Vice President Geotechnical Engineering Practice Lead

This Opportunity

WSP is currently initiating a search for a Vice President, Geotechnical Practice Area Lead for our growing geotechnical team based in Boise, ID. Be involved in energy, transportation, water infrastructure, and commercial/industrial projects with our Ground Engineering and Materials; Earth and Environment Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client’s objectives and solves their challenges.

In this role you will provide leadership and expertise for a geotechnical team executing small to large field programs in energy, transportation, water infrastructure, and commercial/industrial projects. Responsibilities include building our business and teams with client engagement, business development, managing and providing support on large, diverse projects with services that include an emphasis on geohazard identification, field reconnaissance, managing subsurface investigation programs, engineering design, construction support, and geohazard monitoring and geotechnical instrumentation. 

Your Impact

• Providing leadership and direction for a growing geotechnical practice.
• Develop and retain a client base for providing high level geotechnical engineering services
• Collaborate across business lines to help develop and support opportunities and projects including geotechnical aspects. 
• Apply high-level geotechnical engineering techniques and processes to identify improvements for various infrastructure project phases involving engineering work including concept development, preliminary design, final design, procurement, construction, and operation. 
• Perform professional geotechnical engineering services and conduct more complex/comprehensive investigations and inspections of proposed and existing site conditions, including subsurface investigations, soil foundation engineering, settlement analysis, geological hazards, slope stability
• Remain current in latest geotechnical engineering techniques and practices.
• Lead larger-scale geotechnical engineering projects, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring satisfactory performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
• Assist with engineering review of permit applications, engineering design plans and specifications, standby plans and engineering contracts, and periodic construction observation/site visits, to ensure that they comply with design requirements.
• Ensure technical reports and presentations explain research, findings, and recommendations to prevent, control, restore, or address design, and/or construction issues or opportunities. 
• Meet with client representatives to discuss issues relating to a variety of engineering/construction challenges and programs. 
• Mentor staff to support their growth and professional development.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering with geotechnical focus, or closely related discipline.
• 15+ years of relevant post education experience in engineering and geotechnical design. 
• Professional Engineering License in Western US State(s), ability to become licensed in the state of Idaho. 
• Proficient with geotechnical engineering principles, practices, process, design/build, and the application to permitting and project work-related issues.
• Experience with planning, design, and program/construction management; including project involvement in a variety of mitigation, new design, and construction projects. 
• Strong knowledge of relevant construction laws, codes, regulations, permitting, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements.
• Proficiency with technical writing, office automation, discipline-specific design software (i.e., Slide,LPILE, etc.), technology, math principles, predictive models, spreadsheets, and tools.
• Experienced with providing critical review for documents and preparing technical deliverables and plans with a high degree of complexity.
• Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to apply technical knowledge to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, computations, statistical analysis and arriving at effective, economical, and logical solutions.
• Demonstrated effectiveness at coordinating and assertively directing subcontractors and others to consistently complete tasks safely and efficiently.
• Experience with client management and business development in the Idaho market.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
• Must successfully complete and pass WSP’s Motor Vehicle screening.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s or Doctorate Degree in Geotechnical Engineering.
• Knowledge and experience in Western U.S. geographies
• Basic First Aid and Adult CPR training desired.
• Involvement in professional industry organizations (e.g., ASCE, ACEC).
• Experience working on high-voltage transmission and/or Idaho Transportation Department projects.

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