Principal Engineer (Geotechnical)

Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates, Inc.; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Generous paid time off

Medical with HSA

Dental

Vision

Long-term disability

Short-term disability

401k with company match

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Employee Assistance Plan

Company events

Wellness program

Employee self-service site

Job summary

Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates, Inc. in Pittsburgh seeks a Principal Engineer to lead geotechnical engineering and CMT projects. You will represent the firm in client meetings, mentor junior staff, and drive business development while maintaining high-quality deliverables and risk management.

The role requires independence, strong leadership, and a track record of complex project success. The position offers senior-level responsibilities within an employee-owned firm, with comprehensive

Qualifications

• Bachelor and/or Master of Science in Civil or Geological Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• 12+ years of progressive geotechnical/CMT consulting experience.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.

Responsibilities

• Lead geotechnical and CMT projects with minimal supervision and ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Review and negotiate contract terms with clients.
• Drive business development to win new work and support junior staff.
• Act as final quality control manager for written deliverables.
• Manage proposals, cost estimates, reports, specifications, and correspondence.
• Develop client relationships and serve as primary client contact.
• Resolve client concerns and oversee collections and AR tasks.
• Maintain strong performance in metrics like billability and timely deliveries.
• Perform site visits to support junior staff and field work.
• Contribute to BD efforts and participate in professional/industry groups.
• Ensure compliance with safety policies and permitting requirements.
• Demonstrate deep understanding of geotechnical/CMT principles and standards.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

CMT

Leadership

Mentoring

Business development

Education

ABET-accredited Civil/Geological engineering degree

Tools

RocScience

Ensoft

Tablogs

Job description

WHO IS HILLIS-CARNES?

Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates (HCEA) is a multi-disciplined ENR Top 500 engineering firm with 20 offices in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. We have demonstrated a history of success for the past 35 years. We are 100% employee-owned ESOP, and our history of success can be attributed to our motivational employee owners. We believe in fostering teamwork, rewarding ambition, and providing opportunities for professional advancement.

WHO IS HILLIS-CARNES?

Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates (HCEA) is a multi-disciplined ENR Top 500 engineering firm with 20 offices in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. We have demonstrated a history of success for the past 35 years. We are 100% employee-owned ESOP, and our history of success can be attributed to our motivational employee owners. We believe in fostering teamwork, rewarding ambition, and providing opportunities for professional advancement.

Position Overview

The professional in this position has a leadership role in our Geotechnical Engineering and Construction Materials Testing/Inspection projects, supporting a diverse portfolio of public and private sector projects throughout the region. The candidate will represent the firm in client meetings and participate vigorously in business development activities. Principals are our final level quality control managers, ensuring that our work product meets our client expectations and manages firm risk. Candidates at this level are expected to work independently, unsupervised, and otherwise be internally motivated to progress in their career and make the company more successful. Principal Engineer is the seventh and final rung of the career progression ladder and is bonus eligible. In this role, Principals are expected to serve as mentors to Associate Principals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage Geotechnical Engineering and CMT projects without additional supervision. General mastery of prior career ladder rungs.
• Review and negotiate contract terms with clients.
• Vigorous involvement in business development is a key responsibility for this position. The candidate is expected to pursue and win work to maintain their individual billability goals and for the junior staff under their supervision.
• Serve as final quality control manager of our written deliverables, ensuring that risky solutions are not pursued and that adequate work has been done to draw our conclusions and recommendations.
• Manage subordinates in the preparation of technical proposals, cost estimates, engineering reports, specifications, and project correspondence.
• Take a leading role in developing professional relationships with clients and working on projects they engage our firm on. Become a client's main point of contact.
• Resolve client concerns on projects.
• Perform administrative duties associated with senior level positions including initial review and negotiations of contracts, diligent effort on collections and Accounts Receivable.
• Maintaining above average scores on measured business metrics like report completion efficiency, billability, safety, and proposal follow-up.
• Conduct site visits in support of junior staff.
• Support business development efforts by maintaining client relationships and participating in professional and industry organizations.
• Ensure compliance with company safety policies, site safety requirements, and applicable permitting requirements.
• Strong understanding of geotechnical engineering/CMT principles, practices, and industry standards.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and/or Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, Geological Engineering, or related ABET-accredited engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 12+ years of progressive experience in the geotechnical engineering/CMT consulting industry.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities with a commitment to mentoring and developing junior technical staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Proficiency/experience with typical commercial Geotechnical software such as RocScience, Ensoft, Tablogs, etc.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven business development and client management experience.
• Proven track record of completing complex Geotechnical and CMT projects.
• Self-motivated professional with a strong commitment to technical excellence and customer service.

Position Offering

While there are no further technical career ladder rungs, our Principals are expected to take managerial leadership roles in the company.

We are a proudly an employee-owned company and we believe our employees should have the best benefits!

Hillis-Carnes' benefits package which includes paid holidays, generous paid time off, medical (with Health Savings Account options), dental, vision, long-term and short-term disability, 401k plan with a company match, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (that means you have ownership in the company upon eligibility), employee assistance plan, company events, wellness program, employee self-service site, and much more.

Hillis-Carnes is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer

Minorities and Women are encouraged to apply.