Principal Engineer (Geotechnical) - Pittsburgh, PA

Hillis-Carnes

$110K — $130K *
Real Estate & Construction
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in Civil or Geological Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
  • Over 12 years of experience in geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing (CMT).
  • Must possess a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
  • Strong leadership skills with a focus on mentoring junior staff.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and commercial Geotechnical software such as RocScience or Ensoft.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

  • Lead geotechnical engineering and CMT projects with minimal supervision.
  • Review and negotiate client contracts.
  • Drive business development to achieve billability goals for self and junior staff.
  • Ensure high-quality deliverables and mitigate risks in engineering solutions.
  • Manage the preparation of technical documents and project correspondence.
  • Develop strong client relationships as their key point of contact.
  • Address and resolve client project concerns.

Benefits

  • Generous paid holidays and time off.
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Health Savings Account.
  • 401k plan with matching contributions.
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), granting ownership stakes after eligibility.
  • Wellness programs and employee assistance plans.
Full Job Description
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.

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