Geotechnical Staff Engineer

Overview:

Universal Engineering Sciences (UES) is a nationwide leader in Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Materials Testing and Inspection, Building Code Compliance, Environmental, Occupational Health and safety, and Building Envelope services.

Summary:

The Staff Engineer has a key role responsible for coordinating with clients, and contractors, conducting site investigations, analyzing data, preparing reports, designing solutions, and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. The ideal candidate is a reliable, trustworthy individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment where collaboration and autonomy are valued. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Analyzes test data and evaluate the allowable bearing capacity and potential settlement for shallow foundation support
• Classifies soil samples according to procedures outlined in ASTM, USDA, or ASSHTO specifications obtained from site locations and draft boring logs using GINT software
• Evaluates and determine the most cost-effective ground improvement technique to allow for shallow foundation support, including but not limited to vibro replacement, rigid inclusions in place soil mixing, chemical grout, and aggregate piers
• Evaluates and analyze slope stability, including reinforced earth walls with and without surcharge loading
• Performs or monitor dynamic load tests or PDA (Pile Driving Analyzer) on concrete or steel piles to evaluate the shaft integrity, driving stresses, and hammer energy in the field
• Provides lateral earth pressure design parameters to aid the structural engineer in the design of retaining earth structures
• Prepares design plans with respect to project needs and specifications with specific attention to issues and skills of project monitoring, controlling, and closing
• Prepares engineering and design documents using computer-assisted engineering, design software, and equipment, including AutoCAD, Slope.W, Seep/W, Allpile WEAP, and Finite Element Method in Geo-Structure
• Analyzes slope stability of earth-retaining structures using the data obtained from the field exploration
• Calculates cost and determine the feasibility of various foundation systems based on analysis of collected data and make alternative recommendations
• Ensures that all work is completed in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations
• Provides clients with proposals
• Prepares geotechnical reports under the guidance of a professional licensed engineer
• Attends project meetings with clients to guarantee project specifications are being met
• Completes daily time and labor reports in accordance with company policy
• Turns in required paperwork daily
• Regular attendance is required
• Must be flexible to changing schedules and hours to support business needs. Overnight and weekend schedules may be necessary to support business needs
• Follows all company safety procedures and policies
• Other duties may be assigned

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Valid Florida Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record (in accordance with our Driver’s License and Motor Vehicle Record Check Criteria)
• Ability to pass a background check screening in accordance with Florida’s Jessica Lunsford Act (or equivalent state classification) 
• Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in civil, geotechnical, mechanical, chemical engineering, geology, or similar, from a four-year college or university; one to two years of experience and/or training
• Proficiency in using programs such as AutoCAD, Slope/W, Seep/W, Allpile WEAP, and Finite Element Method in Geo-Structure
• Ability to read & write, including interpreting documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals, as well as the ability to write routine reports and correspondence and speak effectively with colleagues, supervisors, and customers/clients 
• Mathematical skills sufficient to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals 
• Reasoning ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, and diagram form

  Preferred Qualifications:

• Engineering Intern (E.I.) certification
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) certification
• Master’s degree in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, or similar
• American Concrete Institute (ACI) certifications
• FDOT CTQP Certifications

Physical Demands & Work Environment 

• Required to drive, stand, walk, use hands to type, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance, talk, and hear; body motions and movements include bending, twisting, reaching, stooping, pulling, kneeling, lifting, carrying, and pushing, with or without reasonable accommodation
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 35 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation
• Job site conditions may or may not be accessible by vehicle, including wetlands, swamps, grasslands, and fields with uneven surfaces, sand, brush, and other natural and man-made obstacles
• This job is primarily performed in an office setting, but field visits may be required where regular exposure to outside weather conditions and construction sites where the noise level is usually moderate to loud

UES is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Affirmative Action Employer, and a Drug-Free Workplace. The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.