Director, Forensic Geotechnical Consulting

HKA; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Performance-based bonuses

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

HKA is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineer to support forensic investigations, develop technical opinions, prepare expert reports, and assist with complex claims, arbitration, and litigation matters across North America and internationally.

You will work with nationally recognized experts to investigate geotechnical issues such as foundations, slope stability, groundwater, and earthwork, while contributing to the firm’s leadership in dispute resolution and expert services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil or Geotechnical Engineering; PE license.
• 1+ years testifying as an expert witness in litigation/arbitration.
• 1+ years experience preparing expert reports and supporting disputes.
• 6+ years geotechnical engineering experience, preferably in consulting.

Responsibilities

• Conduct forensic investigations involving geotechnical and construction issues.
• Analyze project documents, geotechnical reports, plans, specs, and data.
• Assist in determining causes of failures, disputes, and delays.
• Perform geotechnical analyses on foundations, slope stability, groundwater, and earthwork.
• Support field investigations, site inspections, and testing programs.
• Develop technical findings and assist in forming expert opinions.
• Prepare forensic engineering reports and memoranda.
• Support attorneys, owners, contractors, and other clients in claims and litigation.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

Litigation support

Expert witness

Technical report writing

Foundations & earthwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or Geotechnical Engineering

Job description

HKA is a global leader in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, and expert witness services. We tackle complex challenges with our multi-disciplinary expertise.

As trusted consultants and advisors, we deliver solutions in uncertain and disputed situations, ensuring the best outcomes for clients worldwide. Our experts have testified globally on major cases spanning across a wide range of industries and sectors.

As Part Of The HKA Team You Can Expect

• Exposure to complex, high-value disputes involving transportation, infrastructure, energy, tunneling, dams, airports, and other major construction projects.
• Mentorship from nationally recognized geotechnical and forensic engineering experts with experience serving as technical and testifying experts in litigation and arbitration matters.
• The opportunity to develop expertise in forensic engineering, expert witness consulting, and dispute resolution while working on some of the industry's most challenging technical investigations.

The Opportunity

HKA is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineer to support forensic investigations, develop technical opinions, prepare expert reports, and assist with complex claims, arbitration, and litigation matters. This role offers the opportunity to work on high-profile disputes involving major transportation, infrastructure, energy, water, underground construction, and heavy civil projects throughout North America and internationally.

Working alongside nationally recognized experts, you will investigate complex geotechnical and construction issues involving differing site conditions, foundations, earthwork, slope stability, groundwater, retaining structures, and standard of care matters while building expertise in forensic engineering and dispute resolution.

Responsibilities

• Conduct forensic investigations involving geotechnical, geologic, civil, and construction-related issues.
• Analyze project documents, geotechnical reports, plans, specifications, construction records, schedules, and testing data.
• Assist in determining the cause of failures, defects, cost overruns, delays, differing site conditions, and construction disputes.
• Perform geotechnical engineering analyses involving foundations, settlement, slope stability, retaining structures, seepage, shoring, and underground works.
• Support field investigations, site inspections, testing programs, and root cause evaluations.
• Develop technical findings and assist in forming expert opinions.
• Prepare forensic engineering reports and technical memoranda.
• Support attorneys, insurers, owners, contractors, and other clients involved in claims, arbitration, mediation, and litigation.
• Review engineering standard of care, construction practices, and compliance with applicable codes and industry standards.
• Communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Skills & Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• 1+ years experience serving as a testifying expert witness in litigation, arbitration, mediation, or other dispute resolution proceedings.
• 1+ years experience preparing expert reports, supporting attorneys, and working within litigation, claims, or dispute resolution environments.
• 6+ years of geotechnical engineering experience, preferably in a consulting function.
• Experience performing geotechnical investigations, engineering analyses, and technical report preparation.
• Strong understanding of foundations, earthwork, slope stability, retaining structures, groundwater, and related geotechnical issues.
• Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• Master's degree or above in Geotechnical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience evaluating differing site conditions, construction defects, geotechnical failures, or professional standard of care matters.
• Experience with transportation, infrastructure, heavy civil, utility, energy, tunneling, airport, dam, or water projects.
• Familiarity with Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, CM/GC, and other alternative delivery methods.
• Existing client relationships, book of business, or recent experience in a revenue-generating consulting or expert services role.

What We Offer

Salary range of $200,000 - $240,000 depending upon transferable skills, qualifications and overall fit. We also offer our full benefits package which includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, paid time off and holidays, performance-based bonuses, professional development opportunities, and more.

At HKA we recognize that our people are critical to our ongoing success. Our priority is to provide an inclusive and collaborative culture aimed at providing the best opportunities for our people to thrive and develop in their chosen career path.

Our Global Recruitment team is committed to providing an authentic candidate experience for all those who take the time to apply to HKA. We are committed to providing an efficient and insightful recruitment process giving candidates a true reflection of life at HKA.

Fairness And Equality At HKA

HKA works hard to provide a welcoming environment for all of our employees. We are committed as a business on the continued improvement of our fairness and equality strategy. Please visit our website for further information or feel free to ask our recruitment team for further information.

All HKA employment decisions shall be made in accordance with controlling laws and based on merit.