Geotechnical Group Leader Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Location: Asheville, NC; Charlotte, NC, Columbia, SC; Greenville, SC or Spartanburg, SC

Report To: Department Manager

Status: Full-Time

As a Senior Geotechnical Engineering Consultant for Bunnell Lammons Engineering, Inc. (BLE), you will play a crucial role in advancing excellence within our growing Regional Geotech Group. Your responsibilities include serving our long-term clients, expanding our current geotechnical capabilities, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment, and cultivating enduring professional relationships. This role offers a favorable work-life balance while providing opportunities to contribute to challenging and distinctive engineering projects.

Our Geotechnical group focuses on serving projects for our solid waste, mining, and power industry clients. These projects span a multitude of geotechnical support roles, from geotechnical exploration in support of Phase 1 Development and infrastructure/support structure design to geotechnical support during site operation and closure, as well as geologic hazard mitigation (structural improvements, ground improvements, and slope stabilization, etc.).

Join us in shaping the future of geotechnical engineering while becoming a part of BLE’s next generation of leaders.

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering with a geotechnical focus. Masters is preferred.
• 10-25 years of relevant professional experience.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in South Carolina or North Carolina, with the ability to become licensed in additional southeastern states within six months.
• Extensive knowledge of geotechnical design and construction requirements for retaining structures, deep foundations, earthwork construction, and ground improvement technology. Knowledge of construction practices and design of solid waste and containment facilities and geosynthetics design.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time for site meetings, marketing, technical seminars, regulatory seminars, engineering workshops, and client development within the southeastern US.

• Perform technical oversight, project management, client management, and business development for the Regional Geotech Group under the direction of the Geotechnical Department Manager.
• Provide mentorship and coaching to staff and project-level engineers within the geotechnical group.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including industry leaders, potential clients, and government entities, to drive business growth and enhance market position.
• Oversee and contribute to internal training seminars, as requested by the Technical Services Director, to promote continuous learning and knowledge-sharing within the organization.
• Review proposals and actively participate in business development activities to identify new revenue streams.
• Review written reports and ensure quality and commitment to BLE’s clients.
• Explore and adopt new technologies to improve project efficiency, quality, and objectives, including electronic field data collection and reporting.
• Provide expert interpretation of analytical data in support of a wide variety of projects. A sample of project types may include:
• • Design support for Solid Waste site lateral or vertical expansions
  • Construction review for containment geosynthetics testing of landfill cells or closures
  • Exploration of coal combustion residue impoundment ponds
  • Geotechnical exploration and design for leachate tanks
  • Forensics investigation for slope stability failures within soils and various waste landfills.
• Geotechnical monitoring programs. Monitoring may include piezometric pressures, settlement, inclinometer, and survey of movements.
• Assignment and review of soils laboratory testing, including compaction, index, consolidation, and strength testing.

• Maintain and apply advanced expertise in geotechnical science.
• Exercise sound judgment and decision-making in evaluating complex technical challenges and risk-based site closures.
• Keep current with industry innovations, emerging methods, processes and changes in state, federal, and ASTMs governance laws.
• Demonstrate the ability to synthesize technical information into actionable recommendations for diverse audiences, including legal counsel and executive management.

• Lead and direct the Geotechnical Department’s technical team to deliver high-quality projects efficiently.
• Set clear objectives, define performance expectations, and ensure accountability within the team.
• Develop and implement targeted training programs to enhance technical capabilities and field protocols.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and technical excellence.

• Educate engineers, and technicians on technical methods and environmental best practices.
• Conduct formal technical reviews and provide constructive feedback to enhance quality and performance.
• Encourage professional development and support team members in achieving professional certifications and career milestones.
• Inspire a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and technical innovation.

• Act as the primary technical liaison for major clients, ensuring responsiveness to inquiries and alignment on project goals.
• Build long-term strategic relationships that enhance client trust and retention.
• Deliver clear, well-supported technical guidance tailored to client business needs.
• Develop a deep understanding of client objectives to proactively address geotechnical risks and opportunities.

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities aligned with the firm’s strategic goals in the Regional Geotechnical sector.
• Collaborate on the preparation of technical proposals, qualifications packages, and presentations.
• Represent BLE at industry conferences, technical committees, and client events.
• Contribute to strategies that strengthen the firm’s position as an industry leader in geotechnical consulting.

• Work closely with Environmental, Civil, and Construction Materials Testing teams to ensure coordinated project execution.
• Facilitate cross-disciplinary problem-solving to enhance project outcomes for multi-service sites.
• Participate in internal planning sessions to align regional geotechnical strategies with overall project objectives.
• Share technical knowledge across departments to support broader organizational goals.

• Review scopes of work and contracts for technical accuracy, feasibility, and compliance.
• Identify technical and regulatory risks and communicate them clearly to stakeholders.
• Advise project managers and legal teams on contractual obligations related to environmental performance and site closure.
• Support risk management strategies to mitigate potential liabilities and protect the firm’s reputation.

• Evaluate project outcomes and departmental performance against defined and quality objectives.
• Analyze data from completed projects to identify trends, potential risks, and opportunities for process improvement.Develop and present technical performance reports to senior management.

• Maintain recognized expertise in geotechnical regulations, ASTM standards, and emerging methods.
• Contribute to technical publications, white papers, and industry presentations.
• Serve as a thought leader within the firm and industry, sharing expertise through training and mentoring.
• Continuously enhance technical knowledge through professional development and industry engagement.

• Strategic – Take a long-range, broad approach to problem-solving and decision-making through objective analysis, thinking ahead, and disciplined planning and execution.
• Communication – Explaining things clearly and thoroughly; expressing thoughts and ideas readily; keeping others well informed; setting forth viewpoints; being explicit about what is needed and wanted.
• Excitement – Getting others enthusiastic and involved; engaging in a high-energy manner; generating excitement; being lively and dynamic; creating a high-activity environment.
• Management focused – Making things happen; being influential; taking control of a situation; providing guidance to others; and acting as a facilitator; Always leave or end conversations with clients and co-workers feeling better for having met you.

Background checks are carried out as part of any conditional offer made, including (but not limited to & role dependent) education, professional registration, employment, references and global watchlist screening.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship and able to interview on site where the position is located.

• Vehicle allowance (conditions apply)
• 401(K) with partial company matching.
• Life Insurance
• Short/long term disability
• Paid vacation
• Paid sick leave.
• Employee Stock Ownership Program (conditions apply)

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and is not a comprehensive list of all duties, functions, or procedures that may be required. The organization reserves the right to modify this description and may, from time to time, reassign employees to alternate positions based on business needs. Such changes may occur without prior notice and are aimed at ensuring operational efficiency.