Senior Geotechnical Engineer

Fraser Valley (Abbotsford), British Columbia

Permanent, Full-Time 

About the Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a well-established, employee-owned Canadian geotechnical consulting firm with a strong regional presence across British Columbia and beyond. Our client has built an outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality geotechnical engineering services across transportation, infrastructure, natural hazards, and development sectors.

Their Fraser Valley office, based in Abbotsford, is an intentionally built team serving what the firm identified as an underserved market in the Lower Mainland. With a strong junior team in place, they are now seeking an experienced Senior Geotechnical Engineer to establish the senior technical presence in the office — someone who can mentor staff, manage client relationships, and help grow a thriving practice in the valley.

This is a high-impact role for a technically strong engineer who knows the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley — its geology, its clients, and its project landscape. You’ll work alongside a collaborative team with daily connection to the Vancouver office, contributing to a firm that genuinely rewards those who help grow it.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Serve as the senior technical lead in the Abbotsford office, providing engineering leadership and mentorship to junior and intermediate staff
• Manage geotechnical projects from scoping and proposals through to delivery, ensuring technical quality, client satisfaction, and budget adherence
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, with a focus on Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) and municipal clients across the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland
• Review and sign off on technical analyses, calculations, and client reports
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in collaboration with firm leadership
• Contribute to cost estimates, tender submissions, and project scheduling and resourcing
• Collaborate daily with the Vancouver office team to ensure a fully integrated regional practice — not a siloed one
• Participate in fieldwork on a project-specific basis as needed
• Travel to project sites and client offices across the Lower Mainland as required

The Work

BC geotechnical work demands a breadth and complexity that sets it apart. The Fraser Valley presents a distinct set of ground conditions — from soft deltaic and alluvial soils, to fluvial hazards, to challenging terrain on valley slopes — and requires engineers who understand the regional context. The Abbotsford office serves a healthy project mix, with a primary focus on transportation and municipal infrastructure. Key clients and project types include:

• Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) — the firm’s largest client, including highway work, the Fraser River crossing project, and widening projects at Langley
• Municipal infrastructure: dykes, drainage, utilities, and civic development
• Larger landmark projects (e.g. pipeline and major infrastructure corridors)

As secondary work, our client does do some:

• Commercial and light institutional buildings
• Private developers across a range of project scales

The firm is in a strong position — they do not need to chase mega-projects to stay busy. Their sweet spot is a diverse, reliable mix of smaller Ministry contracts and private work alongside larger infrastructure projects. Minimal residential development work.

What We’re Looking For

Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of geotechnical engineering experience, with meaningful project leadership exposure
• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in British Columbia, with your designation held for several years — this is a well-established senior role
• Strong working knowledge of BC’s Lower Mainland ground conditions, design standards, and regulatory environment
• Proven experience managing clients, scoping projects, and delivering technical work on time and on budget
• Comfortable delegating to junior and intermediate staff and reviewing their work
• Completion of a post-secondary degree in Civil or Geological Engineering; graduate degree (M.Eng., M.Sc., or Ph.D.) is an asset
• Class 5 Driver’s License and comfortable operating pickup trucks in urban, rural, and construction environments

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in geotechnical analysis and design; experience with foundation analysis, slope stability, terrain analysis, or natural hazards is a strong asset
• Familiarity with MOTI standards, municipal infrastructure requirements, and BC-specific codes and practices
• Experience with geotechnical software applications
• Strong technical writing and report preparation skills

Who You Are

• A collaborative, client-facing engineer who is equally comfortable in a boardroom and on a job site
• Based within a reasonable commute of Abbotsford — candidates in the Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey, Burnaby, or Coquitlam areas are strongly encouraged to apply
• Someone who takes pride in mentoring the next generation of geotechnical engineers
• A self-starter who brings both technical credibility and business awareness to a growing regional office

Note: Upper-level Intermediate Engineers with a strong track record may also be considered for the right candidate.

Compensation & Benefits

Our client offers a highly competitive total compensation package reflecting the seniority of this role:

• Base Salary — Senior: $135,000 – $175,000 per year
• 4 weeks paid vacation, plus a banked time system (take additional time off or convert to additional pay)
• Annual bonus review
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits package
• EGBC membership covered, plus one additional professional association
• RRSP matching: 3% immediately, increasing to 5% after 5 years of service
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

Company Culture

This is more than a job — it’s an opportunity to help shape a growing regional presence in the Fraser Valley. Our client has a strong internal development culture.

• Flat organizational structure with direct access to senior professionals and subject matter experts across the firm
• Collaborative, inclusive, and professional culture with a track record of long-tenured staff
• Financial support for professional development and continued education

How to Apply

This search is being conducted confidentially. The name of our client will not be shared until mutual interest has been established.

If you are a P.Eng.-registered geotechnical engineer with Lower Mainland experience and an interest in a senior engineer role in Abbotsford, we’d welcome a conversation.

Please apply with your resume in confidence. All applications are held in strict confidence.

Recruitment conducted by a search firm on behalf of a confidential client. We thank all applicants; only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.