Principal Engineer Geotechnical

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of our sectors in North America—including Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water—we empower our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work.

About the role

We are seeking a Principal Geotechnical Engineer to join our team in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region. This dynamic role involves collaboration with senior project engineers on a wide variety of infrastructure projects, including transportation, offshore wind and solar, stormwater and wastewater treatment plants, underground, roadway, and dams. The successful candidate will solve technical problems, evaluate risks, pursue new opportunities, and mentor younger staff.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead project teams to deliver projects on time and within budget
• Lead and manage staff engineers, supporting their career and technical development
• Promote technical excellence within the broader Mott MacDonald organization
• Provide technical and commercial input into project proposals
• Develop relationships with other discipline leads and project managers to foster collaboration on multidisciplinary projects
• Write and review reports, specifications, and contract drawings for submission to clients (internal and external)
• Liaise with clients, attend progress meetings, and produce reports on progress
• Provide expert engineering input into designs
• Assess subsurface conditions and develop design criteria
• Develop engineering concepts and articulate them to the team
• Identify, evaluate, and communicate risks and potential risk mitigation options to clients and management

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in geotechnical engineering (Master’s preferred)
• 15+ years of related experience
• PE License in one or more states, including state of residency (NY/NJ preferred)
• Established track record in geotechnical design based on project experience
• Experience working with government and local agencies, long linear projects (tunnels, pipelines, bridge/highways), and energy projects (wind, solar, transmission)
• Knowledge and experience in geotechnical design, including shallow and deep foundations, settlement evaluation and mitigation, slope stability, and ground modification
• Experience with commercially available software (Lpile, Slope/W, RSPile, Settle3, Open Ground, etc.)
• Experience developing geotechnical business and client relationships
• Experience in geotechnical risk determination and management

Benefits

• Employee ownership with a stake and voice in the business
• Personal and group performance bonuses
• Comprehensive benefits package, including 401k, medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Short-term/long-term disability coverage
• Paid holidays, PTO, and parental leave
• Company-paid life insurance

Pay

Individual pay is determined based on work location, education, experience, and unique skills. The expected salary ranges for this position are:

• New York: $154,000 - $188,000
• New Jersey: $145,000 - $177,000
• Massachusetts: $156,000 - $191,000

Schedule

This is a full-time, hybrid role requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office. Work patterns are designed to balance flexibility with collaboration to meet client, team, and personal commitments.

Locations: New York, NY; Westwood, MA; Iselin, NJ