Geotechnical Engineering Lead (Transportation)

About the role

Arcadis is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineering Lead to join our Transportation team in Atlanta, GA. This role will support a variety of transportation infrastructure projects, including bridges, retaining walls, embankments, pavement design, foundations, and related heavy civil and earthen structures. The ideal candidate will bring progressive geotechnical engineering experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary transportation design teams. Experience with bridge foundation design, retaining wall design, pavement design, slope stability, seepage, foundation analyses, settlement, liquefaction, seismic evaluations, and DOT transportation projects is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and coordinate geotechnical field investigations and laboratory testing programs.
• Review boring logs, laboratory data, subsurface conditions, soil mechanics, rock properties, and groundwater impacts.
• Perform geotechnical analyses for bridges, retaining walls, MSE walls, embankments, approach fills, pavements, deep foundations, drilled shafts, driven piles, spread footings, and other transportation structures.
• Develop geotechnical recommendations to support designs, drawings, specifications, reports, design memoranda, bid packages, permitting, and construction documents.
• Perform engineering analyses including settlement, bearing capacity, slope stability, seepage, lateral earth pressures, liquefaction, seismic evaluations, deformation analysis, and foundation analysis.
• Support preliminary and final design phases by coordinating with civil, structural, bridge, and geotechnical engineering teams.
• Oversee geotechnical work delivered by sub-contractors and vendors.
• Provide construction-phase services, including field observations, foundation installation reviews, pile driving support, embankment construction monitoring, subgrade stabilization, construction administration, and inspection coordination.
• Coordinate with DOT clients, contractors, multidisciplinary project teams, and local agencies while maintaining strong written and verbal communication.
• Ensure work complies with applicable DOT, AASHTO, FHWA, safety, quality, and local agency requirements.
• Travel to project sites, client meetings, safety audits, and construction oversight activities as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geological Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive geotechnical engineering experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Geologist (PG) certification.
• Experience supporting bridge, transportation, or heavy civil infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of soil mechanics, foundation engineering, geotechnical field investigations, laboratory testing programs, and geotechnical design software.
• Strong technical writing, communication, and coordination skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 20 years of geotechnical engineering experience, preferably with transportation infrastructure projects.
• Experience managing project teams and collaborating across technical disciplines.
• Experience with GDOT and other State DOTs.
• Experience with design-build delivery.
• Familiarity with AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and applicable DOT/FHWA requirements.
• Proficiency with geotechnical software such as gINT, OpenGround, GeoStudio, SEEP/W, SLOPE/W, CWALSHT, PYWall, LPILE, GROUP, SHAFT, PLAXIS, or similar tools.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• 401K retirement plan.
• Short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D), and life insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Reward & recognition program.
• Optional benefits including wellbeing benefits, adoption assistance, and tuition reimbursement.
• Nine paid holidays and 15 days PTO that accrue per year.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $136,400 - $204,600. Actual salaries will vary and are based on several factors, such as experience, education, budget, internal equity, project, and location.