Senior Geotechnical Engineer

HDR; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 128,205 - 208,125; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

HDR in Oakland, California is seeking a Senior Geotechnical Engineer to mentor staff, lead technical projects, and prepare comprehensive geotechnical reports. The role requires a Bachelor’s degree, 10 years of experience in the field, and a professional engineering license. HDR offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and retirement savings, along with a competitive salary range from $128,205 to $208,125 annually based on skills and experience.

Qualifications

• Requires 10 years of experience in geotechnical engineering.
• Professional engineering license required.
• Must have experience with advanced modeling techniques.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical lead on geotechnical projects.
• Lead geotechnical field exploration and testing programs.
• Prepare technical documents and geotechnical reports.

Skills

Geotechnical earthquake engineering concepts

Advanced data analysis

Technical documentation

Mentoring

Bay Area geology

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering

Tools

ArcGIS

AutoCAD

Civil3D

gINT

GeoStudio

Job description

At HDR, our employee‑owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Watch Our Story: https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world. We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. As part of our Water Business Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience. We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.

In the role of Senior Geotechnical Engineer, we'll count on you to:

• Be viewed as a technical expert with recognized authority in an area of specialization that resolves problems of greater scope and complexity.
• Mentor staff in technical and leadership development skills.
• Serve as a technical lead on projects.
• Take responsibility for proposal (scope and fee) development.
• Participate in marketing efforts of both internal and external clients.
• Develop and lead geotechnical field exploration and laboratory testing programs.
• Lead and perform data analysis and engineering evaluation to support and inform engineering design, project management, and client management.
• Prepare technical documents, geotechnical reports, and technical memoranda containing geotechnical conclusions and recommendations.
• Have advanced working knowledge of geotechnical earthquake engineering concepts such as seismic hazard, seismic site response, and liquefaction.
• Have advanced working knowledge of Bay Area and California geology and soil conditions, including marine deposits (e.g., Young Bay Mud).
• Review geotechnical technical documentation.
• Plan and develop projects or design activities that have significant impact on major company programs as needed.
• Plan, organize and supervise work of a small to medium number of staff, professionals and technicians.
• May serve as project manager on larger projects, though project management is not sole focus of the position.
• Bay Area business development.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering
• Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering
• 20 years of experience in California
• Experience with ArcGIS and/or Autodesk AutoCAD and Civil3D.
• Experience with the following software: gINT, GeoStudio (SLOPE/W, SEEP/W), Ensoft pile software (LPILE, APILE, SHAFT, GROUP), Settle3, CLiq, CPeT‑IT.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 10 years of experience
• Requires professional engineering license recognized by the licensing board for the location of the position offered. Example: Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications, GIS, and CADD, as appropriate.
• Experience with GeoStudio/Ensoft slope stability, settlement, seepage, and deep foundation response software, as appropriate.
• Experience with Bentley suite of geotechnical data management and visualization software (gINT/OpenGround/LeapFrog).
• Knowledge of advanced numerical modeling techniques such as Finite Difference, Finite Element, Discrete Element, etc. and commercial software for advanced numerical modeling (Bentley, PLAXIS, Itasca FLAC).
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture is a must.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee ownership, employee health, performance, and success, which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long‑term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time away, parental leave, paid holidays, a retirement savings plan with employer match, employee referral bonus and tuition reimbursement. Stated benefits are for full‑time regular positions. The expected compensation range for this position is $128,205.00 – $208,125.00 annually depending upon skills, experience, education and geographical location.

Primary Location: United States‑California‑Walnut Creek
Other Locations: United States‑California‑Oakland, United States‑California‑Folsom
Industry: Water
Schedule: Full‑time
Employee Status: Regular
Business Class: Dams Levees Civil Works
Job Posting: May 1, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.