Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Job Description Take Your Delivery Management Career to the Next Level Kleinfelder, a Forbes' Top Employer for Engineers in North America, is committed to a people-first culture, technical excellence, and creating opportunities where employees can thrive! Do you have a passion for managing budgets, meeting deadlines, and exceeding client expectations? Our delivery management professionals are involved in project delivery from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closeout. Each phase requires strong attention to detail while communicating with internal and external stakeholders. Do you have a proven track record in managing goals and objectives? Consider joining our team and work with peers who have vast industry knowledge and experience solving complex problems. Step into Your New Role Kleinfelder is seeking a Principal Geotechnical Engineer (Transportation Focus) to join our Southern California team in Laguna Hills. This hybrid role blends remote work, in‑office collaboration, and occasional field engagement to lead and manage large transportation infrastructure and other types of projects. It is an excellent opportunity for a technical leader who thrives on managing and delivering complex projects, guiding multidisciplinary teams, mentoring junior engineers, engaging with clients, and contributing to strategic business development efforts. Our team supports a diverse portfolio of challenging and high‑visibility projects within a design center that includes geotechnical, bridge, structural, civil, and water resources engineers, geologists, environmental professionals, and laboratory and construction oversight personnel. We work across a wide range of public and private infrastructure systems—including bridges, transit systems, roadways, water, stormwater, wastewater, and power systems, dams, tunnels and HDD installations, wet and dry above and below-ground utility infrastructure, commercial and high-rise structures, and deep excavations—often in dense urban environments or difficult terrain. This role requires a strong ability to plan, manage, coordinate, and execute projects with technical rigor and operational discipline as well as positioning for competitive pursuits and engaging with clients for development of business, contributing to the success of the Southern California area. Qualifications The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Civil, Geotechnical, or Geological Engineering. This role leads geotechnical projects from proposing and concept through closeout, combining project‑management capability with a deep, progressively responsible background in geotechnical engineering. Ideally, the candidate has 8+ years of geotechnical engineering experience related to transportation projects, 5+ years of experience managing multidisciplinary teams, guiding technical decision‑making, and ensuring that geotechnical considerations are fully integrated into project strategy, risk management, and client communication. The candidate should also have a minimum of 5 years pursuing RFPs/RFQs, managing client accounts, and tracking the profitability and performance of their project/client portfolios. A Master’s degree in Geotechnical or Geological Engineering is strongly preferred. A California P.E. license is required. A California G.E. license, or the ability to obtain one within one year of hire, is highly desirable. This position will be managing large, complex, multi-disciplinary transportation infrastructure projects, along with other types of projects. Therefore, a minimum of 5 years of transportation-related project experience and management is strongly preferred. Key Responsibilities Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams in the development of proposals, project execution plans, and technical deliverables. Provide leadership, project oversight, and strategic direction for complex technical and field assignments. Plan, manage, and oversee field exploration programs and construction oversight activities with a strong emphasis on safety, quality, and schedule adherence. Perform, delegate, and review a wide range of geotechnical analyses, including soil and rock classification, foundation design, settlement analysis, slope stability, seismic hazard evaluation (ground motions, liquefaction, lateral spreading), and earth retention systems. Develop and deliver high‑quality technical documents, including geotechnical engineering reports, memorandums, proposals, specifications, and related deliverables. Maintain active involvement during the construction phase to support design intent, troubleshoot field issues, and ensure alignment with project requirements. Cultivate strong client relationships through proactive communication, responsiveness, and tec