Senior Project Engineer Tunnels

Job Description

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water.

We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story.

If you share that vision, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we’d still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let’s explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America.

We are seeking a Senior Tunnels Engineer to support the design and delivery of major tunneling and underground infrastructure projects, primarily within the transportation sector but also supporting water, energy, and other infrastructure programs. Working from our LA office in a hybrid capacity, this role focuses on technical design leadership, project delivery, and mentoring, working within multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, innovative, and high‑quality solutions across all phases of project development.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver technical design and analysis for tunnels and underground structures across concept, preliminary, and detailed design phases.
• Support and contribute to the delivery of large‑scale tunneling and underground infrastructure projects, particularly major transportation programs.
• Provide technical leadership within project teams, resolving complex engineering challenges and ensuring high‑quality outcomes.
• Review and validate engineering calculations, reports, drawings, and specifications to ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, and best practices.
• Apply advanced engineering tools, software, and methodologies (e.g., PLAXIS, BIM, Civil 3D) to improve design efficiency and project performance.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders to clarify requirements and deliver practical, cost‑effective solutions.
• Contribute technical input to proposals and bids, supporting business development and project acquisition efforts.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers, supporting capability development and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies and industry trends, incorporating innovative approaches where appropriate.
• Lead by example in health, safety, and wellbeing, promoting lessons learned and modeling positive safety behaviors.
• Champion the organization’s values, code of conduct, and inclusion and diversity, fostering a collaborative and inclusive working environment.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent (Master’s degree preferred).
• Professional Engineer (PE / P.Eng.) license required or ability to obtain within a defined timeframe.
• 8–12+ years of experience in tunneling, underground structures, or related heavy civil infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience delivering projects across Transportation, Water/Wastewater, Energy, and other infrastructure sectors.
• Strong technical proficiency in tunnel and underground design principles, standards, and methodologies.
• Experience with engineering software and tools such as PLAXIS, SAP2000, Strand7, RS2/RS3, AutoCAD Civil 3D, MicroStation, BIM platforms, and related analysis tools.
• Solid understanding of geotechnical, structural, and environmental considerations in underground works.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical design reviews and manage risk, quality, and technical performance on multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to mentor and develop junior engineers.
• Experience supporting project management activities such as scheduling, budgeting, and technical reporting is an asset.

Benefits & Reward

At Mott MacDonald, our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, providing them with a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses. We provide a comprehensive benefit package that includes 401k, medical, dental and vision insurance, short-term/long-term disability, paid holidays, PTO, parental leave, and company paid life insurance.

Individual pay is determined based on several factors such as work location, education, experience, and unique skills.

The expected salary for this position is $148,000 - $181,000

Collaboration at Our Core
At Mott MacDonald, we believe great ideas happen when we’re together. Our hybrid approach centers on an in-office culture, with most of your time spent collaborating face-to-face and a minimum of three days per week in the office. We balance flexibility with connection, so you and your manager can choose how to meet client, team, and personal commitments.

Equal opportunity is the law.

We seek to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status or disability status.