HKA
Director, Forensic Geotechnical Consulting

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HKA is a global leader in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, and expert witness services. We tackle complex challenges with our multi-disciplinary expertise.
As trusted consultants and advisors, we deliver solutions in uncertain and disputed situations, ensuring the best outcomes for clients worldwide. Our experts have testified globally on major cases spanning across a wide range of industries and sectors.
As part of the HKA team you can expect:
- Exposure to complex, high-value disputes involving transportation, infrastructure, energy, tunneling, dams, airports, and other major construction projects.
- Mentorship from nationally recognized geotechnical and forensic engineering experts with experience serving as technical and testifying experts in litigation and arbitration matters.
- The opportunity to develop expertise in forensic engineering, expert witness consulting, and dispute resolution while working on some of the industry's most challenging technical investigations.
The Opportunity
HKA is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineer to support forensic investigations, develop technical opinions, prepare expert reports, and assist with complex claims, arbitration, and litigation matters. This role offers the opportunity to work on high-profile disputes involving major transportation, infrastructure, energy, water, underground construction, and heavy civil projects throughout North America and internationally.
Working alongside nationally recognized experts, you will investigate complex geotechnical and construction issues involving differing site conditions, foundations, earthwork, slope stability, groundwater, retaining structures, and standard of care matters while building expertise in forensic engineering and dispute resolution.
Responsibilities
- Conduct forensic investigations involving geotechnical, geologic, civil, and construction-related issues.
- Analyze project documents, geotechnical reports, plans, specifications, construction records, schedules, and testing data.
- Assist in determining the cause of failures, defects, cost overruns, delays, differing site conditions, and construction disputes.
- Perform geotechnical engineering analyses involving foundations, settlement, slope stability, retaining structures, seepage, shoring, and underground works.
- Support field investigations, site inspections, testing programs, and root cause evaluations.
- Develop technical findings and assist in forming expert opinions.
- Prepare forensic engineering reports and technical memoranda.
- Support attorneys, insurers, owners, contractors, and other clients involved in claims, arbitration, mediation, and litigation.
- Review engineering standard of care, construction practices, and compliance with applicable codes and industry standards.
- Communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
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Skills & Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related field.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- 1+ years experience serving as a testifying expert witness in litigation, arbitration, mediation, or other dispute resolution proceedings.
- 1+ years experience preparing expert reports, supporting attorneys, and working within litigation, claims, or dispute resolution environments.
- 6+ years of geotechnical engineering experience, preferably in a consulting function.
- Experience performing geotechnical investigations, engineering analyses, and technical report preparation.
- Strong understanding of foundations, earthwork, slope stability, retaining structures, groundwater, and related geotechnical issues.
- Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
Preferred
- Master's degree or above in Geotechnical Engineering or a related discipline.
- Experience evaluating differing site conditions, construction defects, geotechnical failures, or professional standard of care matters.
- Experience with transportation, infrastructure, heavy civil, utility, energy, tunneling, airport, dam, or water projects.
- Familiarity with Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, CM/GC, and other alternative delivery methods.
- Existing client relationships, book of business, or recent experience in a revenue-generating consulting or expert services role.


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What we offer:
- Salary range of $200,000 - $240,000 depending upon transferable skills, qualifications and overall fit.
- We also offer our full benefits package which includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, paid time off and holidays, performance-based bonuses, professional development opportunities, and more.
At HKA we recognize that our people are critical to our ongoing success. Our priority is to provide an inclusive and collaborative culture aimed at providing the best opportunities for our people to thrive and develop in their chosen career path.
Our Global Recruitment team is committed to providing an authentic candidate experience for all those who take the time to apply to HKA. We are committed to providing an efficient and insightful recruitment process giving candidates a true reflection of life at HKA.
Fairness and Equality at HKA:
HKA works hard to provide a welcoming environment for all of our employees. We are committed as a business on the continued improvement of our fairness and equality strategy. Please visit our website for further information or feel free to ask our recruitment team for further information.
All HKA employment decisions shall be made in accordance with controlling laws and based on merit.
Stay Alert: Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams
Please be aware that HKA only publishes official job postings on our website (Join Us | HKA) and on verified job boards. We will never ask for sensitive personal information during the job application process. If you have any doubts, we recommend you visit our website to verify job listings before applying. If you would like more confirmation, please feel free to email us at enquiries@hka.com to check the authenticity of a job posting.
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