Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist

Mott MacDonald; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking consultancy as a Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of energy projects. This exciting position offers the chance to lead innovative geotechnical solutions, manage diverse teams, and collaborate with clients across the UK and Europe. You will contribute to significant projects that drive the energy transition while enjoying a supportive environment that values professional development and inclusivity. Be part of a dynamic team that strives for excellence and embraces digital innovation in engineering.

Benefits

Pension matched up to 7%

Life insurance

Annual professional institution subscription

Continuous development opportunities

Agile/flexible working

Enhanced parental leave

Flexible benefits

Wellbeing support

Access to Advanced Employee Networks

Qualifications

• Strong geotechnical experience with a focus on energy projects.
• Chartered Engineer with relevant qualifications and experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead design solutions for geotechnical projects in the energy sector.
• Manage and oversee design work on complex engineering projects.

Skills

Geotechnical Engineering

Project Management

Client Liaison

Design Foundations and Substructures

Technical Oversight

Education

Masters or PhD in Civil Engineering

Masters in related subject

Job description

Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist

Location(s): Glasgow, GB; Brighton, GB

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Energy

Job Ref: 5556

Position location: Brighton or Glasgow
Recruiter contact: Laura Kennedy

We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

About the business unit

The Energy unit delivers services to clients globally across several sectors including hydropower, nuclear, waste, renewable generation and transmission & distribution networks.

Together we provide integrated engineering and project management services across the project lifecycle – from concept and design to construction and operations, to decommissioning or repowering and life extension. Together with our clients, we’re helping to deliver the energy transition globally.

Overview of role

As a Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist in our growing Energy Unit geotechnical team, you will have the opportunity to expand your experience and work with a range of public and private sector clients on some key and major projects across what is a varied and diverse Energy market in the UK, Europe and beyond.

You will lead the production of cost effective and buildable design solutions in line with current Eurocodes, reports specifications and drawings covering a range of project requirements within energy sector geotechnics.

You’ll deliver various geotechnical and ground engineering projects and provide technical leadership through leading the team, managing and overseeing their design work on complex projects. You’ll also support larger projects acting as lead client liaison whether that be internal or external.

You will have the opportunity to shape the future technical direction and delivery of our team and work with a range of public and private sector clients on key and major energy projects.

You will be involved in overseeing our technical training remain at the forefront of technology and managing our professional excellence activities. You’ll support various ground engineering projects as both peer reviewer and some direct management of engineering geology design work.

Your responsibilities will include the following:

• Contributing to setting of long-term strategy for our Energy Unit engineering geology and geotechnics development and driving forward plans
• Ground characterisation oversight
• Design foundations and substructures associated with Energy projects such as, earthworks, slope stability, foundations, retaining walls etc with experience of feasibility study design through to detailed design and construction.
• Design retaining wall systems
• Undertake technical oversight of Ground Investigation (scope, specifications, supervision, GIRs, GBRs etc)
• Undertake technical oversight of engineering geology design for projects such as deep basements, earthworks and slope stability
• Supporting business development activities including inputs to bid and proposals
• Travel to project sites when necessary for project delivery and client liaison meetings
• Managing disciplinary design teams or be discipline lead as part of larger team on major projects.
• You have strong interpersonal skills and are able to liaise with various clients and build professional relationships.
• You are comfortable with your technical expertise in the ground engineering sector and have gained various project management skills throughout your career as well as acted in a technical lead capability.
• You’re an effective communicator and are able to collaborate with all levels of staff and clients.

In addition to this, you are a relationship builder and understand the dynamics of working with a team as well as working autonomously.

Candidate Specification

As a Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist in Energy Unit ground engineering team, you are able to direct and deliver multiple concurrent projects on time and within budget.

You’ve designed various geotechnical and foundation elements using current standards and Eurocodes and have previously worked on large projects. You will have strong interpersonal skills and are able to liaise with various clients and build professional relationships internally and externally.

You are comfortable with your technical expertise in the ground engineering sector and have gained various project management skills throughout your career as well as acted in a technical lead capability.

You’re an effective communicator and are able to collaborate with all levels of staff and clients. In addition to this, you are a relationship builder and understand the dynamics of working with a team as well as working autonomously.

You will also be able to demonstrate the following:

• Masters or PhD degree in Civil Engineering with emphasis on geotechnics/ engineering geology or Masters in related subject
• Relevant geotechnical experience
• Chartered Engineer with the ICE or Geol Soc equivalent
• Experience of managing small teams of engineers
• Prepared to travel nationally and internationally as needed for any project.
• Offshore capability and experience beneficial but not essential.
• Experience in Energy market, and ideally in one or more of the following sectors:
• Transmission and Distribution (T&D) networks
• Energy Generation (Renewables, Hydro, Thermal, Gas, Liquids etc)
• Nuclear (generation, disposal, other civil)/ Nuclear defence
• Experience guiding and nurturing a team of Engineers/engineering geologists in their technical development
• Has mentored early career professionals as a DE or SCE or similar

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.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Happy to talk Flexible Working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

• Pension matched up to 7%
• Life insurance
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Continuous development opportunities – because we want you to thrive
• Agile/flexible working – because life isn’t 9-5
• Enhanced parental leave; shared parental leave policies – for parents and caregivers
• Flexible benefits that suit you, including ability to buy/sell annual leave entitlement, cycle to work & interest free season ticket loans
• Wellbeing support including access to an independent Employer Assistance Scheme, wellbeing champions and access to learning and support resources
• Access to our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability and parents/carers communities

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.