Assistant Vice President, Geotechnical Engineering Manager
WSP · Louisville
This Opportunity
WSP is currently initiating a search for an Assistant Vice President, Geotechnical Engineering Manager for our Louisville, Kentucky office. This leadership opportunity is ideal for a highly experienced geotechnical professional who combines deep technical expertise with proven people leadership, business development, and operational management experience. The successful candidate will play a critical role in growing WSP's geotechnical practice, developing high-performing teams, strengthening client relationships, and delivering innovative infrastructure solutions that support long-term business success. As a member of regional leadership, you will help shape strategy, drive operational excellence, and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and technical excellence.
In this role, you will provide subject matter expertise, technical leadership, and strategic guidance for multi-site and multi-phase due diligence, investigation, remediation, impact assessment, permitting, design, and construction projects for public and private sector clients. Responsibilities include research, design, concept development, planning, and construction support for facilities, roads, buildings, tunnels, dams, canals, levees, bridges, water supply systems, underground storage facilities, and wastewater treatment infrastructure.
You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders to deliver resilient infrastructure solutions that support sustainable growth while meeting the highest standards of safety, quality, technical excellence, and innovation. As a trusted advisor and leader, you will help drive project success, mentor emerging professionals, lead business growth initiatives, and contribute to the ongoing expansion and development of WSP's geotechnical practice.
Your Impact
- Provide oversight with collecting, compiling, and analyzing data from physical work sites, soil, water, sludge, and rock samples, surveys, blueprints, GIS data, subsurface utility information, maps, hydrologic analyses, geotechnical data, and other sources for project development, design, and construction.
- Apply advanced geotechnical engineering techniques and processes to support complex infrastructure projects through concept development, preliminary design, final design, procurement, construction, and operations.
- Perform professional geotechnical engineering work and lead complex investigations and inspections of proposed and existing site conditions, including subsurface investigations, foundation engineering, settlement analysis, soil erosion, lateral earth pressures, geological hazards, groundwater conditions, and slope stability assessments.
- Develop construction plans, specifications, cost estimates, construction safety plans, and phasing plans while coordinating with project owners, internal disciplines, subconsultants, and clients.
- Lead projects from planning through construction, including grading, drainage, foundation systems, retaining structures, embankments, and other geotechnical elements supported by soil and rock mechanics.
- Support the advancement and implementation of innovative engineering approaches, monitoring technologies, modeling techniques, and future-ready design solutions that enhance infrastructure performance and resilience.
- Lead and oversee a portfolio of geotechnical projects, including project planning, financial performance, budget management, resource allocation, staffing, schedule development, risk mitigation, and quality assurance to achieve operational and business objectives.
- Review permit applications, design plans, specifications, engineering contracts, and construction activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and sound engineering practices.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to public and private clients by providing technical expertise and solutions to complex engineering and construction challenges.
- Prepare and oversee technical reports, studies, presentations, and recommendations, clearly communicating findings and solutions to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Drive business development initiatives, cultivate strategic client relationships, lead pursuits and proposal efforts, negotiate contracts, and identify opportunities for revenue growth and market expansion across the region.
- Lead, mentor, and develop geotechnical engineering staff through coaching, performance management, succession planning, technical development, and career growth initiatives while fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and continuous learning.
- Lead recruiting, hiring, onboarding, retention, and workforce planning activities to support the continued growth and success of the geotechnical practice.
- Provide leadership in workload forecasting, resource management, and utilization planning to ensure efficient project delivery and employee engagement.
- Partner with regional and national leadership to establish strategic goals, operational priorities, technical standards, and growth initiatives aligned with WSP's business objectives.
- Champion employee engagement, safety culture, accountability, and professional development while promoting WSP's values and commitment to technical excellence.
- Serve as a senior technical and business advisor, supporting complex project decisions, risk management strategies, and executive-level client engagements.
- Collaborate with engineers, planners, environmental professionals, and infrastructure authorities on Federal, State, regional, and locally funded projects.
- Stay current with emerging geotechnical engineering practices, technologies, and industry trends.
- Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company resources and conduct while adhering to WSP's Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
- Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering with a focus in Geotechnical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
- 10+ years of relevant post-education experience in geotechnical engineering and design.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license required; multi-state registration preferred.
- Demonstrated expertise in geotechnical engineering principles, practices, design, construction, permitting, and project delivery.
- Strong experience supporting infrastructure planning, design, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and construction management projects.
- Thorough knowledge of applicable building codes, construction regulations, permitting requirements, and compliance practices.
- Advanced technical proficiency in engineering calculations, geotechnical analyses, design development, and interpretation of engineering plans and specifications.
- Experience planning and conducting field investigations, inspections, and site assessments related to civil and geotechnical engineering projects.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical information to diverse audiences.
- Strong leadership, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills with demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams, managing employee performance, and effectively engaging clients, regulators, project managers, and executive stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams and managing project portfolios, including staff development, performance coaching, resource planning, succession planning, and maintaining strict adherence to QA/QC standards.
- Proven experience managing business operations, project financials, utilization, forecasting, and resource planning within a consulting engineering environment.
- Demonstrated success in business development, client account management, proposal development, and revenue growth.
- Experience recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing technical teams.
- Demonstrated ability to influence strategic decision-making and collaborate effectively with senior leadership to achieve business objectives.
- Experience preparing and reviewing highly technical reports, calculations, specifications, and engineering deliverables.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
- Demonstrated success coordinating subcontractors, project teams, and stakeholders to safely and efficiently meet project objectives.
- Proven commitment to workplace safety and adherence to WSP health and safety requirements.
- Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and adapt effectively within a fast-paced environment.
- Occasional travel may be required based on project and client needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Engineering.
- 40-Hour OSHA Health & Safety Training (HAZWOPER) (29 CFR 1910.120) preferred.
- Basic First Aid and Adult CPR training desired.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and industry-related software including AutoCAD Civil 3D, ArcGIS, GeoStudio/GeoSlope, ANSYS, STAAD, HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, MicroStation, InRoads, and Geopak.
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WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
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