Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Job Description

Senior Geotechnical Engineer (Strong Senior / Associate Principal pathway)

• Location: Brisbane, QLD (4 days in office, plus site rotations)

• Employment type: Full-time, permanent

• Package: Base $200K - 210K + super

• Reports to: Principal Geotechnical Engineer

About Client

Our Client is a Brisbane-based engineering consultancy delivering specialist geotechnical, civil and structural engineering services across infrastructure, transport and resources projects, with a particularly strong footprint in Queensland and Southeast Queensland. We pride ourselves on a high-performance, values-driven culture where engineers take genuine ownership of their work and are trusted to deliver.

About the Role

Our Client is looking for a Strong Senior Geotechnical Engineer to join our Brisbane team as 2IC to their Principal Geotechnical Engineer, with a clear pathway into a Principal role within 1-2 years. This is a hands-on, technically demanding position that combines detailed design leadership, mentoring of a developing team, and active site involvement. It has been deliberately scoped to attract someone who is ready to step up, not a typical Senior, but an engineer with the depth, judgement and presence to operate at Associate Principal level.

What Success Looks Like

In your first 12 months, you will independently lead the geotechnical design on multiple concurrent projects, mentor 3-4 graduate to mid-level engineers, deliver IFC-quality reports and drawings with minimal rework, build credibility with clients and contractors on site, and be on track to take on Principal-level responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver detailed geotechnical design across foundations, retaining structures, slopes, ground improvement and temporary works.

• Interpret site investigation data (including CPTu) and derive design parameters that reflect sound engineering judgement, not just code application.

• Author clear, well-structured technical reports, IFC drawings and specifications.

• Provide technical mentorship to graduate and early-career engineers (typically 3-4 years experience), allocating tasks, monitoring progress and ensuring quality and timely delivery.

• Undertake site work in remote locations for periods of 1-3 weeks as required, including supervising works and certifying construction activities in the Geotechnical Assessor role.

• Identify key technical risks early and develop practical, fit-for-purpose, constructable solutions.

• Support the Principal Engineer in resourcing, planning and client engagement.

Non-Negotiable Requirements

• IEAust Chartered (CPEng) and/or RPEQ qualified.

• Approximately 15 years geotechnical engineering experience, with a track record of leading detailed design on infrastructure projects.

• Strong design capability across the full geotechnical spectrum: shallow and pile foundations (including bridge piles using Pell’s, Rowe & Armitage, Broms Method, soil springs and pile settlement), pile group analysis (Piglet, or demonstrable equivalent), earth retaining structures (gravity, cantilever, RC L-shape, anchored, MSE), slope stability (Slope/W), soil and rock slope stabilisation, ground anchors, micro-piles, ground improvement of soft soils (surcharge, wick drains, geosynthetic reinforcement, CMC), and temporary works design.

• Slope Risk Assessment to RMS Version 4 - this is a hard requirement with no equivalent accepted.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision and full accountability for outcomes.

• Construction experience associated with the technical capabilities above, and willingness to undertake site rotations of 1-3 weeks.

• Eligible to work in Australia (international candidates with the right technical fit will be considered, with sponsorship available).

Highly Regarded (developing skills welcomed)

• Instrumentation and monitoring interpretation.

• Advanced experience preparing IFC drawing packages and specification documentation.

• Prior experience acting as a 2IC or stepping toward a Principal-level role.

Who You Are

• You take initiative and resolve issues rather than wait for direction. 

• You are comfortable making the call when information is incomplete and confident in defending your reasoning. 

• You communicate engineering concepts clearly to less experienced colleagues, plan and organise work effectively, and follow through to ensure delivery quality.

• You are flexible, commercially aware, and willing to go beyond the minimum to land a successful project outcome.

What The Client Offers

• Base salary $200 - $210K + super

• A clear, supported pathway to Principal Geotechnical Engineer within 1-2 years.

• Direct mentorship from our Principal Engineer and a culture that genuinely invests in technical development.

• Diverse, technically interesting project work across QLD infrastructure.

• Sponsorship available for the right international candidate.