Senior Project Engineer Tunnels

Mott MacDonald; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 181,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Parental leave

Paid holidays

PTO

Life insurance

Job summary

Mott MacDonald in Los Angeles is seeking an accomplished civil engineer to lead tunnel and underground design across concept to detailed stages, delivering safe, efficient infrastructure for major transportation programs.

You will mentor junior engineers, review technical work, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams while applying PLAXIS, Civil 3D, and BIM tools. The role emphasizes safety, quality, and delivering value to clients.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent; Master’s preferred.
• PE / P.Eng. license required or obtainable within defined timeframe.
• 8–12+ years of tunneling/underground experience across major projects.
• Experience delivering Transportation, Water/Wastewater, Energy sectors.
• Strong tunnel/underground design proficiency and standards knowledge.
• Experience with major engineering tools and software listed above.
• Ability to lead design reviews and manage risk, quality, and technical performance.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; mentoring capability.
• Experience supporting project management activities is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Deliver technical design and analysis for tunnels and underground structures across concept, preliminary, and detailed design phases.
• Support large tunneling and underground infrastructure projects, especially major transportation programs.
• Provide technical leadership within project teams and resolve complex engineering challenges.
• Review and validate calculations, reports, drawings, and specs for compliance with codes and standards.
• Apply tools like PLAXIS, BIM, Civil 3D to improve design efficiency and performance.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders to deliver practical solutions.
• Contribute technical input to proposals and bids, supporting business development.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers, promoting knowledge sharing.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies and industry trends and apply innovations.
• Lead health, safety, and wellbeing efforts and promote safe practices.
• Champion company values, code of conduct, inclusion and diversity.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Collaboration

Risk & Quality

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

PLAXIS

SAP2000

Strand7

RS2/RS3

AutoCAD Civil 3D

MicroStation

BIM platforms

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver technical design and analysis for tunnels and underground structures across concept, preliminary, and detailed design phases.
• Support and contribute to the delivery of large‑scale tunneling and underground infrastructure projects, particularly major transportation programs.
• Provide technical leadership within project teams, resolving complex engineering challenges and ensuring high‑quality outcomes.
• Review and validate engineering calculations, reports, drawings, and specifications to ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, and best practices.
• Apply advanced engineering tools, software, and methodologies (e.g., PLAXIS, BIM, Civil 3D) to improve design efficiency and project performance.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders to clarify requirements and deliver practical, cost‑effective solutions.
• Contribute technical input to proposals and bids, supporting business development and project acquisition efforts.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers, supporting capability development and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies and industry trends, incorporating innovative approaches where appropriate.
• Lead by example in health, safety, and wellbeing, promoting lessons learned and modeling positive safety behaviours.
• Champion the organization’s values, code of conduct, and inclusion and diversity, fostering a collaborative and inclusive working environment.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent (Master’s degree preferred).
• Professional Engineer (PE / P.Eng.) license required or ability to obtain within a defined timeframe.
• 8‑12+ years of experience in tunneling, underground structures, or related heavy civil infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience delivering projects across Transportation, Water/Wastewater, Energy, and other infrastructure sectors.
• Strong technical proficiency in tunnel and underground design principles, standards, and methodologies.
• Experience with engineering software and tools such as PLAXIS, SAP2000, Strand7, RS2/RS3, AutoCAD Civil 3D, MicroStation, BIM platforms, and related analysis tools.
• Solid understanding of geotechnical, structural, and environmental considerations in underground works.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical design reviews and manage risk, quality, and technical performance on multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to mentor and develop junior engineers.
• Experience supporting project management activities such as scheduling, budgeting, and technical reporting is an asset.

Benefits & Reward

Employees have a stake and a voice in the business, with personal and group performance bonuses. Comprehensive benefit package includes 401k, medical, dental, vision, short‑term/long‑term disability, paid holidays, PTO, parental leave, and company‑paid life insurance.

The expected salary for this position is $148,000 - $181,000.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status or disability status.