Civil/Geotechnical Ground Improvement Engineer

Delve Underground; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 89,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Life and Disability

401(k) and ESOP

Work from home flexibility

Paid holidays and generous PTO

Job summary

Delve Underground seeks an experienced Civil/Geotechnical Engineer with a background in ground improvement and support of excavation for heavy civil tunnel projects. The ideal candidate blends field experience with sound engineering judgment and understands design-to-construction implications.

The role supports planning through construction, coordinating with design, contractors, owners, and estimators to develop practical, cost-effective solutions for challenging subsurface conditions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil, Geotechnical, or related field.
• PE license preferred or ability to obtain licensure.
• 5+ years field experience on heavy civil tunnel projects; 10+ preferred.
• Experience with ground improvement, excavation support, and deep foundation construction.
• Strong ability to evaluate designs from a constructability perspective.
• Experience with construction cost estimating and contractor pricing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support for ground improvement and excavation support.
• Evaluate ground improvement and support systems based on site conditions, schedule, and cost.
• Perform constructability input and reviews of plans and specs.
• Develop project specs for ground improvement, grouting, and support systems.
• Identify construction challenges and interface risks during design.
• Bridge engineering design with field execution experience.
• Assist with cost estimates, quantities, and construction assumptions.
• Coordinate with teams to resolve issues.
• Provide field observations and troubleshooting during construction.
• Communicate technical issues to managers and clients.
• Assist with smaller projects within larger scopes.

Skills

Field experience

Ground improvement

Constructability

Cost estimating

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree (Civil/Geotechnical/Construction)

PE license preferred

Tools

Jet grouting

Permeation grouting

Chemical grouting

Compensation grouting

Shoring

Job description

About Delve Underground

Delve Underground is a leader in underground and heavy civil engineering serving the transportation, water, wastewater, and energy industries. Specializing in tunnel design, we provide practical solutions to the most challenging underground problems. We offer comprehensive design, construction management, and construction claims services, with expertise extending across a wide range of engineering disciplines, including civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering. Our primary focus is to make a significant impact on the advancement of infrastructure projects, which in turn shape and enhance the communities we serve. Founded in 1954, as Jacobs Associates, Delve Underground is an employee-owned firm with 25 offices and 350 team members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

We want our employees to make a career doing what they love to do. We encourage an entrepreneurial spirit and help our team members forge their own path within the company. We support their efforts to stay on the cutting edge of technology while fostering a great work-life balance. In addition to working hard, we also have fun. We socialize and celebrate achievements at summer picnics, holiday parties, and company outings.

Benefits:

Full Benefits Program consisting of Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability, FSA or HSA, EAP, 401(k), ESOP, and company stock ownership program, 9 Paid Holidays, generous paid-time-off program, Work from home flexibility, and Health & Wellness Reimbursement

Pay Rate:

$89,468 - $162,223

Civil/Geotechnical Ground Improvement Engineer

We are seeking an experienced Civil or Geotechnical Engineer with a background in ground improvement, support of excavation systems, and constructability for heavy civil projects. The ideal candidate combines practical field experience with engineering judgment and understands how design decisions translate into construction means, methods, cost, schedule, and risk.

This position will support projects from planning and design through procurement and construction, providing technical input on foundation systems, ground improvement, construction sequencing, cost estimating, and constructability. Projects include design-build-bid and alternative delivery including design-build, CMGC and progressive design-built. The role requires someone who can work effectively with designers, contractors, owners, estimators, and construction management teams to develop practical and cost-effective solutions for challenging site and subsurface conditions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support for projects involving ground improvement, support of excavation, and other geotechnical construction techniques.
• Evaluate and support the selection of ground improvement and support of excavation systems based on site conditions, constructability, schedule, cost, and project risk.
• Perform constructability input and reviews of plans, specifications, design packages, and proposed construction approaches.
• Develop project specifications related to ground improvement, grouting, and support of excavation systems
• Identify potential construction challenges, sequencing constraints, access limitations, temporary works requirements, and interface risks during design.
• Use construction experience to help bridge the gap between engineering design and field execution.
• Support preparation and review of cost estimates, including quantities, labor, equipment, materials, subcontractor scopes, and construction assumptions.
• Support project planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk management, and coordination activities.
• Coordinate with geotechnical, structural, civil, and construction teams to resolve technical and constructability issues.
• Review technical submittals, RFIs, shop drawings, work plans, and contractor-proposed construction methods.
• Provide engineering support during construction, including field observations, troubleshooting, and development of solutions for unforeseen conditions.
• Communicate technical issues and recommendations clearly to project managers, clients, contractors, and multidisciplinary design teams.
• Assist with management of smaller projects or defined scopes of larger, complex infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred, or ability to obtain licensure where appropriate.
• Relevant experience in civil, geotechnical, heavy civil, or infrastructure construction.
• Practical experience with ground improvement, support of excavation, and deep foundation construction.
• Strong understanding of construction means and methods and the ability to evaluate designs from a constructability perspective.
• Experience working in the field or directly supporting construction operations.
• Experience with construction cost estimating, quantity takeoffs, or development/review of contractor pricing.
• Experience with at least some aspects of project management, including cost, schedule, scope, coordination, and risk management.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, geotechnical reports, construction schedules, and cost estimates.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to develop practical solutions to complex field and design issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work across design and construction teams.
• Minimum 5 years' direct field experience on one or more heavy civil tunnel projects; 10+ years' experience in heavy civil projects preferred.
• Past experience with a heavy civil contractor with an underground portfolio is highly desirable.

Preferred Experience

• Jet grouting
• Permeation grouting
• Chemical grouting
• Compensation grouting
• Support of excavation and shoring
• Heavy civil and infrastructure construction
• Construction cost estimating

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?

Delve Underground is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and will make all employment related decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Compensation reflects the cost of labor across our geographic markets. Pay is based on several factors including market location, experience, knowledge, and skills.

No recruiters, please.

The pay range for this role is:

89,468 - 162,223 USD per year (United States)