Engineering geologist : Employers and vacancy sources

The main employers of engineering geologists are:

• civil engineering contractors;
• civil engineering consultancies;
• oil and gas companies;
• government bodies;
• geotechnical and geo-environmental site investigation companies;
• environmental consultancies.

The more multidisciplinary a company or consultancy, the more likely an employer is to require a good level of experience. The specific focus of a particular company is also likely to affect the type of qualifications required. For example, a company which undertakes geotechnical and geo-environmental ground investigation projects may ask for a degree in geology or engineering geology, or civil or geotechnical engineering, in addition to postgraduate experience.

The industry is growing due to an increasing awareness of the impact of new developments on the environment. Increased UK and European legislation means that some proposed new developments are legally obliged to undergo an 'environment impact assessment' before approval can be given for construction. This rise in activity due to legal obligations in some countries is likely to expand the sector.

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Earthworks Jobs  
• EnergyRoles  
• Geoscientist  
• Geoengineer.org  
• Geological Society Jobs  
• New Civil Engineer  

General recruitment agencies sometimes advertise vacancies, and it is also useful to approach specialist agencies, such as Eden Recruitment  and Matchtech .

Vacancies are advertised, but graduates are also advised to contact employers speculatively. It may also be worth contacting companies prior to graduation with a view to gaining relevant experience. The Association of Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Specialists (AGS)  has a directory of its members searchable by category.

Consultancies offering geotechnical services and who employ engineering geologists can be identified in the UK Geotechnical Services File, produced by British Geotechnical Association (BGA) , an affiliated society of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) .

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