Early-Career Natural Resources or Wetland Scientist

If you are looking for a place to start your career, where you can contribute to a dynamic employee-owned firm, tackle challenging project work, and collaborate with industry recognized professionals, Geosyntec is the place for you! We are seeking an exceptional Early-Career Natural Resources or Wetland Scientist in Richmond, Virginia who will have the opportunity to apply academic and practical knowledge to innovative and challenging projects, including the financial and technical evaluation, design, permitting, and construction of energy projects, while also learning the business skills needed for a successful consulting career. Our client base includes a diverse mix of industrial, institutional, and governmental entities.

Geosyntec is an innovative, international engineering and consulting firm serving private and public-sector clients to address new ventures and complex problems involving our environment, natural resources, and civil infrastructure. Our engineers, scientists, technical and project employees serve our clients from offices across the world. Ranked by ENR as one of the top environmental engineering design firms, Geosyntec is internationally known for its technical leadership, broad experience, and exceptional client service.

We invest in our people.  Each employee is unique, and your career at Geosyntec will be too.  We offer competitive pay and benefits, and well-being programs to support you and your family.

To Learn More Visit: http://www.geosyntec.com/careers/.

Is this the right position to help you achieve your professional goals? Some of the key responsibilities for this position include:

• Assisting with identifying jurisdictional wetlands, classification and delineation of wetlands and streams, and determining mitigation requirements to support the environmental permitting of infrastructure projects such as development of renewable energy facilities;
• Assisting with preparation of Clean Water Act Sections 10, 404, and 401 permit applications, as well as Section 408 from the US Army Corps of Engineers and Coastal Use Permits from state regulatory agencies;
• Conducting biological and ecological resource studies including wildlife habitat assessments, listed threatened and endangered species assessments, native and invasive plant vegetation surveys, and wetland mitigation monitoring;
• Assisting with preparation of environmental documents for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) including environmental resource reports, Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS);
• Task and project management, including conducting environmental inspections for compliance with permit conditions including NPDES stormwater compliance, wetlands permits, navigable waters permits, and other state and federal environmental regulations including Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) environmental regulations;
• Developing work plans, evaluating data, and preparing a variety of technical documents and environmental permit applications;
• Data analysis, including preparing maps and figures using GIS/Environmental Visualization Software (EVS) applications, and database management; and
• Preparing for and participating in meetings with clients, regulatory personnel, and other parties.

Here are some other things you should know about this position:

• Training: This position requires OSHA/MSHA health and safety, first aid, and CPR training and medical monitoring, paid for by the firm. We also offer professional development opportunities including technical conferences, in-house seminars, webinars, and mentoring, that allow our professionals to build the technical and business skills necessary to become successful consultants.
• Fieldwork: Up to 75% (Variable)
  • Frequency & Duration: Frequency and duration of fieldwork is highly variable and based on various factors such as project location, proximity to nearest Geosyntec office, resource needs, client schedules, etc. Fieldwork may include one to multiple workdays in a row of local or regional fieldwork, followed by one to multiple workdays of office-based work and reporting. We find it common in our business, and in the industry as a whole, to have seasonal variability in fieldwork and periods of infrequent fieldwork dominated by office tasks followed by periods dominated by fieldwork.
• Overnight travel: Up to 20%
  • Frequency & Duration: Frequency and duration of travel is also highly variable and based on various factors such as those mentioned above. Frequency of fieldwork may include one day to multiple days in a row of local fieldwork, followed by one to multiple days of regional fieldwork which requires overnight travel. We recognize the importance of our staff’s personal life, family, and interests outside of the workplace. When faced with extended overnight travel for projects, Geosyntec works to accommodate staff with additional resources as needed to ensure an excellent quality of life for our staff.

• Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences, natural resources (e.g., forestry, fisheries, biology, ecology etc.), environmental engineering, or environmental management disciplines. (required)
• Advanced degree in one of the above. (preferred)
• College-level coursework covering vegetation, soils, and hydrology such as the following: botany, dendrology, forestry, soil science, geology, land management, environmental planning, environmental law and policy, hydrology, hydrogeography, wildlife habitat ecology, ecology, ornithology, remote sensing technology, photogrammetry, and Geographic Information Systems. (preferred)
• Certifications or additional training or experience in wetland delineations. (preferred)

• At least 2 years (3+ preferred) of direct environmental permitting & planning experience, experience in performing field visits to collect data and conduct stream and wetland delineations, preferably in Virginia. (preferred)
• Strong knowledge of native flora and fauna of the eastern U.S. (preferred) 
• Ability to succeed in a fast-paced consulting environment, handling multiple project assignments concurrently, meeting strict deadlines, and traveling to client facilities as needed. (required)
• Technical experience in conducting stream assessments and wetland delineations. (preferred)
• Proficiency with GPS technology and GIS software, such as ArcGIS Pro, as it relates to the job duties.
• Experience with federal permitting programs such as the Clean Water Act and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 404 wetland permitting process. (preferred)
• Experience performing site visits, collecting field data, and preparing technical reports for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) including environmental resource reports, Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIS). (preferred)
• Ability to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. (required)
• Ability to lift and/or move 30 to 49 pounds unaided and 50 to 100 pounds with assistance. (required)
• Strong technical writing skills and the ability to prepare scientific reports and assist in preparing permit applications in accordance with state and federal standards. (required)
• Experience with multi-disciplinary project teams. (required)
• Valid U.S. driver’s license and a satisfactory driving record for business travel. (required) 

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