Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Arcadis; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Principal Geotechnical Engineer to lead major geotechnical projects across the UK and internationally, acting as a technical authority and guiding multidisciplinary teams.

You will drive design excellence, mentor colleagues, manage client relationships, and contribute to bid development while upholding Arcadis values and delivering sustainable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Civil Engineering with geotechnical focus.
• Chartered or working towards Chartered status.
• Significant experience leading geotechnical projects, preferably in consultancy.
• Strong leadership, communication and client engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership on complex geotechnical projects.
• Mentor project teams and promote collaborative working.
• Deliver robust technical solutions meeting standards and client needs.
• Develop client relationships and support business development.
• Promote safety, sustainability and continuous improvement.

Skills

Geotechnical design

Ground investigation

Leadership

Client engagement

Project management

Education

MEng/MSc in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical)

Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Geologist

Tools

VDISP/PDISP

WALLAP

REPUTE

Slope/W

Job description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role Description

As a Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Arcadis, you will lead the delivery of major geotechnical projects across the UK and internationally. You will act as a trusted technical authority, guiding multidisciplinary teams and shaping innovative solutions for clients in sectors such as transport, water, energy and infrastructure. This is a unique opportunity to influence high-profile projects, drive technical excellence, and support the professional growth of your colleagues.

Role Accountabilities

• Provide technical leadership and oversight on complex geotechnical design and ground engineering projects.
• Manage and mentor project teams, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Deliver robust technical solutions, ensuring compliance with industry standards and client requirements.
• Develop strong client relationships, acting as a key point of contact and trusted advisor.
• Support business development through bid preparation, technical presentations, and thought leadership.
• Promote safety, sustainability, and continuous improvement across all project activities.
• Collaborate with global teams to share best practices and deliver value-led outcomes.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree-qualified (MEng/MSc or equivalent) in Civil Engineering (geotechnical focus), Geotechnical Engineering, or Engineering Geology.
• Chartered Engineer or Geologist status (or working towards it).
• Significant experience delivering and leading geotechnical projects, ideally within a consultancy environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of geotechnical design, ground investigation, and relevant software (e.g., VDISP/PDISP, WALLAP, REPUTE, Slope/W).
• Excellent leadership, communication, and client engagement skills.
• Proven ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and deliver projects on time and to budget.
• Commitment to professional development, innovation, and upholding Arcadis’ values.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together. You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you. Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.