Principal Geotechnical Engineer in Birmingham

Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom

Overview

In this newly created role you will join our growing Ground Engineering team. You'll work alongside industry experts including geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, geomorphologists and numerical modelling specialists, leading the delivery of complex infrastructure projects across the UK and internationally.

You'll join a collaborative team of around 40 ground engineering specialists in Birmingham, supported by a UK‑wide Ground Engineering community of more than 300 professionals, delivering projects from concept through to construction while helping clients solve complex ground engineering challenges through practical, buildable solutions.

Why Join?

You will join a business that empowers its people to take ownership, develop their careers and contribute to some of the industry's most exciting projects, including transportation, energy, water, aviation and the built environment, expanding our capability footprint. We are looking for an experienced ground engineering professional to play a leading role in shaping the future of the team.

Opportunities

You will have the opportunity to:

• Work across critical energy, power, transportation, aviation, water and wider infrastructure projects.
• Lead and influence high‑profile infrastructure projects.
• Take ownership of projects from design through to construction and delivery.
• Collaborate with experts in geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, geomorphology, geohazards and advanced numerical modelling.
• Be recognized for your impact, contribution and capability, not time.
• Work in a collaborative culture that values initiative, innovation and sound engineering judgement.
• Have the opportunity to influence the growth and continued development of a well‑established Ground Engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver geotechnical and earthworks design packages.
• Act as a technical lead on projects, providing guidance and assurance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Produce and review calculations, reports, specifications and drawings.
• Manage projects from concept development through to construction support.
• Work closely with contractors and site teams to manage ground‑related risks.
• Embed safety in design and CDM principles throughout project delivery.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and key stakeholders.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring and support to colleagues, helping facilitate their professional and personal development.
• Contribute to client relationships, work‑winning activities and the continued growth of the Ground Engineering team.

Project Deliverables

• Slope stability assessment and design.
• Ground improvement.
• Retaining structures.
• Earthworks and mass haul planning.
• Geotechnical risk assessment and management.
• Numerical modelling using PLAXIS, FLAC or 3DEC.

Qualifications

• Chartered status (CEng, CGeol or equivalent).
• Experience delivering geotechnical design, assessment and risk management projects.
• Strong understanding of ground engineering principles and their application.
• Good understanding of construction methodologies and buildability considerations.
• Experience within Design & Build or contractor‑led environments.
• Confidence to lead projects and make decisions independently.
• A passion for developing others and contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Get Involved

If you are ready to take the lead on projects that shape the future of infrastructure, apply today.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations.