Associate (Geotechnical/Numerical Modelling)

Do you want to be a part of our growing Ground Engineering discipline? Can you collaborate on projects across a diverse team? Are you experienced in numerical modelling in geotechnical design? Then, this could be the next adventure in your career.

Create Solutions that will enable a better tomorrow. To further strengthen the discipline, we are looking for an Associate to join our Ground Engineering team. Working in the Geotechnical space on various infrastructure projects, you’ll be responsible for numerical modelling within our ground engineering team.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Coordinate the development, execution, and review of advanced numerical models for complex soil–structure interaction problems using industry standard tools (e.g., PLAXIS 2D/3D).
• Design, validate, and optimise geotechnical FE models, ensuring that modelling assumptions, boundary conditions, constitutive soil models, and FE predictions are aligned with industry best practice guidance.
• Provide specialist technical oversight for soil structure interaction assessment on major infrastructure projects (tunnels, deep excavations, foundations, retaining systems, offshore structures, etc).
• Integrate numerical modelling outputs into wider design processes, collaborating closely with civil and ground engineering teams.
• Prepare high‑quality technical reports that clearly communicate modelling approaches, assumptions, sensitivity analyses, and engineering implications to clients and stakeholders.
• Coordinating the delivery of your projects to time and budget, ensuring a high standard of technical quality and compliance with our internal management systems.
• Maintaining and enhancing client relationships through your project work, including identifying and realising any potential business opportunities.
• Assisting with the preparation of bids and tenders and supporting the Directors in pursuing business development opportunities if required.
• Production of engineering design, assessment or checking work including preparation or checking of calculations, written reports, drawings, models and other contract deliverables.
• Support and guide junior engineers in numerical modelling techniques, good modelling practice, verification/validation processes, interpretation of complex outputs supporting the growth of technical excellence within the team.
• Contribute to innovation within the Ground Engineering discipline, including development of automation workflows, parametric modelling, scripting, and advanced visualisation of soil structure interaction behaviour.
• Act as the technical point of contact for numerical modelling in client and internal meetings, providing advice on modelling‑led design decisions.

Your skills. Our team. Together we design the future. Like us, you believe that leadership success comes from setting a clear and meaningful direction for your team and supporting them in taking ownership of their work. You always delegate responsibility and ensure an open and safe dialogue, and you coach your people to achieve their aspirations through constructive, fact-based feedback. Attracting and nurturing a diverse group of high-potential team members is at the top of your agenda, as is creating an inclusive, caring and trusting culture in your team.

On top of that, you’ll have:

• Hold Chartered Civil engineer status (MICE or equivalent).
• Experience working in the Geotechnical space of projects.
• The ability to lead project teams and oversee the delivery of projects, either as client's or contractor's designer.
• Accomplished team leader skills with the ability to support, mentor and develop less experienced engineers.
• The interpersonal skills and aptitude to work collaboratively in a diverse multi-disciplinary team.
• A technical background, able to demonstrate a deep understanding and enthusiasm for geotechnical engineering.
• Solid grasp of geotechnical engineering design principles and their integration with numerical modelling outputs, demonstrating the ability to translate complex analyses into clear engineering recommendations.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, enabling effective collaboration in a diverse, multidisciplinary environment.
• A collaborative approach to problem-solving, with a commitment to quality, rigour, and best-practice modelling governance.

A place to work and so much more. At COWI, we work together with our customers to shape a sustainable and liveable world. We do it by applying our knowledge and curiosity – and sometimes even our courage – to create the solutions the world needs today to enable a better tomorrow. We support our customers’ transition towards increased sustainability. We strive to lead by example by embedding environmental management, social responsibility and good governance into our business practices and the options we provide to our customers. We value differences and development and cultivate an environment of belonging and having fun. Because that is what brings out the best in you, at work and at home.

With offices primarily located in the Nordic region, the UK, North America and India, we are currently more than 7,500 people who bring the expertise in engineering, architecture, energy and environment into play.

What we also offer:

• 28 days' holiday (plus bank and public holidays).
• Formalised development plans and yearly promotion opportunities.
• Private health care, for you and your immediate dependents.
• Flexible and hybrid working conditions.
• Annual subscription fees paid for your membership of two Professional Institutions.
• Group personal pension scheme – salary exchange.
• Life assurance.

Got more questions? If you have any unanswered questions about the role or what we have to offer, please reach out to Ciaran Gilfedder at CIGI@COWI.COM. Get to know us even better at our website, www.cowi.com, where you can learn more about our projects, our strategy, what we want to achieve and what life is like at COWI.

Equal opportunity employer. COWI provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.