Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in geotechnical, geostructural, tunnel, and dam engineering. Schnabel’s high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 600 employees in 30 offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include:

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)
• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)
• Long-term disability
• Supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)
• Bonus program
• Paid time off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Wellness program
• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description:

The Columbia, SC office is seeking a Senior Geotechnical Engineer to lead, manage, execute, and provide technical support, in a team setting on a variety of challenging geotechnical and interdisciplinary infrastructure projects. This role will be an integral part of the development of a cohesive and positive culture for the Columbia, South Carolina office and work company-wide to cultivate a best-in-class environment that allows our people to realize their full potential. 

Job Responsibilities:

Candidate will serve as a Supervising Geotechnical Engineer. Major focus areas for the role include:

• Manage, execute, and provide technical support, in a team setting and on a variety of challenging geotechnical and interdisciplinary infrastructure projects.
• Developing geotechnical engineering scope of services and fee estimates
• Responsibilities may include planning, managing preparing for, and oversight of geotechnical and geologic field investigations.
• Reviewing field investigation boring logs, evaluating instrumentation and monitoring data, assigning project-specific soil and rock laboratory testing.
• Conducting engineering analyses, calculations, and design specific to soil and rock mechanics, foundation design, fill placement/ground modification, seepage evaluations, slope stability analyses, and seismic analyses.
• Preparation and review of geotechnical engineering reports, technical documents, and presentations, for a variety of applications, projects, and clients.
• Perform project management activities including communicating (internally) resource needs, managing client expectations, planning and delegating work, management of project budgets, invoicing and backlog reporting. Manage client relationships, new and existing. 
• Communicate (externally) with clients, sub-consultants, team members, and regulators, establish goals and objectives for project teams, and schedule and coordinate resources, to deliver projects on time, within budget, and to the quality expectations of the client.
• Serve as a direct supervisor – Oversee, develop, and mentor geotechnical engineering staff.
• Participate in business development activities as instructed by the branch leader.
• Participate in the development of a cohesive, positive culture for Columbia, South Carolina office and company-wide to cultivate a best-in-class environment that allows our people to realize their full potential. 
• Contribute to maintaining and developing Schnabel’s strong brand in the geotechnical and water markets through thought leadership embodied in published papers, white papers, and participation at recognized conferences and workshops.

Required Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Geotechnical and/or Civil Engineering from an ABET-accredited program
• 15 years of relevant professional experience in geotechnical engineering
• Must be able to lead, supervise, and mentor junior engineers, technicians, and geologists 
• Prior experience with geotechnical transportation, dam, geostructural, and mining related design
• Familiar with LRFD, AASHTO, and other local DOT required design codes
• Familiar with SCDES, FERC, USACE, NRCS, and other federal and state dam design guidelines
• Professional Engineering license in South Carolina or another US State
• Extensive geotechnical background, including a strong fundamental knowledge of principles of geotechnical and geostructural engineering, soil and rock mechanics, earthquake engineering, and groundwater hydrogeology
• Relevant geotechnical expertise with bridges and culverts, MSE walls, deep foundations, shallow foundations, ground improvement, liquefaction analysis and mitigation, static and seismic slope stability analysis, deformation analysis, bearing capacity determination, and settlement analysis
• Relevant geotechnical expertise with dams and water impounding structures, cofferdams, and other hydraulic structures, including but not limited to seepage, static and seismic slope stability analysis, liquefaction analysis, deformation analysis, bearing capacity determination, and foundation and settlement analysis
• Strong technical background using various geotechnical and computer-aided design software, such as Geostudio, Rocscience, gINT, PYWall, LPILE, GROUP, and AutoCAD/Civil 3D. Numerical modeling using programs such as PLAXIS and FLAC are a plus.
• Must have proficiency and thorough understanding of the SCDOT Geotechnical Design Manual and procedures.
• Excellent oral and written English technical verbal and written communication skills. 
• Ability to multi-task 
• Strong work ethic and a desire for continual self-improvement 
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment 
• Confidence and independence, with a shared sense of responsibility.
• Must be able to occasionally travel to project sites, both local and remote, and be able to lift heavy loads (up to 25 pounds).

Preferred Skills/Experience: 

• Master’s Degree or higher in Geotechnical or Civil Engineering  
• Experience managing geotechnical services for Design-Bid-Build and alternative delivery projects
• Prior experience providing geotechnical engineering services for agencies such as SCDOT, NCDOT, GDOT, CSX, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, or similar
• Prior experience providing geotechnical engineering services for agencies such as SCDES, USACE, FERC, NRCS, or similar

Other Requirements:

• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record, credit check.
• Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening

The compensation range for this position is between $120K to $180K. Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.

Salary : $120,000 - $180,000