Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Principal Geotechnical Engineer (Geotechnical & Geoenv)

Where strategy meets success, join our team.

About us

Salary - Competitive

Work Type - Hybrid

Job Location - Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 3LP

Role Type - Permanent

Employment Type - Full Time

Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week

United Utilities’ (UU) purpose is to deliver great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society.

We value diversity, inclusion and innovation in our workplace, and we foster a culture where our people can grow, excel, and be themselves.

We uphold our ethics, values and business model to fulfil our mission and, by setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable long-term value for our colleagues, customers and communities. Whether you work with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation to be part of.

We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll be part of a thriving FTSE 100 company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution.

Benefits

• A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service (increases one day per year), in addition to 8 bank holidays
• A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover
• Car cash allowance - £5,000
• Up to 20% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements
• A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme
• MyGymDiscounts - gym and wellness benefit that offers up to 25% off on gym memberships and digital fitness subscriptions
• Best Doctors
• Salary Finance
• Wealth at Work courses
• Deals and discounts
• EVolve Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Mental health first aiders
• ShareBuy
• MORE Choices flexible benefits
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Chief Engineer you will provide Ground Engineering specialist input to UU Capital Programmes and our impressive range of existing assets from improved CSOs to major Dam enhancements. Responsible for providing leadership in Geotechnical and Ground Engineering to all areas of UU supporting our largest ever AMP programme. You will have responsibilities for delivery areas or major projects and programmes and you will develop strong working relationships with internal clients and partners.

Your specialist skills will be required across UU both on the Capital Programme or at any point in the asset lifecycle. You will be responsible for maintaining your highest professional standing and recognition and for leadership and line management of talented team members of the Ground Engineering Discipline; you will enjoy mentoring and developing engineers from the team and across the business.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Maintain those qualifications and registrations that are specialist to the role, maintain and develop their own engineering expertise and mentor, develop and share their technical knowledge and experiences with colleagues.
• Working closely and developing strong relationships with all internal clients (e.g. DM’s and RDM’s) and partners, demonstrated via feedback.
• Understand and continue to assist in development of the business approaches such as regulatory risk management and Portfolio Risk Assessment
• Provide Engineering support to specialist reservoir and ground engineering work including design and technical engineering advice to all areas of UU, these areas may include Better Rivers, Wastewater and the Reservoir capital programme, effective liaison with catchment and operations will be necessary. Wider support to Capital Delivery, studies (strategic and project specific) and investigations is also part of the role.
• Leading and developing a team of technical resources and having accountability for all technical decision-making in their area of responsibility either working with UU’s strategic partner or as part of the UU design team or providing specialist technical support across the company to operations, support for existing assets (eg Reservoirs) and capital schemes (eg. Harp). Accountable for the technical delivery of projects within budget and programme.
• In addition to managing the technical input for the Geotechnical Engineers they also manage Geoenvironmental Engineers. Responsible for ensuring development of risk-based reporting and assessment, planning ground investigations, site supervision and data interpretation. Amongst other things confirming with the Geoenvironemental team their assessment of sources, pathways and receptors of potential land contamination on proposed development sites.

Technical Skills & Experience

• Chartered professional (C Eng or C Geol)
• Maintaining Registration as a “Registered Ground Engineering Professional” at the ‘Adviser’ level; where this Registration is not held at commencement of the role submission and attainment of the grade should be reasonably be expected within 6 months (current Registration at a lower registration level will be noted but not accepted as an alternative).
• Develop highest levels of technical competence in Geotechncial Engineering, in particular applied to Water and Wastewater Assets including aqueducts, pipelines Shafts and other underground structures, dams and reservoirs, foundations – including deep foundations, ground improvement, earth structures and other significant structures. Experience of determining and managing the optimum approach to Ground Risk management on projects and programmes (eg through GBRs, ‘Foreseeability’ CEs)
• Strong technical competence and leadership skills, coupled with high levels of emotional intelligence.
• An ability to influence as well as direct technical solutions across the whole of UU
• Experience in leading successful multi-disciplinary resources in a highly technical and commercial environment
• Experience in delivering capital and strategic projects and providing operational support in the water industry or other sectors.
• Experience gained by delivering projects across the complete project lifecycle from needs to concept and feasibility through to detailed design, technical assurance, testing and and final handover.

Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience of the ground engineering of embankment dams would be advantageous though not essential
• Full driving Licence

About the Team

• Come and use your Geotecnical Engineering expertise to the full in the UU Ground Engineering team, working in a team of like minded experienced specialists to provide great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West. On projects such as 100+km gravity aqueducts, one of the largest number of earth embankment reservoir assets in the UK and on the large AMP8 Water and Wastewater programmes.
• Our diverse North West ground conditions ensure an interesting context for almost every project or existing asset; the geotechnical engineers are crucial to help spend our customers money wisely weather working in soft low lying marshy ground or strong rock and boulders in the north of our region we need our engineers to ‘Do the right thing’.
• We have a regional approach to our specialist engineering although with national exposure and involvement; geotechnical engineers act on national committees influencing and improving the understanding of the ground engineering and reservoir safety sectors. Our solutions have received award winning recognition.
• The leaders in the Ground Engineering Team connect with their reports widely across the business requiring specialist input at any point in the asset lifecycle – as a key part of Capital Delivery input is required on many of the programmes to improve our rivers and create a greener future.
• “I’m proud to be Chief Engineer for Ground Engineering and Reservoirs; the whole team are professional and supportive of one another. They are an enthusiastic group with a terrific problem solving approach, regularly generating significant savings; as important, it is a friendly team with each comfortable with one another creating a whole that is truly greater than the sum of the parts.”

Other

We rely on every employee to ensure our customers receive the best possible service, day in, day out. In return, we ensure that you will be well rewarded for your efforts, from an excellent salary through to development opportunities that will really kick start a thriving career here at UU.