Senior Associate / Principal Geotechnical Engineer - Christchurch, NZ

Driven by innovation and committed to technical excellence?

Excel at leading, mentoring, and inspiring technical teams?

Take pride in building strong client relationships and playing a key role in business growth?

Great career opportunity to join a team that values technical excellence, innovation, and continuous growth. Attractive salary package and comprehensive company benefits.

About the Role :

Based in Christchurch, this technical lead role contributes to a long established, nationally recognised brand for geotechnical excellence. As we expand to meet a growing and diverse project pipeline, we’re embracing cutting-edge technologies to solve complex challenges — from foundation design and ground assessments to resilient infrastructure solutions in changing climate.

You’ll ensure technical excellence across a broad portfolio of projects, shape innovative technical strategies, set the benchmark for quality and play a key role in mentoring and developing talent. Your ability to build strong client relationships will also be central to driving business growth.

Our work spans a variety of sectors - including land development, buildings, civil, renewables, and transport infrastructure - offering you the chance to innovate, collaborate, and grow in a role with real impact.

About You :

You’re a respected geotechnical professional with a strong presence in the market, recognised for your technical expertise and dedication to quality. You thrive on delivering smart, practical solutions that make a real difference. Passionate about developing people and building trusted client partnerships, you bring both energy and collaboration to every challenge.

What You’ll Bring :

Tertiary qualifications in geotechnical engineering or a related discipline. Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) is highly regarded.

A strong track record in delivering innovative, safe, and cost-effective geotechnical solutions across land development, buildings, civil, transport, and infrastructure sectors.

Deep technical knowledge in areas such as slope stability, foundation design, retaining systems, ground improvement, and ground investigations.

A solid understanding of local ground conditions, geotechnical risks, and relevant regulatory frameworks.

Proven ability to manage projects, engage with clients, and lead multidisciplinary teams.

A genuine passion for mentoring and developing emerging talent.

A proactive approach to building and nurturing long-term client relationships.

A collaborative spirit and commitment to sharing knowledge and driving continuous improvement.

We’re here to support your ongoing success — giving you the tools, trust, and opportunity to lead confidently and leave a lasting impact in the geotechnical space.

What You’ll Get in return :

Support and coaching from our Practice Leader and senior technical experts.

Career pathways with opportunities to deepen your technical capability and expand into leadership roles.

A flexible work environment that supports your personal and professional goals.

Access to diverse, high-profile projects across multiple sectors.

The Other Perks :

Work-Life Balance :  Flexible work options, tailored hours, study breaks, and the ability to buy extra leave—up to 8 weeks per year!

Diverse Projects :  Work across a wide variety of projects, clients, and sectors.

Growth Opportunities :  Professional development, coaching, and mentorship from our top experts.

Memberships :  Professional memberships to help you stay ahead in your field.

Recognition :  Our reward and recognition program makes sure your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

Ownership :  Participate in our employee stock purchase plan.

Parental Leave :  Paid leave for both primary and secondary caregivers.

Support :  Employee assistance program for you and your immediate family.

About us

Tetra Tech Coffey provides high-end geotechnical, environmental, digital, and engineering design consulting services in New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Every day, our people come together to solve complex challenges for our clients.

With over 30,000 Tetra Tech colleagues across 550 offices globally, we deliver projects that improve lives through science, technology, and innovation.

Tetra Tech Coffey provides high-end environmental, engineering and project management consulting services in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.