Geotechnical Section Leader – Kansas City, MO

HDR•St. Louis, MO

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. We are seeking a Geotechnical Section Leader to guide and grow our regional practice. This role provides strategic leadership in geotechnical engineering across linear and vertical projects, advancing technical excellence, improving risk management, and developing consistent standards and processes. The position requires strong technical capability in deep foundations, slope stability, earthwork evaluation, and foundation design, along with broad geotechnical leadership experience.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
A minimum of 10 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

Master’s degree in Civil or Geotechnical Engineering

Responsibilities

Lead geotechnical design, analysis, and risk reduction strategies for transportation corridors, utility alignments, water systems, site development, and building structures.
Provide senior technical review of geotechnical reports, deep foundation recommendations, slope stability analyses, retaining structures, settlement evaluation, seismic/geohazard assessments, and complex ground improvement designs.
Ensure geotechnical considerations are integrated early in design to reduce cost, schedule, and constructability risks. Risk Management Across Linear & Vertical Projects.
Apply robust subsurface risk management frameworks to identify uncertainties and reduce exposure through targeted exploration, modeling, and engineering judgment.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure geotechnical risks are clearly understood and proactively addressed.
Review constructability of both linear and horizontal projects as well as those using alternative delivery as it relates to geotechnical design and risk management Build & Lead a Geotechnical Center of Excellence for Data Centers.
Develop technical standards, workflows, investigation protocols, decision matrices, and digital tools supporting mission critical programs.
Partner closely with BES leadership to deliver repeatable, scalable geotechnical solutions for hyperscale data center campuses.
Lead and mentor geotechnical staff across experience levels.
Cultivate a culture of excellence, quality, curiosity, and collaboration.
Serve as a trusted geotechnical advisor for HDR, public agencies, utilities, private developers, and mission critical clients.
Support key pursuits by presenting subsurface risk strategies, innovative geotechnical solutions, and strong project execution capabilities.