Forensic Civil Engineer

About the role

The opportunity is for a highly experienced Forensic Civil Engineer with a focus on civil and municipal infrastructure, including transportation systems, utilities, stormwater, water/wastewater facilities, grading, site development, and public works.

Responsibilities

• Lead forensic investigations involving horizontal civil infrastructure, including:
• Transportation/roadways and pavement systems
• Stormwater, drainage, and hydrologic/hydraulic systems
• Water/wastewater treatment, pump stations, distribution/collection systems
• Utilities (water, sewer, gas, telecom)
• Site development, grading, earthwork, erosion/sediment control
• Conduct site inspections and civil-focused root cause analyses following failures, flooding events, pavement distress, service disruptions, and construction or design disputes.
• Prepare clear, defensible forensic reports for use in litigation and arbitration.
• Provide expert witness testimony in court (depositions, mediations, arbitration, and trial), including experiences as the engineer of record for courtroom proceedings.
• Collaborate with attorneys, insurers, municipal agencies, owners, and multidisciplinary experts to develop integrated evaluations.
• Advise clients on remediation strategies, design issues, standards of care, and civil system performance.
• Apply extensive experience in civil design, including:
• Roadway and transportation design
• Stormwater system and drainage design (H&H, SWM, E&S)
• Utility design (water, sewer, dry utilities)
• Grading, land development, and municipal/public works projects
• Pavement design and evaluation
• Water/wastewater facility or system design
• Review design plans, specifications, calculations, permitting documents, and construction records for compliance and standard of care.
• Perform or direct field diagnostics such as flow testing, drainage investigations, pavement assessments, and civil system evaluations.
• Develop remediation and repair recommendations tailored to civil infrastructure failures.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Civil Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required; NCEES record preferred.
• 15+ years of civil engineering experience, with substantial civil design background (transportation, stormwater, utilities, municipal engineering, water/wastewater, or site development).
• 2+ years of Forensic Engineering experience.
• 1+ years documented experience providing expert witness testimony in court, including depositions and trial testimony.
• Strong analytical capabilities in forensic evaluation, hydrology/hydraulics, civil system diagnostics, and failure analysis.
• Exceptional communication skills for technical reporting and courtroom testimony.
• Willingness to travel for site investigations and client engagements.
• Physical ability to perform field assessments.

Preferred but not required

• Multi-state PE licensure.
• PTOE or transportation/traffic engineering expertise.
• Municipal/public agency plan review experience.
• Stormwater/NPDES permitting experience.
• Design or forensic experience involving drainage failures, pavement performance issues, flooding events, erosion/sediment issues, utility failures, or land-development infrastructure performance.

What we offer

• A strong collaborative culture with a mutual pursuit of your success alongside the success of our teams.
• The opportunity to solve problems creatively, contribute to our innovative direction, and be valued as an individual.
• The ability to leverage HKA’s strong network and presence in various industries and reputation for exceptional expert witnesses to accelerate career development and connections.

About HKA

HKA is one of the world’s leading consultancy of choice for multi-disciplinary expert and specialist services in risk mitigation and dispute resolution within the capital projects and infrastructure sector. We also have experience advising clients on the economic impact of commercial and investment treaty disputes and in forensic accounting matters. As trusted independent consultants, experts and advisors, we deliver solutions amid uncertainty, dispute and overrun, and provide the insights that make the best possible outcomes a reality for public and private sector clients worldwide.