SUMMARY:
SRK Consulting (Pty) Ltd
External Vacancy
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
A vacancy for a Senior Geotechnical Engineer has become available in our Cape Town office. Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill this position.
Description:
We are seeking an experienced Senior Geotechnical Engineer to join our team in Cape Town. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership on a broad range of geotechnical projects, including investigations, analysis, design, monitoring and reporting. This role is suited to someone with strong technical capability and proven project delivery experience, who enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams, engaging with clients, and mentoring junior staff. You will be responsible for planning and leading geotechnical investigations and designs for projects such as foundations, slopes, retaining structures, tailings dams, excavations, linear infrastructure and related civil works.
POSITION INFO:
Qualifications, Experience and Skills:
The candidate must have:
Essential:
A Bachelor’s degree in
Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Engineering Geology, or a closely related field.
A minimum of 8 to 10 years’ relevant experience in geotechnical engineering.
Strong technical grounding in soil mechanics, rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering, with demonstrated application on complex or challenging projects.
Professional registration (Pr Eng or equivalent) with the relevant professional body.
Demonstrated experience in:
- Planning and managing geotechnical site investigations.
- Geotechnical design of foundations, slopes, retaining structures, excavations and/or dams and related infrastructure.
- Preparing and technically reviewing geotechnical reports, design deliverables and specifications.
- Proven ability to plan and manage projects or work packages, including scheduling, resourcing and meeting deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience interacting with clients.
- A valid driver’s licence with reliable transport.
- A valid passport and willingness to travel to remote project sites; occasional regional/international travel may be required.
Advantageous (non-essential):
- Experience on projects in sectors such as infrastructure, transport, water, mining or industrial developments.
- Proficiency with geotechnical analysis and modelling software (e.g. Slide, SLOPE/W, PLAXIS, SEEP/W or similar).
- Experience in construction supervision, QA/QC, and performance monitoring of geotechnical works.
- Experience mentoring junior and mid-level engineers / engineering geologists.
Roles and responsibilities:
As a Senior Geotechnical Engineer, you will:
Lead geotechnical investigations
- Plan, scope and manage geotechnical investigations (boreholes, test pits, in situ tests, instrumentation).
- Oversee and guide junior staff and contractors during fieldwork.
- Ensure logging, sampling and test selection are carried out in accordance with standards and project requirements.
Lead geotechnical analysis and design- Lead the geotechnical design of Shallow and deep foundations, Slopes and embankments, Retaining structures and excavations, and Ground improvement and other geotechnical solutions as required.
- Select and apply appropriate analytical and numerical methods; critically review and interpret results.
- Oversee the preparation of design drawings, cross-sections and details in collaboration with designers/drafters.
Monitoring and performance assessment- Develop and review geotechnical monitoring and instrumentation strategies where required.
- Interpret monitoring data and assess performance against design expectations.
- Provide recommendations for mitigation, optimisation or remedial works as necessary.
Technical reporting and client interaction- Take responsibility for authoring and reviewing geotechnical reports, design reports, specifications and technical memoranda.
- Present findings and recommendations to clients and project teams clearly and professionally.
- Participate in and, when appropriate, lead client meetings, workshops and site visits.
Project management and coordination- Plan and manage project tasks, budgets and timelines for geotechnical components of projects.
- Coordinate inputs from multidisciplinary teams (e.g. structural, civil, environmental, water).
- Contribute to fee proposals, scopes of work and resource planning, and support business development activities.
Team leadership and mentoring- Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior and mid-level staff.
- Contribute to internal knowledge sharing, technical standards and quality assurance processes.
- Promote a strong health, safety and environmental (HSE) culture, particularly in field and construction environments
Core Competencies:
We are looking for a senior professional who is:
- Technically strong – demonstrates sound engineering judgement and robust analysis, with practical and buildable solutions.
- Quality-driven – maintains high standards in technical work, documentation and deliverables.
- Organised and accountable – able to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively and deliver to agreed deadlines.
- An effective communicator – able to convey complex technical concepts clearly in writing, presentations and discussions.
- Collaborative – works well within multidisciplinary teams and supports the development of others.
- Proactive – takes initiative, identifies risks and opportunities, and follows through on responsibilities.
- Field-competent – comfortable with site work (when required), including visits to remote locations, in line with HSE requirements.
Salary and Rewards:
Market related with Company Benefits.
We believe that people are our major asset. Our ability to attract and retain highly motivated employees is largely dependent on the opportunities that we provide for individuals to satisfy their personal goals within the framework of the organisation. In order to achieve these objectives, we aim to:
- Pay above-average packages for good performance and monitor the remuneration structure in each relevant market so that we don’t fall behind;
- Accommodate individual preferences for work assignments and schedules as far as possible;
- Support an open-door policy. Where employees feel they have difficulty in discussing concerns with their seniors, they have direct access to any Partner, Member of the Human Resources Committee or the Human Resources Manager and ultimately the Managing Director.
We believe that a high-quality organisation relies on high quality employees in all posts and at all levels.
Upon becoming a permanent member of staff, the Company will endeavour to pay an annual performance bonus to each permanent employee as a reward for individual / financial performance. The Company reserves the right to pay an interim bonus during the year, normally in December. This forms part of the annual bonus.
The Company is an employee-owned Company. In line with the Company policy, an offer of available shares is made each year and employees are encouraged to invest in their Company. Partners consider the views of shareholders on the admission of new employees as shareholders.
Detailed applications must be forwarded to the Human Resources Department via the website
