Senior Engineering Geologist in Leeds

Mott MacDonald’s Water Consultancy Division seeks a senior geotechnical engineer to develop design solutions across the full project life cycle, including foundation, slope, earthwork, retaining wall, dam and reservoir engineering, and geotechnical risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop design solutions and associated deliverables, drawing on a range of geotechnical skills.
• Design foundations, slopes, earthworks and retaining walls, working closely with structural engineers on soil‑structure interaction.
• Apply geotechnics to dam and reservoir projects.
• Conduct geotechnical risk management through desk studies, site investigation, data management and ground modelling.
• Supervise junior staff and provide technical and professional guidance.
• Deliver packages of design work, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring quality control and managing inputs from other team members.
• Advance the team’s capability by promoting technical excellence and digital innovation.
• Possibly engage in project commercial management and proposal preparation.
• Communicate the social outcomes of your work.

Candidate Specification – Essential

• Master’s level degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering or Engineering Geology.
• Chartered status with a relevant professional body (e.g., ICE).
• Experience developing innovative geotechnical solutions to current design standards, with particular exposure to water sector and dam engineering an advantage.
• Proficiency in foundation, slope and retaining wall design software; experience with numerical modelling software and coding skills is an advantage.
• Experience of implementing or constructing design solutions on site.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills, with the ability to collaborate across all staff levels and to develop junior colleagues.
• Ability and enthusiasm to supervise the work of others, including checking and approving key deliverables.
• Project management experience and demonstrable technical lead and collaborative capabilities.

Agile Working

Hybrid working is supported with the expectation that roughly 50% of time is spent at the Leeds office, adjusted as business and individual needs require.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We promote fair employment practices and an inclusive environment, providing equal opportunities for all.

Accessibility

Support is available for disabled applicants. Contact reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com for assistance during the recruitment process.

Benefits

• Employee pension matching between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance up to 4× basic salary, optionally increasing to 6× salary.
• Income protection scheme with long‑term illness and injury support.
• Flexible benefits including life assurance, critical illness insurance, payroll savings and will writing.
• Annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• No external investors; culture of shared success.
• Stake and voice in the business with direct connection to performance bonuses.
• Long‑term growth of stake correlates with career progression.
• Opportunity to engage directly with senior leadership.
• Direct pathway towards ownership for senior roles.

Health and Wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan.
• Access to Peppy, a menopause support service.
• Wide range of wellbeing support for you and your family.
• Flex your salary to opt into health benefits, extendable to family.

Lifestyle

• Minimum 33‑35 days holiday per year, inclusive of public holidays; additional leave available via flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increases to a minimum of 35 days after five years of service.
• Employee saving schemes and discounts from high‑street retailers.

Enhanced Family and Carer Leave

• 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave.
• Two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Up to five additional days of leave for caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• Shared parental leave matches maternity leave; up to 24 weeks at full pay.

Learning and Development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• Opportunities for technical and soft‑skill development through mentoring, formal training and self‑development options.

Networks, Communities and Social Outcomes

• Participation in Advanced Employee Networks supporting LGBTQ+, gender, race, disability and parent/carer communities.
• Contribution to social outcomes within communities.