Senior Geotechnical Engineer

DNV GL is seeking a talented and motivated Senior Geotechnical Engineer to join our London’s Jack-Up, Geotechnical and Metocean team.

The team of 18 engineers is at the forefront of implementing the green energy transition around the world today and has a focus on the installation and operation of jack-up vessels, providing sophisticated solutions and engineering assessments to support offshore renewable energy installation projects around the globe, as well as ensuring safe operations for our oil and gas customers.

One of the unique aspects of these jack-up vessels is that the foundations are designed to penetrate down into the seabed during installation, and a key aspect of our work is to accurately predict the penetration depth and any risks that could occur as the foundations penetrate into the soil. There are relatively few areas of geotechnical engineering where you deliberately load the soil to failure and receive feedback on your predictions and it’s satisfying when you see reality match your predictions! Another aspect is that the seabed and jack-up cannot typically be modified, so the accuracy and refinements in the geotechnical analyses we perform are critical to the outcome of the engineering assessment; your input will consequently be valued by the team and our clients.

The seabed can present a variety of risks and issues; your role will be to understand these and analyse them following the relevant international standards and/or latest research. This involves reviewing and interpreting geotechnical data to produce a ground model and design soil profiles of the seabed and identify any risks related to the seabed. You would then perform foundation analyses to determine the appropriate foundation capacities and stiffnesses that would be used in the assessments of the structure that we perform. You will also be engaged with performing other types of calculations for issues such foundation interactions with uneven seabeds, cyclic soil behaviour, liquefaction, scour, or the forces required to extract the legs from the seabed. For these calculations we often also use 2D and 3D finite element analyses.

You will be trusted and supported to lead projects and liaise with our internal and external clients directly so that you can develop further as a well-rounded engineer and also gain an appreciation for our clients’ key concerns and needs. As a senior engineer you would soon be expected to review the work of others in the team, actively develop solutions to issues and lead initiatives related to internal technical developments. An ability for critical thinking and attention to detail, both to scrutinise the supplied site information, ensuring that all risks have been addressed, and to produce smart solutions, will be most valuable in your work.

As the quality of our work is paramount, you will be actively supported by the seven geotechnical engineers in our team who are experts in the various aspects of jack-up foundation behaviour. We also collaborate closely with our geotechnical colleagues within the wider DNV GL organisation.

Your main duties will be:

• Review and interpretation of seabed and site investigation data.
• Successful delivery of geotechnical analyses of offshore foundations in accordance with international codes and standards.
• Completion and delivery of high-quality technical reports detailing assessment approach and key findings and outcomes. 
• Identification of geotechnical hazards and risks, and proposal of means of mitigation/ potential solutions.
• Develop innovative solutions to geotechnical issues.
• Enhance and develop existing ways of working.
• Support preparation of technical proposals.
• Ongoing technical development to support and enhance the cutting-edge in-house analysis capability of the Jack-Up, Geotechnical and Metocean team.
• Regular client interaction for current and new projects.
• Management of own projects in line with the DNV GL Management System and ensuring delivery on-time and within budget.

To qualify, you need to have:

• Degree qualified in a relevant engineering discipline (e.g. Civil, Geotechnical). A post-graduate degree in a geotechnical discipline would be very desirable. 
• Demonstrable track record of successful delivery of offshore geotechnical analysis projects.
• Excellent communication skills, with strong command of written English. Clarity in verbal and written communication.
• Ability to maintain high performance, without compromising on quality, when working to challenging deadlines. 

Below elements, although not required, will be considered a plus:

• Knowledge and experience and of jack-up operations and associated risks.
• Skilled and practiced knowledge of commonly used geotechnical analysis packages, such as PLAXIS, ABAQUS.
• Detailed knowledge of the relevant technical papers and codes, ideally including codes for jack-up structures and their foundations such as SNAME 5-5A and ISO 19905-1.

Our offer

There are plenty of opportunities for personal growth through our 70-20-10 philosophy (70% learning on the job, 20% coaching and 10% training) and an individual career development plan.

The position is rewarded appropriately, including benefits such as:

• A permanent contract.
• Lifestyle benefits (26 days of annual leave + opportunity for up to 10 days unpaid leave, sabbatical leave, flexible working options).
• A mentoring scheme and access to industry experts from whom you can receive training and support.
• Wellbeing benefits (inc. Private Medical and Dental Insurance, Medical check-ups, Gym allowance and free fruit) as well as plenty of initiatives related to physical and mental wellbeing such as Yoga lessons, charity events, etc.
• Travel benefits (inc. Season Ticket Loan Cycle to Work Scheme).
• Life assurance and employer-matched pension contributions (employer contribution - up to 9%).
• A one-off payment on award for attainment of Chartership status.
• Re-imbursement of relevant Professional Membership Fees (up to £500).
• and many, many more!

If you feel that this is the place for you, apply!

* Please note we may close this position earlier in case of finding successful candidates.

DNV GL is the technical advisor to the oil and gas industry. We bring a broader view to complex business and technology risks in global and local markets. Providing a neutral ground for industry cooperation, we create and share knowledge with our customers, setting standards for technology development and implementation. From project initiation to decommissioning, our independent experts enable companies to make the right choices for a safer, smarter and greener future.

DNV GL is an Equal Opportunity Employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age or political opinion. Diversity is fundamental to our culture and we invite you to be part of this diversity!