Project Geotechnical Engineer

Project Geotechnical Engineer

Based in our Denver (Englewood), Colorado office, you'll contribute to impactful mining projects around the world, focusing on the design and management of tailings dams and heap leach facilities. This role offers exciting opportunities for travel, client interaction, and hands-on experience in the dynamic mining sector. The successful candidate will perform technical lead, Deputy engineer-of-record (EOR), or EOR duties and support the development of geotechnical investigation, design work, as well as systematic monitoring and surveillance activities. Additional professional experiences and project support would include earthen dam design, geotechnical site assessments and associated field services, dam breach evaluations, stability and deformation analyses, instrumentation installation design and data review, annual dam safety inspections, participation in audits and risk assessment, among other work. The position is meant to be dynamic and will be supported by multiple design teams (general civil, water resource, hydrogeological, etc.). The role as a Project Geotechnical Engineer also includes developing and maintaining client relationships and working with clients to execute scopes of work successfully.

Responsibilities

• Perform Advanced Engineering Analyses:
• Develop and calibrate geotechnical and hydrological models for seepage, stability, and settlement analyses of tailings, heap leach, and water storage facilities, utilizing both 2D/3D limit equilibrium and finite element/finite difference methods for static and dynamic load conditions.
• Support the development of constitutive relationships for numerical modeling.
• Conduct liquefaction assessments using site-specific geotechnical and seismic data.
• Assist with dam breach analyses and risk assessments.
• Evaluate Bearing Capacity and Settlement: Perform and review analyses of bearing capacity and settlement for various mining infrastructure components.
• Design and Monitor Instrumentation Programs: Develop instrumentation installation plans and systematically review and interpret instrumentation data to support project performance monitoring.
• Prepare High-Quality Deliverables: Author and review technical reports, calculation packages, engineering design documents, technical specifications, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Support Construction Documentation: Assist in the preparation and review of construction drawing sets and technical specifications.
• Project Management: Develop and implement project management plans, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
• Proposal Development: Assist with the preparation of proposals and scopes of work for mining-related design projects.
• Regulatory and Standards Compliance: Stay current with relevant regulations, standards, and industry best practices, such as the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).
• Client Relationship Management: Build and maintain positive relationships with clients through effective communication and reliable technical support.
• Mentorship and Team Leadership: Mentor and provide partial management to entry-level and staff engineers, fostering professional growth and technical development.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as directed by your supervisor to support project and company objectives.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor of Science (minimum); Master of Science (preferred). Civil Engineering or Geological Engineering degrees from ABET-accredited universities are preferred.
• Professional Experience: 4+ years (1 year of experience considered equivalent for MS degree and 2 years considered for Ph.D.);
• Computer Software: Significant experience with MS Office Suite. Proficiency using standard geotechnical design software (Rocscience, GeoStudios, etc.); numerical modeling experience is advantageous; and basic understanding of Autodesk Civil 3D. Programming skills are desired.
• Geotechnical Laboratory: Proficient with standard material testing and index tests. Knowledgeable with data analysis from compressibility, hydraulic conductivity, and shear strength test data. Experience with dynamic testing is desired.
• Required Registrations I Professional Development: P.E. registration, or path to registration clearly defined.
• Travel: Must have the ability to travel in the U.S. and internationally to support field programs.
• Technical Writing: Experience writing technical reports, technical memorandums, and proposals.
• Other (Project Level): Working knowledge of geotechnical monitoring instrumentation; various geotechnical tools for subsurface assessments (drilling methods; CPT; geophysics; etc.); numerical modeling methods and software.