Geotechnical Engineering Team Leader

HDR•Asheville, NC

About The Position

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world? Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story' Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world. We believe transportation is more than movement, it’s the foundation of connected, thriving communities. As part of HDR’s Transportation Business Group, you’ll help shape the systems that move people and goods safely, efficiently, and sustainably. From designing resilient highways and iconic bridges to advancing transit, passenger and freight rail, aviation, federal transportation ports and marine infrastructure, your work will directly support economic vitality, public safety, sustainable and resilient communities and quality of life. We bring together planners, engineers, architects, construction management staff, environmental, strategic communications, economists, management consultants and specialists across disciplines to solve complex mobility challenges with innovation, technical excellence, and a deep understanding of community needs. Whether you're modernizing aging infrastructure or pioneering next-generation transportation solutions, your contributions will help define the future of mobility. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead progress, drive meaningful impact, and leave a legacy of smarter, more connected transportation networks. We are all employee-owners at HDR, which is the foundation of our collaborative culture that connects employees around the world. HDR is looking for a Team Leader to oversee our North Carolina Geotechnical team. They will be expected to strategically coordinate with key North Carolina operations staff and the national director of Geotechnical Engineering with respect to leveraging HDR's full skill set in the Transportation Business Group. They will represent HDR Geotechnical Engineering to NCDOT and clearly communicate geotechnical capabilities to aid in the procurement of work under limited services contracts and division contracts. They will develop in-house staff and capacity to assist in additional work sharing opportunities in support of other HDR offices. They will need to build relationships within the HDR Transportation Business Group and assist other Business Groups operating in the North Carolina Area marketplace to support strategic and profitable growth. This position includes identification of geotechnical opportunities for the North Carolina geotechnical team, as well as creating an environment for continued technical development, which includes the hiring of appropriate staff to support the workload. They will be responsible for the team’s delivery of their assignments with quality, on-time and within assigned budgets.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
A minimum of 7 years experience
Professional registration, license or certification may be required based on role
Strong communication and listening skills
Ability to handle multiple assignments
Good leadership and organizational skills
An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

Nice To Haves

PE registration in North Carolina; local candidates are preferred
Proficient with geotechnical aspects deep foundation design and construction, slope stability, ground improvement, rock mechanics, and pavement design
Master of Science or higher in Engineering (Geotechnical/Geologic engineering)/or equivalent level of experience
10 or more years of progressive experience in advanced engineering projects leading geotechnical design efforts for public and private clients
Demonstrated ability to complete geotechnical investigations and analyses for foundations, embankments, slopes, excavation support and retaining structures for varied project types, including transportation clients
Sufficient knowledge in both rock and soil mechanics to fully understand the technical elements of each (breadth), to comfortably apply advanced concepts to challenges
Experience with geotechnical engineering software and static analyses of embankments and structures, including numerical modeling

Responsibilities

Take responsibility for operations of the North Carolina transportation geotechnical program, including staff development, profitability, morale, and quality control. Select, train, mentor and manage Geotechnical personnel
Function as Project Manager or Geotechnical task lead and take responsibility for production on projects in addition to management responsibilities
The ability to represent HDR as a technical resource in front of clients and during coordination of pursuit related work
Experience with all currently active contracting mechanisms and an understanding of how key decisions are made during procurement of services, including DBB, DB, and task order contracts
Experience working in a team environment with the ability to prioritize commitments to ensure workload is accomplished effectively
The ability to lead a diverse team across North Carolina including clear communication of management expectations and advocacy for employee growth and wellbeing.
Must be a strong leader and have the ability to interact with various design teams, have excellent organizational, project management and communication both written and verbal skills.
A desire to continually refine the process to increase technical competence, efficiency of design, and quality of product
The ability to function beyond their current comfort zone, both with respect to technical work as well as client interaction
The desire to mentor and advance their own depth and breadth of technical, operations, and business development aspects of the work
The ability make independent engineering judgments with respect to how the North Carolina geotechnical team executes work, including an understanding of what other disciplines need to complete design packages
In depth knowledge of NCDOT practice, including the application of the requirements contained in the NCDOT Geotechnical Engineering Unit Manual and NCDOT Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures
Sufficient knowledge of contracting and other loss prevention techniques that elevates the geotechnical engineering practice
Understanding of how to staff current and future workload, including development of that staff (existing) or through hiring, not only for our base service lines but also those that are emerging.