Head of Department - Ground Investigation in England

Join to apply for the Head of Department - Ground Investigation role at Murphy Geospatial, a Woolpert Company. Would you like to be part of our winning team and get the opportunity to work on a variety of high-profile projects across the UK, Europe and the US? Want a role with constant opportunity for upskilling and progression? Then Murphy Geospatial is the company for you!

About Us

Murphy Geospatial is part of Woolpert, a premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and consulting firm with over 2,000 employees and over 60 offices on five continents. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm and has earned seven Great Place to Work certifications. Murphy Geospatial captures, collates, verifies and governs geospatial data, enabling our clients to make informed decisions across the project lifecycle.

The Opportunity:

Murphy Geospatial is seeking an experienced Head of Department to develop and lead our Ground Investigation services across the UK. This is a fantastic opportunity for a geospatial professional to play a strategic role in shaping ground investigation operations, driving innovation, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality survey projects. You will oversee all stages of GI/SI projects, from planning to completion, while developing a dedicated team of geotechnical engineers. The successful applicant will be reporting to the Managing Director, in a hybrid role based out of Watford, Birmingham or Manchester.

What will I be doing in my new role?

• Project Planning & Execution: Plan, schedule, and deliver ground investigation projects in line with client requirements, budgets, and timelines. Manage GI resources including equipment, personnel, and subcontractors. Ensure quality and safety standards are met across all projects. Lead, train, and mentor geotechnical engineers and data analysts. Promote a strong safety culture and apply lessons learned from incidents. Work closely with Commercial and Operations teams to provide scopes, quotes, and delivery schedules for new and existing clients.
• Technology & Innovation: Keep up to date with technologies and new service offerings. Review and optimise workflows to improve efficiency and outputs.
• Client Relationship Management: Build and maintain trust with clients through technical expertise. Ensure deliverables meet or exceed client expectations and align with Murphy Geospatial’s vision and values. Provide guidance on geospatial best practice and methodology.
• Business Development: Develop and review investigation methodologies in line with BS 5930, EC7, CIRIA and client-specific requirements. Collaborate with clients, suppliers, subcontractors, and partners to secure and grow business. Produce and review factual and interpretative reports with geotechnical recommendations and risk assessments.
• Strategic Growth: Discover and implement innovative technologies for competitive advantage. Foster partnerships and initiatives to position Murphy Geospatial as a market leader in GI deliverables. Support the Managing Director in strategic planning, including scaling the GI offering across the region.

Requirements of the role:

• Bachelor’s degree in Geomatics, Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering or similar.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a management role within Geotechnical Engineering or Ground Investigations.
• Detailed understanding of a range of ground investigation service offerings including but not limited to; window sampling, cable percussive, rotary, CPT, and trial pitting.
• Full clean UK manual driving licence.
• Willingness to travel to project sites.
• Right to work in the UK.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Membership to appropriate institution (Desirable).

What key attributes do I need?

• Customer-focused with strong interpersonal skills.
• Passionate about the GI/geospatial industry.
• Self-motivated, innovative, and technically aware.
• Strong time and priority management skills.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Commercial awareness with an understanding of budgets and deadlines.

Employee Benefits:

• Company Vehicle/Car Allowance (Role dependent).
• Access to company Healthcare/ Dental Scheme after 6 months’ service.
• Allowance payments when working away.
• Education assistance and career development.
• Access to auto enrolment Pension Scheme.
• Annual salary review.
• Early Friday finish.
• Referral Bonus.
• Service Awards.
• Principal program: Earn the opportunity to become an owner of the firm.
• Death in Service Scheme.
• Employee Assistance Program; Including Wellbeing.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Companywide Social Events.

Why build your career with Murphy Geospatial?

• Widely Recognised: We are widely recognised as one of the most experienced, professional, innovative, and technologically proficient surveying companies today.
• Cutting Edge Technologies: we use only the very latest technological equipment.
• Support network: We pride ourselves on our excellent support network of employees and management who are always eager to help each other.
• Equality & Opportunity: We are fully committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in our employment practices.
• Breadth of Experience: We branch across all sectors of industry giving our staff opportunities to gain a broad base of knowledge and experience.
• Learning & Growth: We support and develop our people to enhance their technical and personal competencies towards the achievement of their ambitions.
• Exclusive Clients: We are proud to work with a broad spectrum of exclusive clients.

Murphy Geospatial are proud to be an employer of equal opportunities. We encourage people with different beliefs, abilities, backgrounds and relevant life experiences to apply to our vacancies.