory expectations and operational risks intersect. Guided by our mission to advance the way of life without compromising the integrity of our environment, we believe environmental responsibility and human progress are fundamentally connected. Our scientists, engineers, field teams and consultants apply systems thinking that unites science, data and practical expertise to deliver solutions that strengthen our clients’ resilience, mitigate risk and protect the air, water and soil that sustain communities, while uncovering responsible paths forward for planet and progress. For more information, visit www.onterris.com.