Assistant Project Water Resources Scientist – Water Quality

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding and looking for dynamic individuals to support the growing Water Resources ("Water") technical team. The SWCA Great Basin subregion is seeking an Assistant Project Water Resources Scientist who is motivated to work in a team environment, serve in a technical capacity (in Utah, Western U.S., Southwestern U.S.) and nationally (throughout SWCA), work on challenging projects, pursue business development opportunities, and use their expertise to pursue a rewarding professional consulting career.

 

We are seeking a candidate who is looking to develop a long-term consulting career that combines technical expertise, strong writing skills, business acumen, and the potential for leadership. Responsibilities may include writing technical reports, participating in field work, water resources planning, permitting assistance, and coordinating with a multi-disciplinary team. 

 

While the candidate would ideally be located near our Salt Lake City, UT office, highly qualified remote candidates may also be considered.

 

This is a regular (with benefits), full-time, hourly position. Pay rate will be based on individual qualifications and experience. SWCA offers a team-oriented work environment, competitive salaries, and a competitive benefits package, including an employee stock ownership retirement plan (ESOP). 

 

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

 

 

Our Vision (the North Star), Core Values, and Purpose:  Help drive SWCA to be the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership.

 

We are #OneSWCA and collaborate across all our offices, programs, and disciplines. We are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle and we #GiveBack. We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. It is imperative for the successful candidate to fit SWCA's unique culture. Do you appreciate sustainability and environmental awareness? Is giving back to your community a priority? SWCA is a team of scientists, planners, technical experts, and corporate services professionals who are committed to our culture.

What you will accomplish

• Collaborate on projects and pursuits of varying complexity (relative complexity balances variables like scale, budget, duration, controversy, risk, regulations, disciplines, geography, phases, etc.).
• Manages their task schedule and budget to achieve project objectives and accountabilities.
• Implements technical solutions/approaches and builds collaborative relationships across offices and geographies to share resources and expertise such as natural and cultural resources specialists to fulfill a variety of environmental planning and permitting needs for different projects
• Leads project communications with regulators and the broad regulatory framework under which we work.​Develops and implements QA/QC methods or procedures and complies with safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.
• Apply a broad range of environmental experience to support a variety of projects related to Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and other resource planning/permitting, and/or natural resource disciplines.
• Organize, review, and transfer field data, and write technical reports related to the federal, state, and local environmental and water resources regulations

Experience and qualifications for success

REQUIRED

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Hydrology, Water Resources, Biology, Ecology, or a related field required.
• At least three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in environmental or water resources.
• Experience working with scientists, planners, engineers, contractors, and agency specialists.
• Proficiency in writing natural resources technical reports -- these may include those related to the Clean Water Act; National Environmental Protection Act; Endangered Species Act; and/or other environmental requirements.
• Technical writing experience for resources reports or permitting applications.  
• Excellent organizational and verbal/written communication skills
• Ability to solve complex problems using sound professional judgment, creativity, and innovation.
• Ability to participate and collaborate in a project team setting and to engage in independent creative and critical thought.
• Familiarity with mapping software such as ArcGIS and GPS devices.
• Ability to conduct field work on a weekly as-needed basis with some potential for overnight mobilizations. Travel is estimated at approximately 10% to 25% of a full-time position and is anticipated.

PREFERRED

• Experience with large datasets and analysis using analytical tools and programs such as R.
• Experience working with and/or for government agencies such as the  Offices of the State Engineer, state water quality agencies, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, US Army Corps of Engineers, and/or other municipal water agencies and managers.
• Technical experience with total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and/or EPA 9-Element Watershed Planning.
• Watershed science NEPA experience.
• Demonstrated business development success, including proposal writing, budget development, and client interaction. 
• Desire to learn and grow into increased project-management and supervisory responsibilities. 
• Previous experience in environmental consulting highly preferred.
• Graduate degree in Environmental Science, Hydrology, Water Resource Management, or related graduate degree.
• Experience with groundwater and hydrogeology.
• Previous experience with water quality, hydrology, and/or water resource-related skills
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SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.  We will encourage you to grow and develop your career with us through our technical and professional development programs and diverse career opportunities. We believe in leadership at all levels. No matter where you sit in the organization you can make a lasting impact on the projects you work on, the teams and committees you join and our business. 

 

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email [email protected] or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

 

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good-faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

 

An employee in this Salt Lake City, Utah-based position can expect an hourly rate of: $27.30-37.33 per hour. 

 

Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.  Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive benefits package (https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

 

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

 

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.