Geo-Environmental Engineer

About Fairhurst LLP –Fairhurst LLP is one of the UK’s largest private multidisciplinary partnerships of consulting engineers, delivering civil, structural, geotechnical, environmental, transportation, planning, water, and landscape architecture services across 16 principal offices in the UK. Fairhurst specialises in providing cost‑effective, sustainable engineering solutions and prides itself on high-quality service delivery, technical excellence, and long-standing client relationships.

Role Overview – The Geo‑environmental Engineer plays a vital role in assessing land quality, evaluating environmental risks, and supporting the delivery of safe, compliant, and sustainable development projects. The role involves planning and supervising ground investigations, interpreting soil and groundwater data, preparing technical reports, and providing recommendations for land remediation, earthworks, and environmental risk management. Working within a multidisciplinary team, the engineer contributes to brownfield redevelopment, environmental due‑diligence, and compliance with regulatory frameworks.

Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are essential to ensure high‑quality outcomes for clients and stakeholders.

Technical & Design

• Plan, supervise, and manage geo‑environmental and contaminated land investigations.
• Collect, analyse, and interpret soil, rock, and groundwater data, including contaminant concentrations and environmental risk indicators.
• Prepare quantitative risk assessments (human health, controlled waters, ground gas).
• Develop and evaluate remediation strategies and earthworks specifications.
• Compose clear and accurate technical reports, factual and interpretative assessments, and remediation method statements.
• Ensure technical outputs comply with relevant environmental guidance, standards, and regulatory expectations.

Project Management

• Assist in project planning, programming, and coordination of geo‑environmental tasks.
• Support budget development, fee estimates, and proposals for new work.
• Monitor project progress, risks, and timescales to ensure timely completion.
• Maintain accurate project documentation, ensuring internal governance procedures are followed.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Communicate investigation findings, risks, and design recommendations clearly to internal teams, clients, regulators, and other stakeholders.
• Attend meetings, workshops, and site visits to support project delivery.
• Build positive relationships with clients and partners, contributing to collaborative project environments.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all work complies with health, safety, and environmental legislation, as well as industry best practice.
• Promote and maintain high quality standards in data collection, reporting, and design.
• Support the development and improvement of quality assurance processes and technical procedures.
• Provide guidance and support to graduate engineers and technicians.
• Share technical knowledge and promote continuous learning within the team.
• Lead small work packages or site‑based tasks under the direction of senior staff.
• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Qualifications
  • Degree in Environmental Engineering, Geology, Environmental Science, Earth Science, or a related discipline.
  • MSc in Geo‑environmental Engineering, Contaminated Land, Hydrogeology, or related field (desirable).
  • Working toward or holding professional accreditation (e.g., CIWEM, IES, Geol Soc, or similar).
• Experience
  • Experience in contaminated land assessment and/or geo‑environmental investigation (graduate to intermediate levels acceptable).
  • Understanding of UK environmental legislation, ground contamination issues, and remediation techniques.
  • Experience preparing factual and interpretative reports and analysing geo‑environmental data.
  • Familiarity with relevant tools, risk assessment methodologies, and industry guidance (e.g., CLR
    11, BS10175).
  • Site‑based experience such as supervising ground investigations or sampling soil, groundwater, and gas (advantageous).
• Skills & Attributes
  • Strong analytical and…