Project Geotechnical Engineer (Tailings and Dams)
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Position Description: About Us
NewFields invites you to join our team! NewFields MDTS is a closeknit consulting team of civil engineers, geotechnical engineers, and geologists who support exciting national and international mining projects to contain and control mine waste materials. Typical services range from site characterization and subsequent site development to embankment designs for freshwater and tailings impoundments, and containment pads utilized in mineral processing. We are committed to providing safe and ethical mining designs as they play a pivotal role in securing the critical minerals essential for a sustainable future. NewFields is a dynamic and growing employee-owned engineering firm that maintains an established profit-sharing program with all employees. We are growing fast and looking for interested, hard-working and ambitious engineers to grow with us.
We pride ourselves on a strong team atmosphere and positive work culture, always striving to improve technical and interpersonal skills at every level. We are an employee first organization and focus on providing growth and development opportunities for all our employees. Our engineers develop their skills working on diverse projects, internal mentorship from senior staff, and collaborating with our internal and external industry experts.
Position Summary
Based in our Denver (Englewood), Colorado office, you'll contribute to impactful mining projects around the world, focusing on the design and management of tailings dams and heap leach facilities. This role offers exciting opportunities for travel, client interaction, and hands-on experience in the dynamic mining sector. The successful candidate will perform technical lead, Deputy engineer-of-record (EOR), or EOR duties and support the development of geotechnical investigation, design work, as well as systematic monitoring and surveillance activities. Additional professional experiences and project support would include earthen dam design, geotechnical site assessments and associated field services, dam breach evaluations, stability and deformation analyses, instrumentation installation design and data review, annual dam safety inspections, participation in audits and risk assessment, among other work. The position is meant to be dynamic and will be supported by multiple design teams (general civil, water resource, hydrogeological, etc.). The role as a Project Geotechnical Engineer also includes developing and maintaining client relationships and working with clients to execute scopes of work successfully.
Responsibilities
Perform Advanced Engineering Analyses :
Develop and calibrate geotechnical and hydrological models for seepage, stability, and settlement analyses of tailings, heap leach, and water storage facilities, utilizing both 2D/3D limit equilibrium and finite element/finite difference methods for static and dynamic load conditions.
Support the development of constitutive relationships for numerical modeling.
Conduct liquefaction assessments using site-specific geotechnical and seismic data.
Assist with dam breach analyses and risk assessments.
Evaluate Bearing Capacity and Settlement : Perform and review analyses of bearing capacity and settlement for various mining infrastructure components.
Design and Monitor Instrumentation Programs : Develop instrumentation installation plans and systematically review and interpret instrumentation data to support project performance monitoring.
Prepare High-Quality Deliverables : Author and review technical reports, calculation packages, engineering design documents, technical specifications, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
Support Construction Documentation : Assist in the preparation and review of construction drawing sets and technical specifications.
Project Management : Develop and implement project management plans, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
Proposal Development : Assist with the preparation of proposals and scopes of work for mining-related design projects.
Regulatory and Standards Compliance : Stay current with relevant regulations, standards, and industry best practices, such as the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).
Client Relationship Management : Build and maintain positive relationships with clients through effective communication and reliable technical support.
Mentorship and Team Leadership : Mentor and provide partial management to entry-level and staff engineers, fostering professional growth and technical development.
Other Duties as Assigned : Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as directed by your supervisor to support project and company objectives.
Qualifications: Education : Bachelor of Science (minimum); Master of Science (preferred). Civil Engineering or Geological Engineering degrees from ABET-accredited universities are preferred.
Professional Experience : 4+ years (1 year of experience considered equivalent for MS degree and 2 years considered for Ph.D.);
Computer Software : Significant experience with MS Office Suite. Proficiency using standard geotechnical design software (Rocscience, GeoStudios, etc.); numerical modeling experience is advantageous; and basic understanding of Autodesk Civil 3D. Programming skills are desired.
Geotechnical Laboratory : Proficient with standard material testing and index tests. Knowledgeable with data analysis from compressibility, hydraulic conductivity, and shear strength test data. Experience with dynamic testing is desired.
Required Registrations / Professional Development : P.E. registration, or path to registration clearly defined.
Travel : Must have the ability to travel in the U.S. and internationally to support field programs.
Technical Writing : Experience writing technical reports, technical memorandums, and proposals.
Other (Project Level) : Working knowledge of geotechnical monitoring instrumentation; various geotechnical tools for subsurface assessments (drilling methods; CPT; geophysics; etc.); numerical modeling methods and software.
Benefits: NewFields believes that to attract and retain the best and brightest employees, we need to offer an outstanding benefits package. We provide paid vacation, sick and parental leave, along with paid holidays. We have a discretionary bonus program based on the profitability of the company. We support employee development, including publications in technical journals, attendance at conferences, and participation in other technical sessions. We pay uplifted wages for some longer-duration international assignments. We have a long history of organizing employee functions such as holiday events and summer picnics.
Medical and Prescription Drug Coverage
Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution of $1,250 (among the highest in industry)
Telemedicine
401k (Conventional and Roth) with an employer match up to 4%
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Basic Life / Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Long Term Care
Short Term Disability (STD) Insurance
Long Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance
Supplemental Income Protection
Supplemental Long-Term Care Insurance
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
$300 Boot Stipend (renews every 2 years)
$500 Health and Wellness Stipend
NewFields is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or protected veteran status.
- Location:
- Englewood