J-1 Visa Geotechnical Engineer Jobs
Geotechnical Engineer roles in the U.S. attract J-1 visa exchange visitors under the Trainee or Research Scholar program category, depending on career stage. Designated sponsors issue the DS-2019 that makes sponsorship possible, while your host employer provides the hands-on engineering experience. No lottery stands between you and a qualifying placement.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Do you want to help engineer what’s next?
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) is a national engineering firm committed to delivering holistic advice for our clients’ most complex challenges. We leverage our collective and diverse experience, technical expertise, and industry knowledge of structures and building enclosures, advanced analysis, performance & code consulting, and applied science & research to deliver unrivaled, comprehensive solutions that drive superior performance. With 800 employees in offices nationwide, SGH’s industry-leading teams constantly seek to advance the meaning of what’s possible.
What makes careers at SGH so special?
The only way to advance is to question and explore. Every member of the SGH team is both a learner and an educator, committed to advancing ourselves, our teams, and our industry. Together we are creating a community that never settles for what is but always seeks what could be.
There are many reasons to love SGH:
- Our Work: Our clients trust us to bring clarity and deliver outstanding solutions for their most complex projects.
- Our People: We are bold thinkers and compassionate teammates, committed to lifelong learning and professional growth.
- Our Commitment: We live with integrity and embrace an obligation to give back to our professions and communities.
- Our Contribution: We offer a comprehensive and rich compensation and benefits package with company-paid and voluntary programs to help build healthy lifestyles, strong relationships, and future prosperity.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
We want someone passionate about engineering who wants to gain invaluable experience.
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) is seeking current students for a Fall 2026 Geotechnical Engineering Internship in our Waltham office. As a Geotechnical Engineering Intern or Co-op, you will work side-by-side with industry-leading experts in the office and the field to gain hands-on experience while applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Assist with and develop your engineering skills on a breadth of projects that may include:
- Engineering investigations, analyses, and design of structures including deep and shallow foundations, ground improvement systems, earth retaining structures, excavation support systems, and adjacent construction.
- Analyses related to soil settlement, slope stability, soil dynamics, groundwater flow, and seepage. Evaluate earthen embankments/dams/reservoirs, tunnels, asphalt, and concrete pavements.
- Analyses and forensic evaluations of failed or deteriorated structures.
- Support construction operations for contractors, including new construction, rehabilitation, strengthening, and repair.
- Evaluation of litigation claims projects.
- Collaborate with SGH’s Marine, Flood, Engineering Mechanics, Structural, and Building Technology groups on slope and shoreline stabilization, retaining wall systems, footing drainage systems, sub-slab dewatering systems, floodproofing, plaza drainage systems, and many other exciting projects.
- Organize field data and assist with research to facilitate analysis, problem-solving, and repair design.
- Perform analysis under the guidance of licensed professionals using a combination of hand calculations and analysis software.
- Assist with preparing client deliverables, including construction documents, specifications, and written reports.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What You’ll Need:
- Currently enrolled and plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
- Interest in geotechnical engineering.
- Maintain high grades in their studies.
- Interest in learning through hands-on work experience in a consulting engineering environment.
- Enthusiastic about the challenges of developing sophisticated engineering work products in an atmosphere of high professionalism.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
BENEFITS
Benefits Overview:
Full-time temporary employees are eligible for medical insurance, paid holidays and sick leave. Part-time temporary employees are eligible for sick leave.
Compensation:
This compensation range is a good faith estimate pursuant to applicable equal pay and pay transparency laws. The pay range is effective for 2026 and is based on enrollment in the applicable degree program as noted below. The actual rate will be dependent upon the candidate’s education level within the degree program.
- Undergraduate: $29.25 - $32.50 per hour
- Graduate: $33.75 - $34.75 per hour
- PhD student: $36.75 per hour
Technical Interns are eligible for a $1,000 sign-on bonus.
LOCATION
Location: Waltham office
SGH is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all job applicants and employees. We consider all qualified applicants and encourage individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to apply. If the application system is not accessible to you, or you need a reasonable accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email jobs@sgh.com or call 781-907-9000 and ask for Human Resources.
INTRODUCTION
Do you want to help engineer what’s next?
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) is a national engineering firm committed to delivering holistic advice for our clients’ most complex challenges. We leverage our collective and diverse experience, technical expertise, and industry knowledge of structures and building enclosures, advanced analysis, performance & code consulting, and applied science & research to deliver unrivaled, comprehensive solutions that drive superior performance. With 800 employees in offices nationwide, SGH’s industry-leading teams constantly seek to advance the meaning of what’s possible.
What makes careers at SGH so special?
The only way to advance is to question and explore. Every member of the SGH team is both a learner and an educator, committed to advancing ourselves, our teams, and our industry. Together we are creating a community that never settles for what is but always seeks what could be.
There are many reasons to love SGH:
- Our Work: Our clients trust us to bring clarity and deliver outstanding solutions for their most complex projects.
- Our People: We are bold thinkers and compassionate teammates, committed to lifelong learning and professional growth.
- Our Commitment: We live with integrity and embrace an obligation to give back to our professions and communities.
- Our Contribution: We offer a comprehensive and rich compensation and benefits package with company-paid and voluntary programs to help build healthy lifestyles, strong relationships, and future prosperity.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
We want someone passionate about engineering who wants to gain invaluable experience.
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) is seeking current students for a Fall 2026 Geotechnical Engineering Internship in our Waltham office. As a Geotechnical Engineering Intern or Co-op, you will work side-by-side with industry-leading experts in the office and the field to gain hands-on experience while applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Assist with and develop your engineering skills on a breadth of projects that may include:
- Engineering investigations, analyses, and design of structures including deep and shallow foundations, ground improvement systems, earth retaining structures, excavation support systems, and adjacent construction.
