Senior Associate Engineering Geologist / Geotechnical Engineer

Mott MacDonald Group; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions match 4.5% - 7%

Life assurance up to 4x salary

Income protection

Flexible benefits

Annual bonus schemes

Employee ownership

Job summary

Mott MacDonald in Cambridge, UK, is seeking a Senior Associate Engineer to lead geotechnical and engineering geology initiatives across the UK and overseas. You will shape ground engineering strategies, manage bids, and deliver technically demanding projects for water-related infrastructure.

The role requires Chartered status, extensive geotechnical experience, and strong leadership, communication, and client-management skills, with mentoring and safety as top priorities.

Qualifications

• Substantial professional experience of geotechnical engineering / engineering geology.
• Chartered with a relevant professional institution.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Excellent client relationship management.
• Able to check and review work of others to provide quality assurance and drive continuous improvement in work delivered to the client.

Responsibilities

• Collaborating with account leaders to capitalise on opportunities within key client organisations.
• Building senior level global networks with clients, universities and partners.
• Leading projects and bids, providing expert guidance to support project delivery.
• Preparing thought leadership articles and presenting papers at industry conferences.
• Driving knowledge-sharing and innovation through training and empowering others.
• Mentoring and developing others, providing guidance to support their professional development.
• Promoting a vibrant health and safety culture and practice.
• Driving continuous improvement in project delivery.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

Engineering geology

Stakeholder management

Mentoring

Education

Chartered engineer

Job description

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Senior Associate Engineering Geologist / Geotechnical Engineer

Location(s): Cambridge, GB

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Water

Discipline: Geotechnical and tunnelling

Job Ref: 17107

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the division

The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.

Overview of the role

We are seeking a driven Senior Associate Engineer who wants to make a leading contribution to our geotechnics team. As a project Senior Associate, you will be responsible for setting the direction of our ground engineering initiatives in the UK and overseas covering smart and sustainable solutions to geotechnical risk management and ground engineering.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Collaborating closely with Mott MacDonald’s account leaders to capitalise on opportunities within our key client organisations
• Building senior level global networks with clients, universities and partners, representing the company in technical and consortia meetings
• Being established as an identifiable figurehead for the ground engineering community within Mott MacDonald and the wider water sector, harnessing our existing expertise in geotechnical engineering and collaborating with other disciplines across the business
• Leading projects and bids, providing expert guidance to support project delivery
• Preparing thought leadership articles and presenting papers at industry conferences
• Driving knowledge-sharing and innovation through training and empowering others
• Mentoring and developing others, providing guidance to support their professional development
• Promoting a vibrant health and safety culture and practice
• Driving continuous improvement in project delivery

Mott MacDonald offers a highly innovative and collaborative environment within which to further develop your career. We can offer development in technical, management or client-facing directions. You will have control of your own career path and great prospects for career progression as the business continues to grow.

We are looking for a Project Principal or Technical Principal with a proven track record in engineering geology / geotechnical engineering. The ideal candidate would be a highly experienced professional, including:

• Substantial professional experience of geotechnical engineering / engineering geology
• Chartered with a relevant professional institution
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Excellent client relationship management
• Able to check and review work of others to provide quality assurance and drive continuous improvement in work delivered to the client

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at [e-mail] and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.