Geotechnical Lab Leader & Operations Manager

HILGARTWILSON, LLC; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Colliers Engineering & Design seeks an experienced Laboratory Manager or Geotechnical Engineer to lead the day-to-day operations of our high-volume Geotechnical and Construction Materials Testing Laboratory in Totowa, NJ. You will oversee staff, manage testing programs, and ensure quality and safety standards while delivering projects on schedule.

You will contribute to budgeting, forecasting, client relationships, and staff development, partnering with internal teams and external clients.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in civil engineering or related discipline; master's degree preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred but not required.
• 10+ years’ experience leading and motivating a laboratory or technical group.
• ACI and NICET certifications preferred; acquire within 1 year of start date.
• Experience in soil and rock laboratory work.
• Proficiency with MS Excel and MS Word.
• Experience using Geosystems.
• Ability to read, write and understand English for communications.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily and long-term operation of Geotechnical and Construction Materials Lab.
• Supervise staff, training, equipment maintenance, QA, safety, productivity.
• Oversee proposals, revenue targets, budgets, costs, staffing, invoicing.
• Drive business development with existing and new clients.
• Perform testing and submit results for rock, soil, and specialty tests.
• Prepare and issue lab reports to clients.
• Maintain QA and accreditation compliance (AASHTO Re:Source, US Army Corps).
• Oversee equipment calibration, maintenance, upgrades, procurement.
• Recruitment involvement and training; safety documentation.
• Ensure lab cleanliness, inventory, and proper waste handling.
• Laboratory safety and SOP compliance; communicate with contractors/clients.
• Communicate with clients and team; travel as needed.

Skills

Laboratory leadership

People management

Budgeting & forecasting

Project coordination

Operational excellence

MS Excel

MS Word

English communication

Education

BA/BS in civil engineering

Master's degree or higher

PE license (preferred)

Tools

Geosystems

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Colliers Engineering & Design seeks an experienced Laboratory Manager or Geotechnical Engineer to lead the day-to-day operations of our high-volume Geotechnical and Construction Materials Testing Laboratory in Totowa, NJ. You will oversee staff, manage testing programs, and ensure quality and safety standards while delivering projects on schedule.

You will contribute to budgeting, forecasting, client relationships, and staff development, partnering with internal teams and external clients.