HB Tunnelling Ltd
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
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Senior / Associate Geotechnical Engineer – Tunnels & Trenchless
Role Overview
HB Tunnelling is seeking an experienced Geotechnical Engineer to support the design, planning, and delivery of complex shaft, tunnelling, and trenchless construction projects throughout the UK. This is a senior technical role with involvement across the full project lifecycle, from tender-stage assessment and early contractor involvement through detailed design, construction, and completion. The successful candidate will provide specialist geotechnical input into ground investigations, interpretation of ground conditions, shaft and tunnel design, constructability assessments, technical reporting, and third-party approval processes.
The role will include developing and reviewing ground investigations and Geotechnical Interpretative Reports; assessing soil, rock, and groundwater conditions; and advising on appropriate construction techniques, supporting the design and assessment and associated temporary works.
A key part of the position will be preparing and managing technical submissions for crossings beneath highways, railways, canals, rivers, and other third-party infrastructure. This will include submissions under DMRB CD 622, Network Rail UTX procedures, Canal & River Trust Forms 1 and 2, and the technical approval processes of other asset owners and regulatory authorities.
The successful candidate will work closely with HBT’s estimating, design, commercial, project, and operational teams, together with external designers, clients, and approving authorities. They will be expected to provide clear, practical, and commercially aware advice that converts complex geotechnical information into safe and buildable construction solutions.
The role will also provide technical support to live projects, including reviewing actual ground conditions against design assumptions, responding to changes encountered during construction, and assisting site teams with groundwater, ground stability, settlement, obstructions, and other geotechnical challenges.
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Key Responsibilities
Ground Investigation and Geotechnical Assessment
- Develop, scope, and review ground investigations for shaft and tunnelling projects.
- Prepare and review GI specifications, factual reports, GIRs, and geotechnical interpretative reports.
- Assess ground conditions, groundwater, soil and rock strength, abrasivity, contamination, and other construction risks.
- Provide geotechnical parameters and recommendations for tunnel, shaft, and temporary works design.
Shaft, Tunnel & Trenchless Design
- Support the design and assessment of suitable solutions.
- Review shaft stability, base stability, bore stability, groundwater control, ground loading, settlement, and soil–structure interaction, volume loss, etc.
- Assess methodology, machine selection, driveability, jacking forces, and ground-treatment requirements.
- Coordinate with specialist designers and independently review design submissions, calculations, and drawings.
Highways, Rail, Waterway, and Third-Party Approvals
- Prepare and manage technical submissions under DMRB CD 622 for trenchless crossings beneath highways.
- Support Network Rail UTX approval processes and associated technical submissions.
- Prepare Canal & River Trust Form 1 and Form 2 submissions for crossings beneath canals and waterways.
- Coordinate approvals with highway authorities, Network Rail, utility companies, environmental bodies, asset owners, and other third parties.
- Respond to technical comments and manage submissions through to acceptance.
Technical Reporting and Documentation
- Prepare technical reports, feasibility studies, option assessments, risk registers, design briefs, and construction methodology documents.
- Review geotechnical and tunnelling information provided at the tender stage and identify key risks, exclusions, and further information requirements.
- Produce clear technical recommendations for clients, designers, and project teams.
- Support the preparation of tender submissions and early contractor involvement studies.
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Construction and Operational Support
- Provide practical geotechnical support to live projects.
- Review actual ground conditions against the design assumptions and available GI.
- Assist with construction issues involving ground instability, groundwater, settlement, obstructions, and changing ground conditions.
- Work closely with site teams to develop safe, practical, and commercially appropriate solutions.
- Capture lessons learned and support continuous improvement across HBT projects.
Experience and Qualifications
- Degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Geology, or a related discipline.
- Significant experience in geotechnical engineering, ideally involving shafts, tunnelling, pipe jacking, or trenchless construction.
- Strong knowledge of soil mechanics, rock mechanics, groundwater, and soil–structure interaction.
- Experience managing and interpreting ground investigations and preparing GIRs.
- Working knowledge of CD 622, Network Rail UTX procedures, and third-party infrastructure approvals.
- Experience preparing high-quality technical reports and design submissions.
- Chartered status, or working toward chartership, would be preferred.
- Strong commercial awareness and an ability to convert geotechnical information into practical construction solutions.
Personal Attributes
- Technically strong with an in-depth understanding of geotechnical engineering.
- Practical and construction-focused approach to problem-solving.
- Able to communicate complex technical matters clearly.
- Confident working with clients, designers, contractors, and approving authorities.
- Capable of managing several projects and technical submissions simultaneously.
- Willing to visit projects throughout the UK as required.
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