Senior Geotechnical Project Engineer (Leadership Track)

ECS is hiring a Senior Geotechnical Project Engineer for our Denver, CO office. This is a senior consulting engineering role built for someone who wants to lead projects now and grow into Department Manager, then branch or regional leadership over time. You will run subsurface investigations, develop geotechnical design recommendations, and deliver clear, defensible reports for projects across commercial development, transportation, municipal infrastructure, industrial, and residential.

Responsibilities

Project delivery and client execution

• Manage and execute geotechnical engineering projects across Denver and the surrounding region.
• Coordinate with clients, contractors, and internal teams throughout the project lifecycle to confirm scope, schedule, and deliverables.
• Manage compliance with project scopes, schedules, and budgets, including change management and coordination of project documentation.
• Support marketing with proposals and project management with cost estimates, and project plans for geotechnical scopes.

Technical leadership

• Conduct and supervise field exploration programs including soil borings, test pits, CPTs, and geophysical surveys.
• Perform advanced geotechnical analyses including slope stability, settlement, shallow and deep foundations, and earth retention systems.
• Prepare and review geotechnical reports, proposals, and technical deliverables.
• Coordinate with CMT field and lab technicians and use their findings in reports and recommendations.
• Conduct field and in-situ testing as needed.

Team leadership

• Mentor and guide junior staff, including review and feedback on technical work and deliverable quality.
• Contribute to consistent technical execution through QA/QC habits, practical coaching, and knowledge sharing across the team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or Geotechnical Engineering.
• Active PE license in any U.S. state with ability to obtain Colorado PE by comity/reciprocity within 6 months.
• 5+ years of geotechnical engineering experience in a consulting engineering setting.
• Strong understanding of subsurface investigations, laboratory testing programs, and geotechnical design principles.
• Experience with foundation systems, retaining structures, ground improvement, and forensic investigations.
• Experience with common geotechnical tools such as GeoStudio, gINT, LPile, or similar.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Geotechnical Engineering.
• Familiarity with CAD and/or MicroStation for collaboration with design teams.
• Experience in proposal writing and business development.
• Project management experience with DOT or large-scale commercial, residential, municipal, and retail clients.
• Active participation in professional organizations such as ASCE, DFI, or Geo-Institute.

Growth and Leadership Path

This role is structured for someone who wants a longer runway beyond project execution. You will work closely with local leadership on client delivery, mentoring, and project planning, with opportunities to expand into people leadership and operational responsibility as you demonstrate readiness. Over time, the goal is progression from leading projects to leading a team, then owning a larger slice of client relationships and group performance.

Military Qualifications

• The following US Military ranks will qualify for this position IF they also meet the education and licenses requirements from the above section titled "Required Qualifications":
• E-7

The expected pay range for this role and location is $100,000 - $140,000/year. The final agreed-upon compensation will be determined based on specific location and other individual qualifications.

ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 3,000 employees in 100+ offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #60 in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms (April 2026), #148 in Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms (October 2025) and #50 in Zweig Group's Hot Firm List (May 2025). For additional information about ECS, visit: www.ecslimited.com.

ECS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To learn more, clickhere.