Forensic Civil Engineer

HKA is a global leader in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, and expert witness services. They are seeking a highly experienced Forensic Civil Engineer to lead forensic investigations and provide expert witness testimony in civil and municipal infrastructure.

Responsibilities:

• Lead forensic investigations involving horizontal civil infrastructure, including:
• Transportation/roadways and pavement systems
• Stormwater, drainage, and hydrologic/hydraulic systems
• Water/wastewater treatment, pump stations, distribution/collection systems
• Utilities (water, sewer, gas, telecom)
• Site development, grading, earthwork, erosion/sediment control
• Conduct site inspections and civil‐focused root cause analyses following failures, flooding events, pavement distress, service disruptions, and construction or design disputes
• Prepare clear, defensible forensic reports for use in litigation and arbitration
• Provide expert witness testimony in court (depositions, mediations, arbitration, and trial), including experiences as the engineer of record for courtroom proceedings
• Collaborate with attorneys, insurers, municipal agencies, owners, and multidisciplinary experts to develop integrated evaluations
• Advise clients on remediation strategies, design issues, standards of care, and civil system performance
• Apply extensive experience in civil design, including:
• Roadway and transportation design
• Stormwater system and drainage design (H&H, SWM, E&S)
• Utility design (water, sewer, dry utilities)
• Grading, land development, and municipal/public works projects
• Pavement design and evaluation
• Water/wastewater facility or system design
• Review design plans, specifications, calculations, permitting documents, and construction records for compliance and standard of care
• Perform or direct field diagnostics such as flow testing, drainage investigations, pavement assessments, and civil system evaluations
• Develop remediation and repair recommendations tailored to civil infrastructure failures

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or above in Civil Engineering
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required; NCEES record preferred
• 15+ years of civil engineering experience, with substantial civil design background (transportation, stormwater, utilities, municipal engineering, water/wastewater, or site development)
• 2+ years of Forensic Engineering experience
• 1+ years documented experience providing expert witness testimony in court, including depositions and trial testimony
• Strong analytical capabilities in forensic evaluation, hydrology/hydraulics, civil system diagnostics, and failure analysis
• Exceptional communication skills for technical reporting and courtroom testimony
• Willingness to travel for site investigations and client engagements
• Physical ability to perform field assessments
• Multi‑state PE licensure
• PTOE or transportation/traffic engineering expertise
• Municipal/public agency plan review experience
• Stormwater/NPDES permitting experience
• Design or forensic experience involving drainage failures, pavement performance issues, flooding events, erosion/sediment issues, utility failures, or land‑development infrastructure performance