Chandrakeerthy initially worked as a lecturer at the
Ceylon College of Technology from 1968 to 1972. After completing of his postgraduate studies at the University of Sheffield, England, he became a lecturer at the University of Sri Lanka,
Katubedda Campus in 1973. He was promoted to the grade of Senior Lecturer in 1979 and to the post of Associate Professor in 1985. He became a Professor of Civil Engineering in 1995. He was the first person from the
University of Moratuwa to obtain merit promotions to the grades of Associate Professor and Professor. Chandrakeerthy was also a Senior Designs Engineer (visiting) at T. Harley Haddow and Partners,
Edinburgh from 1980 to 1981. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal “Engineer” of the
Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka from 1985 to 1987. He also worked as a British ODA Fellow, Loughborough University of Technology in 1988, and was a Fulbright Fellow and Adjunct Professor,
Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA from 1989 to 1990. In 1992, he worked as an ILO Fellow, Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom and acted as a Research Associate, Department of Civil & Geotechnical Engineering,
University of Manitoba from 1999 to 2000. He was a structural Design Consultant, Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg, Canada from 2000 to 2001 and was a Visiting Academic, at Monash University, Melbourne and a Visiting Professor at RMIT University, Melbourne in 2009. ==Research and publications ==