Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Permanent employee, Full-time · GDG Dublin

About Venterra:

Venterra is a global wind energy services company, engineering, building and supporting major wind and renewables projects around the world. Our clear purpose: accelerate the global energy transition by becoming the go-to services provider and strategic partner for the rapidly expanding wind industry.

Our diverse team of experts is dedicated to making net zero a reality. We offer specialised services across the entire project lifecycle, including:

  • Geoscience consultancy
  • Environmental expertise
  • Design services
  • Project advisory
  • Survey capabilities
  • Construction support & back-deck mission equipment

By acquiring and bringing together leading offshore engineering and marine science companies like Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions, CAPE Holland, INSPIRE Environmental, Partrac and Ordtek, we provide the most comprehensive services and expertise in the market. And we're not done growing yet, which means there are plenty of exciting career opportunities on offer for our team.

At Venterra, sustainability, safety, and quality are prioritised in everything we do, reducing project risk, time, and cost for our clients.

About GDG/Venterra:

At GDG/Venterra, we are experts at finding innovative engineering solutions to support some of the most challenging offshore wind, marine and infrastructure projects around the world.

Offering advice, consultancy support and engineering expertise, our team of specialist engineering consultants is focused on developing the most sustainable design solutions for our clients.

With a foundation in geoscience and geotechnical engineering, our expertise has grown to include foundation design, cable engineering and general civil infrastructure design, as well as environmental science and emerging energy technologies.

We are committed to supporting projects that contribute to the global sustainability agenda, such as enhancing infrastructure for climate change resilience, supporting offshore wind developments, engineering onshore wind infrastructure and assessing the carbon footprints of conventional civil schemes.

At GDG/Venterra, we thrive on engineering innovation, and our team of industry experts constantly push boundaries to define a new state-of-the-art.

Our Design Team:

GDG has extensive expertise in the design of geotechnical structures in an urban environment, enabling an effective and economical design.

The GDG structures team consist of highly qualified engineers from a broad spectrum of engineering and science backgrounds. We work in an integrated fashion to deliver efficient investigations and design solutions.

GDG is committed to providing flexible and bespoke approaches to Clients, delivering robust and concise information, placing outcomes in context with practicable solutions, tailored to suit any project.

GDG has a highly skilled Ports & Harbours design team, capable of finding solutions to the most complex of engineering problems.

We specialise in providing expert advice in relation to the design of marine infrastructure throughout every stage of a project. Our range of clients includes ports and harbours operators, fellow consultants, as well as marine civil engineering contractors

Role Description:

An experienced geotechnical engineer is required to take a leading role within the Onshore geotechnical engineering team operating between the GDG offices, and work with an established department of engineers on a range of geotechnical design projects across the UK & Ireland.

Varying degrees of experience will be considered, however, candidates would typically have a masters degree in a relevant subject and possess approximately ten years’ relevant experience in geotechnical design. Candidates should hold a full UK or Ireland driving license, have excellent skills communicating with colleagues and clients (both written and verbal), and have some experience as a line manager.

Strong preference would be given to candidates who have worked extensively on pile design &

  • ground improvement design and validation
  • temporary works design and approval
  • a working knowledge of piling/deep foundation design and construction methodology

Candidates should be a chartered engineer/geologist or working towards chartership, and also be well-practiced with routine geotechnical assessments (e.g. advising on and overseeing suitable foundation solutions, earthworks methods, slope stability and settlement modelling).

The role will be mainly office based, but can include a mixture of client meetings, site supervision and networking. The role will include tendering fee proposals for projects and frameworks, and working with the senior management team to continue the planned growth of the business.

Developing and winning new business, maintaining client existing client accounts is a key part of the role.

It is also expected that you will support and mentor the career development of junior engineers

Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead designer for deep foundation projects including piling, embedded retaining walls and ground improvements
  • General Geotechnical and Geo-Structural analysis work that also includes reinforced soil slopes, mass gravity walls and shallow foundation design (ground movement assessments and settlement analysis).
  • Developing ground models and determining geotechnical parameters.
  • Line Managing and Mentoring junior engineers
  • Scoping and producing specifications for ground investigations associated with the above.
  • Coordinating or leading Site Supervision of geotechnical investigations and earthworks.
  • Client liaison and project management
  • Assisting Sector Heads and Sales Director in Business Development.

Key Skills/Experience:

  • Excellent communication and presentation skills;
  • Desire to line manage and mentor junior staff
  • Technical report writing (including Desk Studies and Ground Investigation Reports)
  • Experience of soil logging UK and/or Irish soils/rock to BS: EN 5930:2015 is desirable;
  • Excellent knowledge of relevant aspects of Eurocode 7 and UK/Ireland National Annex design codes.
  • Expertise with geotechnical design software used for deep foundations such as Oasys Suite/Wallap/Plaxis etc is desirable
  • A full clean driver’s licence.

Education/Qualifications:

  • Hold a University Degree in Geotechnical/Geology related discipline
  • Chartered or approaching chartership with ICE or IEI
  • Safe Pass or CSCS card (or equivalent in different jurisdictions)

Additional Requirements:

Candidates should be highly organised and motivated individuals with effective communication skills, a good work ethic. Candidates require a commitment to their career progression through Continued Professional Development, GDG in turn are committed to supporting your professional growth and providing a structured path to Chartership.

Right to Work:

At this time, we are only able to consider applicants who are authorized to work in the UK or ROI without visa sponsorship.

At Venterra:

At Venterra, we are committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We take inclusion and diversity seriously. We know that getting this right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values. We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. We are an equal opportunity employer. Our vision is for Venterra to be a place where people of all ethnicities feel welcomed to work.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
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