Forensic Civil Engineer

HKA; United States; On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Tuition assistance

Disability insurance

Job summary

A leading consultancy in risk mitigation is seeking a highly experienced Forensic Civil Engineer to join their team. This role focuses on leading investigations into civil infrastructure failures and providing expert testimony for legal proceedings. Candidates should possess a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, a PE license, and 5+ years of relevant experience. Strong analytical and communication skills are essential for success in this collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of civil engineering experience in forensic investigations.
• Experience in expert witness testimony and report writing.
• Ability to travel for site investigations and client engagements.

Responsibilities

• Lead forensic investigations into civil infrastructure failures.
• Prepare expert reports for litigation and insurance claims.
• Provide expert witness testimony in legal proceedings.

Skills

Expert report writing

Failure analysis

Root-cause diagnostics

Analytical skills

Collaborative teamwork

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Job description

People, Talent and Culture Professional specializing in Technical and Service Organizations.

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

• A strong collaborative culture with a mutual pursuit of your success alongside the success of our teams.
• The opportunity to solve problems creatively, contribute to our innovative direction, and be valued as an individual.
• The ability to leverage HKA’s strong network and presence in various industries and reputation for exceptional expert witnesses to accelerate career development and connections.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly experienced Forensic Civil Engineer to join HKA’s Forensic Engineering team, leading investigations into failures, defects, and disputes involving civil infrastructure. This role requires consulting experience and the ability to provide objective, evidence-based opinions for litigation, insurance claims, and risk mitigation. You will analyze complex issues across site work, drainage, pavement, highways, bridges, wastewater systems, utilities, and water treatment facilities, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver clear, defensible expert evidence.

Responsibilities

Forensic & Litigation Consulting

• Lead forensic investigations into failures and performance issues affecting civil infrastructure, including highways, bridges, tunnels, drainage, utilities, and water/wastewater systems.
• Conduct site inspections, evidence collection, and root cause analysis using established forensic methodologies and industry standards.
• Prepare clear, defensible expert reports for litigation, arbitration, and insurance claims.
• Provide expert witness testimony in depositions, mediations, and trials, including concurrent evidence where required.
• Collaborate with attorneys, insurers, owners, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams (including quantum, delay, and forensic accounting experts) to resolve disputes and deliver integrated opinions.
• Advise clients on risk mitigation, remediation strategies, and dispute resolution options.
• Support business development by nurturing client relationships and contributing to thought leadership and industry engagement.

Civil Engineering Expertise

• Apply deep technical knowledge in site development, drainage and stormwater management, pavement engineering, highways, bridges, utilities, pump stations, and water/wastewater treatment processes.
• Review design documents, construction practices, change histories, and maintenance records for compliance, standard of care, and performance deficiencies.
• Diagnose causation and recommend improvements to design and construction practices to prevent future failures.
• Perform or direct field testing, diagnostics, and condition assessments following incidents or catastrophic events.
• Advise on remediation, repair strategies, and settlement considerations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required; NCEES record preferred for multi-state practice.
• 5+ years of civil engineering experience, including consulting in forensic investigations and litigation support.
• Demonstrated experience in expert report writing and providing testimony as an expert witness.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in failure analysis, material testing, and root-cause diagnostics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical reporting and courtroom testimony.
• Ability to work collaboratively within integrated, multidisciplinary teams and engage directly with clients.
• Ability to travel periodically for site investigations, client engagements, and proceedings.
• Physical capability to conduct site visits, including walking, standing, using ladders, and light lifting (up to 25 lbs).

Preferred But Not Required

• Multi-state PE registration.
• Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) or transportation/traffic expertise.
• Experience with municipal/public agency reviews, land development, and infrastructure projects.
• Exposure to stormwater/NPDES permitting and water/wastewater planning and design.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid maternity leave
• Paid paternity leave
• Tuition assistance
• Disability insurance

What We Offer

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 careers page 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.

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at HKA by 2x.

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Engineering and Consulting