Geotechnical Engineer, Data Center Design

Fluidstack•Austin, TX

3d•$200,000 - $250,000

About The Position

Fluidstack is seeking a Geotechnical Engineer to join their Data Center Design Team. This role is crucial for the company's mission to rapidly deploy compute infrastructure for AI. The team is responsible for leading the design, development, and execution of large-scale data centers, including next-generation cooling and electrical systems, and modular data centers. The Geotechnical Engineer will own the geotechnical workstream across a multi-site, multi-state development portfolio, ensuring sites are suitable for data center construction and that foundation designs are robust and cost-effective. This involves managing subsurface investigations, interpreting data, collaborating with other engineering disciplines, and performing fatal-flaw screening during site selection.

Requirements

Owned geotechnical engineering on large-scale site development, scoping boring programs and turning subsurface data into foundation design parameters.
Made the foundation and ground-improvement call on difficult sites: deep fill, expansive clay, high groundwater, liquefaction, choosing among shallow foundations, piles, rigid inclusions, and surcharge.
Directed external geotechnical consultants and labs from RFP through final report, and caught errors before they reached design or construction.
Screened sites for geotechnical fatal flaws during due diligence and either killed or saved a site on the data.
Read a geotechnical report well enough to assign design actions and challenge a consultant's recommendations rather than rubber-stamp them.
Work shoulder to shoulder with structural, civil, and environmental engineers and translate subsurface conditions into grading, drainage, and foundation decisions without stalling the schedule.

Nice To Haves

PE or GE license, or active pursuit.
Data center, industrial, or heavy-civil site development experience.
Deep foundation and ground-improvement design experience.
Seismic site response experience.
Multi-state experience.

Responsibilities

Own the geotechnical workstream across a multi-site, multi-state development portfolio, from early site screening through foundation design and construction support.
Scope and direct subsurface investigation programs: write geotechnical RFPs, manage boring and CPT campaigns and lab testing, and drive external geotechnical consultants from scope through final report.
Interpret subsurface data into design parameters and assign foundation systems, working directly with Structural on bearing capacity, settlement, expansive and collapsible soils, liquefaction, seismic site class, shallow versus deep foundations, and ground improvement (rigid inclusions, piles, surcharge or preload).
Set site earthwork and grading strategy with Civil: cut and fill balance, deep-fill and differential-settlement risk to pads, MV duct banks, substations, and roads, and the call between regrade, preload, and ground improvement.
Run geotechnical fatal-flaw screening during site selection and due diligence, catching karst, mine subsidence, abandoned oil and gas wells, uncontrolled fill, high groundwater, and expansive clay before they reach signing or schedule.
Coordinate with Environmental on groundwater, contamination, and Phase II findings that drive subsurface and foundation decisions, and manage geotechnical deliverables to protect IFC and construction dates.