Geotechnical Engineering Lead (Transportation)

Arcadis; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineering Lead to join our Transportation team in Eastern Texas or Louisiana. This role supports a range of transportation infrastructure projects including bridges, embankments, pavements, and foundations.

The successful candidate will bring progressive geotechnical experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to work with multidisciplinary teams. Ideal candidates have 15+ years of geotechnical engineering experience with a PE or PG

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical/Civil/Geological Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive geotechnical engineering experience.
• PE or PG certification required or preferred.
• Experience supporting bridge/transportation/heavy civil projects.
• Knowledge of soil mechanics, foundation engineering, and lab testing.
• Familiarity with DOT/FHWA/AASHTO requirements and codes.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and coordinate geotechnical field investigations and lab testing.
• Review boring logs, data, subsurface conditions, and groundwater effects.
• Perform geotechnical analyses for bridges, embankments, piles, and walls.
• Develop geotechnical recommendations for designs, drawings, and specs.
• Conduct analyses including settlement, bearing capacity, slope stability, liquefaction, and seismic evaluations.
• Collaborate with civil, structural, bridge, and geotechnical teams across design phases.
• Provide construction-phase support: field observations, pile driving, and QA/QC.
• Interface with DOT clients, contractors, and agencies; maintain clear communication.
• Ensure compliance with DOT, AASHTO, FHWA, safety, and quality standards.
• Travel to project sites and meetings as required.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

Bridge foundation design

Soil mechanics

Technical writing

Coordination skills

Education

Bachelor's in Geotechnical Engineering or Civil/Geological Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Geologist (PG)

Tools

gINT

OpenGround

GeoStudio

SEEP/W

SLOPE/W

CWALSHT

PYWall

LPILE

GROUP

SHAFT

PLAXIS

Job description

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.
We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role Description

Arcadis is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineering Lead to join our Transportation team in Eastern Texas or Louisiana. This role will support a variety of transportation infrastructure projects, including bridges, retaining walls, embankments, pavement design, foundations, and related heavy civil and earthen structures.
The ideal candidate will bring progressive geotechnical engineering experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary transportation design teams. Experience with bridge foundation design, retaining wall design, pavement design, slope stability, seepage, foundation analyses, settlement, liquefaction, seismic evaluations, and DOT transportation projects is highly valued.

Role Accountabilities

In this role, you will apply technical expertise to lead and support geotechnical projects related to transportation infrastructure design and construction. Responsibilities include:

• Plan, manage, and coordinate geotechnical field investigations and laboratory testing programs.
• Review boring logs, laboratory data, subsurface conditions, soil mechanics, rock properties, and groundwater impacts.
• Perform geotechnical analyses for bridges, retaining walls, MSE walls, embankments, approach fills, pavements, deep foundations, drilled shafts, driven piles, spread footings, and other transportation structures.
• Develop geotechnical recommendations to support designs, drawings, specifications, reports, design memoranda, bid packages, permitting, and construction documents.
• Perform engineering analyses including settlement, bearing capacity, slope stability, seepage, lateral earth pressures, liquefaction, seismic evaluations, deformation analysis, and foundation analysis.
• Support preliminary and final design phases by coordinating with civil, structural, bridge, and geotechnical engineering teams.
• Provide construction-phase services, including field observations, foundation installation reviews, pile driving support, embankment construction monitoring, subgrade stabilization, construction administration, and inspection coordination.
• Coordinate with DOT clients, contractors, multidisciplinary project teams, and local agencies while maintaining strong written and verbal communication.
• Ensure work complies with applicable DOT, AASHTO, FHWA, safety, quality, and local agency requirements.
• Travel to project sites, client meetings, safety audits, and construction oversight activities as required.

Required Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geological Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive geotechnical engineering experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Geologist (PG) certification.
• Experience supporting bridge, transportation, or heavy civil infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of soil mechanics, foundation engineering, geotechnical field investigations, laboratory testing programs, and geotechnical design software.
• Strong technical writing, communication, and coordination skills.

Preferred Qualification

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 20 years of geotechnical engineering experience, preferably with transportation infrastructure projects.
• Experience managing project teams and collaborating across technical disciplines.
• Experience with DOT clients such as LADOTd, TxDOT, or similar transportation agencies.
• Experience with design-build delivery, bridge foundations, deep foundations, drilled shafts, driven piles, MSE walls, retaining walls, ground improvement systems, embankments, and approach fills.
• Familiarity with AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and applicable DOT/FHWA requirements.
• Proficiency with geotechnical software such as gINT, OpenGround, GeoStudio, SEEP/W, SLOPE/W, CWALSHT, PYWall, LPILE, GROUP, SHAFT, PLAXIS, or similar tools.
• Client-facing experience and ability to manage multiple projects, schedules, safety expectations, and quality requirements.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity employer. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Arcadis offers benefits for full time and part time positions. These benefits include medical, dental, and vision, EAP, 401K, STD, LTD, AD&D, life insurance, paid parental leave, reward & recognition program and optional benefits including wellbeing benefits, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement. We offer nine paid holidays and 20 days PTO that accrue per year. The salary range for this position is $112,000 - $141,000. Actual salaries will vary and are based on several factors, such as experience, education, budget, internal equity, project and location.