Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Position Summary

Based in our Denver (Englewood), Colorado office, you'll contribute to impactful mining projects around the world, focusing on the design and management of tailings dams and heap leach facilities. This role offers exciting opportunities for travel, client interaction, and hands­ on experience in the dynamic mining sector. The successful candidate will perform technical lead, Deputy Engineer-of-Record (EOR), or EOR duties and support the development of geotechnical investigation, design work, as well as systematic monitoring and surveillance activities. Additional professional experiences and project support would include earthen dam design, geotechnical site assessments and associated field services, dam breach evaluations, stability and deformation analyses, instrumentation installation design and data review, annual dam safety inspections, participation in audits and risk assessment, among other work. The position is meant to be dynamic and will be supported by multiple design teams (general civil, water resource, hydrogeological, etc.). The role as a Senior Geotechnical Engineer also includes developing and maintaining client relationships and working with clients to execute scopes of work successfully.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Project Execution

• Lead Engineer of Record (EOR) Services: Serve as Engineer-of-Record (EOR) or principal technical advisor for tailings storage facilities (TSFs), heap leach pads, and water retention dams across domestic (USA) and international projects after a suitable amount of time as the Deputy EOR and familiarization with the project.
• Direct Dam Design & Construction Oversight: Spearhead geotechnical design, risk assessments, and construction supervision for earthen dams, ensuring compliance with safety, regulatory, and sustainability standards.
• Oversee Material Characterization Programs: Design and manage advanced laboratory/field testing initiatives, interpret data, and establish design criteria/constitutive models for complex geotechnical analyses.

Advanced Engineering Analysis

• Conduct and Manage Advanced Engineering Analyses:
• Develop and validate 2D/3D seepage, slope stability, and stress-deformation models (limit equilibrium, finite element/difference) for static/dynamic conditions.
• Lead constitutive model development for numerical simulations of tailings, heap leach, and dam materials.
• Perform site-specific liquefaction assessments and seismic hazard evaluations.
• Direct dam breach analyses and risk mitigation strategies.
• Infrastructure Design Validation: Review and approve bearing capacity, settlement, and foundation analyses for critical mining infrastructure.

Instrumentation & Monitoring

• Design Advanced Instrumentation Systems: Develop real-time monitoring programs for dam performance, including data interpretation and risk-alert protocols.

Project & Client Management

• Strategic Project Execution: Develop and execute project management plans, ensuring adherence to scope, budget, timelines, and quality benchmarks.
• Cultivate Client Relationships: Act as a primary technical liaison, identifying opportunities for business growth and fostering long-term partnerships.
• Proposal Development & Innovation: Lead the preparation of competitive proposals and contribute to R&D initiatives for cutting-edge tailings management solutions.

Regulatory Compliance & Industry Influence

• Champion Regulatory Adherence: Ensure projects align with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), ICMM, ICOLD, and other applicable regulations and industry-accepted guidance practices.
• Drive Industry Thought Leadership: Author whitepapers, present at conferences (e.g., Tailings and Mine Waste), and participate in technical committees to advance industry best practices.
• Team Development & Collaboration
• Provide Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Guide junior engineers through complex analyses, design reviews, and professional development.
• Oversee Design Documentation: Supervise the preparation of engineering design reports, technical specifications, and construction drawings using Autodesk Civil 3D.

Additional Duties

• Undertake strategic initiatives, special projects, and other tasks as assigned by senior management

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor of Science (minimum); Master of Science or Ph.D. (preferred). Civil Engineering or Geological Engineering degrees from ABET-accredited universities are preferred.
• Professional Experience: 8+ years (1 year of experience considered equivalent for MS degree and 2 years considered for Ph.D.);
• Computer Software: Significant experience with MS Office Suite. Proficiency using standard geotechnical design software (Rocscience, GeoStudios, etc.); numerical modeling experience is advantageous; and basic understanding of Autodesk Civil 3D. Programming skills are desired.
• Geotechnical Laboratory: Proficient with standard material testing and index tests. Knowledgeable with data analysis from compressibility, hydraulic conductivity, and shear strength test data. Experience with dynamic testing is desired.
• Required Registrations/ Professional Development: P.E. registration is required in applicable jurisdiction(s).
• Travel: Must have the ability to travel in the U.S. and internationally to support field programs.
• Technical Writing: Experience writing technical reports, memorandums, and proposals.
• Other: Advanced knowledge of geotechnical monitoring instrumentation; various geotechnical tools for subsurface assessments (drilling methods; CPT; geophysics; etc.); numerical modeling methods and software.