Geotechnical Engineer-Project to Associate

NV5•Wilsonville, OR

11d•$115,000 - $185,000

About The Position

NV5 is seeking a Project- to Associate-level Geotechnical Engineer for its Pacific Northwest team, based in Wilsonville, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington. The role offers opportunities to develop technical expertise, lead projects, mentor staff, and build client relationships. The engineer will work on geotechnical projects across transportation, public infrastructure, commercial development, utilities, environmental, and other public and private sector markets, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver practical, high-quality solutions. The position involves geotechnical investigations, analysis and design, construction monitoring, instrumentation, technical reporting, project management, staff mentoring, client and business development activities, and applying AI tools to geotechnical workflows. The engineer is expected to uphold health and safety standards and company QA/QC practices, and to travel to regional project sites and occasionally beyond.

Requirements

6 to 15 years of professional experience in geotechnical engineering.
Hands-on experience in geotechnical site investigation and construction monitoring or observation.
Experience installing and monitoring geotechnical instrumentation.
Strong technical skills in geotechnical analysis and design, including slope stability, retaining systems, foundations, earthwork, and subsurface characterization.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, well-organized technical reports and deliverables.
Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively on multiple projects simultaneously.
Entrepreneurial mindset, can-do attitude, and commitment to quality and client service.
Willingness and ability to travel to project sites regionally and occasionally beyond.
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from an accredited university, with coursework focused on geotechnical engineering.
Professional Engineer (PE) license in Oregon and/or Washington, or demonstrated ability to obtain licensure by comity within six months of hire.

Nice To Haves

Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering.
Familiarity with slope stability software such as Slide2 (Rocscience) and/or Slope/W (GeoStudio).
Familiarity with numerical modeling software such as RS2 (Rocscience), FLAC (Itasca), and/or PLAXIS.
Familiarity with retaining wall design software such as RSWall, MSEW+, and SnailPlus.
Familiarity with drilled shaft or pile analysis software such as RSPile, GRLWEAP, CHA-W, and PDI Tomo.
Familiarity with settlement analysis software such as Settle3.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Experience integrating AI tools into technical workflows.

Responsibilities

Lead and support geotechnical investigations, including planning, drilling oversight, soil and rock sampling, and field data collection.
Perform and review geotechnical analyses, including slope stability, settlement, bearing capacity, earth pressure, liquefaction, and seepage.
Provide construction monitoring and observation for earthwork, foundation installation, retaining wall construction, and deep foundation systems; document field activities and prepare field reports.
Install, monitor, and interpret geotechnical instrumentation, including inclinometers, piezometers, settlement monitors, and load cells.
Prepare geotechnical investigation reports, technical memoranda, computation packages, design reports, and specifications.
Manage project and task scope, schedule, and budget; coordinate with subconsultants and clients.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary project teams and internal practice groups across NV5.
Mentor and support less experienced staff and foster learning, quality, and professional growth.
Participate in proposal preparation, client presentations, and business development activities.
Apply and integrate AI tools into geotechnical workflows to improve efficiency and deliverable quality.
Maintain health and safety standards and company QA/QC practices.