- Analyses related to soil settlement, slope stability, soil dynamics, groundwater flow, and seepage. Evaluate earthen embankments/dams/reservoirs, tunnels, asphalt, and concrete pavements.
- Analyses and forensic evaluations of failed or deteriorated structures.
- Support construction operations for contractors, including new construction, rehabilitation, strengthening, and repair.
- Evaluation of litigation claims projects.
- Collaborate with SGH’s Marine, Flood, Engineering Mechanics, Structural, and Building Technology groups on slope and shoreline stabilization, retaining wall systems, footing drainage systems, sub-slab dewatering systems, floodproofing, plaza drainage systems, and many other exciting projects.
- Organize field data and assist with research to facilitate analysis, problem-solving, and repair design.
- Perform analysis under the guidance of licensed professionals using a combination of hand calculations and analysis software.
- Assist with preparing client deliverables, including construction documents, specifications, and written reports.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What You’ll Need:
- Currently enrolled and plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
- Interest in geotechnical engineering.
- Maintain high grades in their studies.
- Interest in learning through hands-on work experience in a consulting engineering environment.
- Enthusiastic about the challenges of developing sophisticated engineering work products in an atmosphere of high professionalism.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
BENEFITS
Benefits Overview:
Full-time temporary employees are eligible for medical insurance, paid holidays and sick leave. Part-time temporary employees are eligible for sick leave.
Compensation:
This compensation range is a good faith estimate pursuant to applicable equal pay and pay transparency laws. The pay range is effective for 2026 and is based on enrollment in the applicable degree program as noted below. The actual rate will be dependent upon the candidate’s education level within the degree program.
- Undergraduate: $29.25 - $32.50 per hour
- Graduate: $33.75 - $34.75 per hour
- PhD student: $36.75 per hour
Technical Interns are eligible for a $1,000 sign-on bonus.
LOCATION
Location: Waltham office
SGH is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all job applicants and employees. We consider all qualified applicants and encourage individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to apply. If the application system is not accessible to you, or you need a reasonable accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email jobs@sgh.com or call 781-907-9000 and ask for Human Resources.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Geotechnical Engineer
Align your credentials with specialty occupation standards
U.S. consular officers assess whether your geotechnical engineering degree maps to the host role. A bachelor's or higher in civil, geotechnical, or geological engineering strengthens your DS-2019 application and reduces the chance of a 221(g) administrative hold.
Distinguish Trainee from Research Scholar before applying
If you graduated within the last 12 months and have under five years of professional experience, the Trainee category fits. Research Scholar applies when your role centers on lab-based soil mechanics research or academic collaboration at a university or research institute.
Target host employers with active geotechnical project pipelines
Firms bidding on infrastructure, transit, or environmental remediation contracts hire geotechnical engineers in predictable cycles. Search Migrate Mate to identify U.S. employers posting roles that align with J-1 exchange programs, filtering by engineering discipline and project type.
Build a training plan around OFLC-recognized skill gaps
Your designated sponsor requires a signed Training or Internship Placement Plan (DS-7002). Frame your geotechnical objectives around U.S.-specific methods, such as AASHTO standards or ASTM geotechnical testing protocols, that you can't access in your home country.
Confirm host employer 2-year home residency requirement status early
Geotechnical engineers from countries with skills-shortage agreements, or those funded by a foreign government, may face the two-year home residency requirement after their exchange ends. Clarify this with your designated sponsor before accepting a host offer, since it affects any later H-1B visa or green card path.
Verify wage compliance before your DS-2019 is issued
Your host employer's offered compensation must meet or exceed the prevailing wage for your role and location. Cross-check against the O*NET occupation profile for geotechnical engineers and confirm the figure aligns with DOL wage data before your sponsor finalizes the DS-2019.
Geotechnical Engineer J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a geotechnical engineer?
Most geotechnical engineers enter under the Trainee category if they have a relevant degree and fewer than five years of post-graduation experience. Those conducting original research on soil behavior, foundation systems, or slope stability at a university or federal lab typically qualify under the Research Scholar category instead. Your designated sponsor, not your host employer, makes the final category determination.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for a geotechnical engineer?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, such as Cultural Vistas or IIE, that issues your DS-2019 form and oversees program compliance. Your host employer, typically an engineering firm, government agency, or research institution, provides the actual work environment. The employer is the host, not the sponsor, and those are two distinct roles in the J-1 framework.
How do I find U.S. engineering firms open to J-1 exchange visitors?
Geotechnical roles with J-1-compatible host employers aren't always labeled as such in standard job listings. Migrate Mate lets you search specifically for U.S. employers and positions that align with J-1 exchange programs, so you're not guessing which firms have experience hosting international exchange visitors in engineering roles.
Does the two-year home residency requirement apply to geotechnical engineers?
It can. If your J-1 program is funded by your home government, or if your home country appears on the State Department's Exchange Visitor Skills List, you'll be required to return home for two years before applying for H-1B, L-1 visa, or most immigrant visa categories. Confirm your status with your designated sponsor before committing to a host placement, since a waiver process exists but adds significant time.
What goes into the DS-7002 training plan for a geotechnical engineering role?
The DS-7002 must document specific learning objectives tied to geotechnical competencies you can't develop at home, such as U.S. ASTM testing standards, AASHTO pavement design methods, or domestic seismic hazard assessment tools. Your host employer and designated sponsor co-sign the plan. Vague objectives like 'gain U.S. work experience' are routinely rejected, so the plan needs measurable, phase-by-phase milestones.