Area Geotechnical Business Class Leader

HDR•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

HDR is seeking a Geotechnical Business Class Lead for the AZ/NM Area. The role leads HDR’s geotechnical practice in the area, representing its capabilities to national and regional clients and supporting procurement of work. The lead builds relationships across HDR business groups to strengthen technical expertise, elevate quality, mitigate risk, and support strategic and profitable growth. The position also includes identifying and hiring geotechnical staff to support HDR’s strategic direction and emerging markets. The Geotechnical Business Class Lead partners with groups including Transportation, Water, Resources, Building Engineering Services, Architecture, and Federal to develop a cohesive and impactful geotechnical practice. The role coordinates staff competency and development, advances innovative services, contributes to standards and best practices, and ensures geotechnical work is effectively planned and managed. The lead may also serve as project manager or geotechnical task lead, participate in project pursuits, develop marketing plans and proposals, and represent HDR in client interviews.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a professional, architecture, engineering, or closely related field.
At least 10 years of experience.
Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience.
Committed to quality, improvement, and HDR values.
Experienced in developing and managing diverse teams.
Works cooperatively with other area business class leaders, operations managers, technical directors, and marketing managers on business class efforts.
Commitment to actively participating in HDR’s employee-owned culture.
Demonstrated ability to complete geotechnical investigations and analyses for foundations, embankments, slopes, excavation support, and retaining structures across varied project types, including transportation.
Hands-on expertise with subsurface investigations, field and laboratory testing, foundation design, slope stability, settlement, and ground improvement.
Sufficient knowledge of soil mechanics to understand technical elements and develop advanced concept solutions.
Experience using geotechnical engineering software to analyze static, dynamic, and seismic aspects of foundation design, slope stability, settlement evaluation, and earth retention design, including numerical modeling.
Excellent interpersonal skills and technical writing ability.
Ability and motivation to thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Active PE registration in Arizona and New Mexico, or ability to obtain both within 6 months.
Master of Science degree or higher in engineering (geotechnical/geologic engineering), or equivalent level of experience.
Progressive experience leading geotechnical design efforts on advanced engineering projects for public and private clients.
Experience with SHAFT, LPILE, SETTLE3D, SLOPE/W, SEEP/W, RocScience programs, AASHTO MEPDG, GIS, and Civil 3D.
Active participation in professional societies such as ASCE, AEG, DFI, or the Geo Institute of ASCE.

Responsibilities

Lead HDR’s geotechnical practice in the AZ/NM Area and promote cohesive technical excellence.
Coordinate, monitor, and improve staff technical competencies to meet project demands, client needs, and market drivers.
Select, train, mentor, and manage geotechnical personnel.
Promote the AZ/NM geotechnical practice and establish partnerships that advance innovative concepts and mitigate risks.
Contribute to HDR’s geotechnical practice, professional discipline groups, project teams, and activities to improve standards and best practices.
Implement effective quality assurance and quality control reviews.
Participate in strategic planning and implementation for geotechnical work.
Ensure geotechnical work is planned, organized, controlled, and evaluated through proactive project management.
Refine processes to increase technical competence, design efficiency, and product quality.
Function as project manager or geotechnical task lead as needed and take responsibility for project production.
Participate in project pursuits, develop marketing plans and proposals, and take part in client interviews and pursuit coordination.
Work collaboratively with HDR’s geotechnical national business class director to align strategies and advance the geotechnical practice community.
Represent HDR’s geotechnical engineering capabilities to clients and support procurement of work.
Build relationships with HDR business groups to develop technical expertise and support strategic, profitable growth.
Identify and hire geotechnical staff to support strategic direction and emerging markets.