Location: Southern California (relocation packages available or weekly commute)
A brief note from Otso Lahtinen, Geobear CEO:
Thank you for your interest in our business and this role. If you are genuinely hungry for personal and professional growth in this field, this may be a role for you. We are aiming to be the world's leading sustainable geotechnical business, and as part of that, the USA will be our key market in the years to come. The task of growing a business organically is incredibly challenging, but there are not many comparable growth opportunities like going through a mission of building a cash flow financed niche business over a long period of time.
About Geobear
Geobear is a global leader in sustainable ground engineering solutions. We introduced non-disruptive polymer injection technology to the USA in 1989 and have delivered 200,000+ projects worldwide*, trusted for our leading engineering expertise, long track record, and exceptional service. We currently have operational headquarters in the UK, with locations in Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Baltic States, Poland, China and the UAE with 162 people in the company. We have doubled in net sales organically in the past 5 years and plan to double again in the next 3 years.
Geobear is driven by growth, improving the quality of peoples lives and decarbonizing the planet. Our daily actions are governed by our SPIRE values. (Safety, Partnership, Integrity, Respect, Excellence)
Backed by a strong, debt-free balance sheet, we are ready to scale in the world's largest market for geotechnical asset management. Key applications include:
Liquefaction mitigation
Sea wall erosion control
Trenchless storm drain repair
Residential foundation repair
Clay shrinkage mitigation
Slope stabilization
Extending the life of roadway assets
We have delivered several key projects such as ground improvement for St. Helens Rugby club in the UK, industrial floor lifting for GLP in Shanghai, concrete life extension for Heathrow Airport and filling ventilation shafts for Network Rail in Shugborough Tunnel United Kingdom (CN Awards geotechnical subcontract of the year up to 5m£ in 2021) In the USA we have delivered 100+ single family home ground improvement projects and several projects for local and federal government.
Market Potential
The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that 25% of all U.S. homes suffer damage caused by expansive soils (Wray, Addison, & Struzyk, 2019).
Chen (1988) estimated that $2 billion annually is spent in the U.S. on repairing damages caused by swelling clays, a figure that could exceed $12 billion globally (Jones & Jefferson, 2012).
The G20 Infrastructure Investors Coalition (GIIC) reports a $2 trillion global infrastructure investment gap per year, driven by developing countries' need to invest an additional 2.5% of GDP annually to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These trends present a significant opportunity for Geobear's sustainable, non-disruptive solutions to address challenges in residential, commercial, and infrastructure markets.
The Opportunity
We're seeking a hands-on, entrepreneurial leader to scale Geobear USA by achieving 10m$ net sales with positive cash flow and EBITDA in California within 3 years with zero OSHA reportable safety incidents. Once this milestone is reached, you'll lead expansion into Texas, Florida, and New York to build a national presence.
The role is a critically important part of building Geobear into the world's leading sustainable geotechnical asset management company, because the USA is the world's largest geotechnical market.
You'll drive growth across three key markets:
Residential: Single-family homes, housing associations, and real estate agents.
Commercial: Engineering firms and asset owners.
Infrastructure: Caltrans, cities, and engineering companies.
As President, you'll lead execution of safety, quality, strategy, sales, operations, and team development, setting the stage for national success.
Your Mission
Zero Harm (AFR below industry average, no OSHA reportable incidents)
Less than 2% retreatment rate of delivered projects
Achieve 10 m $ net sales, positive cash flow and EBITDA in California within 3 years.
Build a high-performing team and drive client relationships across residential, commercial, and infrastructure markets.
Expand operations to Texas, Florida, and New York after meeting California targets.
What We're Looking For
Proven experience in P&L management and driving profitable growth in geotechnical contracting or related industries.
Track record of sales development and delivery in residential, commercial, and public sectors.
Strong leadership, operational execution, and relationship-building skills.
Engineering or technical degree preferred.
Entrepreneurial willingness to roll up sleeves to do any task
What Support Do We Provide?
Written and well documented sales and operations procedures and online training (300+ courses) based on 40 years of experience
Strong ICT support
Global finance, engineering, marketing and HR support