Applied Ecology, Inc., a small environmental consulting business with a rapidly expanding footprint, is seeking a highly motivated and capable Entry-level Environmental Scientist to join our growing team. AEI has three offices located in Florida and is a regional leader in water resources, ecological and natural resources, geospatial, and environmental remediation and compliance services. As a small business, we are involved in diverse, yet challenging environmental projects that require innovative approaches and out of the box solutions. Our business model provides a great setting for an individual passionate about conducting research to solve real-world environmental problems while learning from a highly qualified team of scientists and engineers. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys a mixture of office and field work and prefers a high-energy environment working on diverse projects ranging from uplands to wetlands and freshwater to coastal systems.
Environmental Scientists at AEI apply their knowledge of natural resources to design studies, conduct research, and recommend policy and program solutions for environmental problems. Qualified candidates must have a minimum of 4 years of completed college education in a relevant field and be able and willing to do fieldwork in a variety of upland, wetland, and in-water conditions. The ideal candidate is knowledgeable of Florida’s ecology, interested in managing our water resources, highly motivated to grow in their environmental career, and skilled at verbal and written communication. The candidate should be a problem solver that takes pride in their work and is able to work independently but knows when and how to communicate with the team.
Interested applicants, please submit a cover letter and resume addressed to Dr. Leesa Souto, Director of Operations, Applied Ecology, Inc.
Responsibilities
- Conduct field work such as surface, stormwater, and groundwater sampling, soil and sediment sampling, and other environmental monitoring including vegetation and habitat data collection, listed species surveys, submerged aquatic vegetation surveys.
- Follow precise standard protocols for quality assurance and safety.
- Collect elevation and location data of various assets and structures to measure erosion and accretion processes, sea level rise impacts, and increased flooding as part of coastal resiliency planning and vulnerability assessments.
- Complete accurate field logs and ensure appropriate chain of custody of field samples.
- Complete accurate data entry for extensive environmental datasets, quality assure field notes, laboratory results, and other important datasets
- Perform statistical analysis and complete technical reports.
- Develop support materials for presentations under senior staff guidance.
- Assist with organizing, maintaining and calibrating field equipment, including autosamplers and sensors.
- Support mid and senior level staff in developing complex technical tasks, reports, sampling plans, and proposals.
- Assist with permit application packages, as requested by senior staff.
Minimum Required Qualifications
- One year of environmental fieldwork experience, environmental or natural resources monitoring, or field research with data collection.
- Knowledge in water resources, hydrology, ecology, biology, or other environmental sciences.
- Knowledge of environmental issues in Florida.
- Strong oral and written communication skills, including technical writing.
- Ability to perform data analysis and interpret results.
- Ability to perform field work in various types of weather and carry equipment through rough and uneven terrain, woodlands, vegetation, and water.
- Ability to swim and snorkel.
- Must be able to lift 40 pounds.
- Ability and willingness to learn and follow precise protocols for field data collection.
- Possess data integrity and strive for excellence in work products.
- Must be able to travel locally and out of area when necessary.
- A valid Florida Driver’s license is required, and a clean driving record must be maintained.
- Must be able to pass drug testing and a background check.
- Proficiency in using Microsoft Office products is a must.
- Ability to work on DOD contracts (US citizenship required).
Desired Qualifications
- MS/MA preferred
- Experience with environmental sampling of surface and groundwaters and soils and sediments
- Macro-invertebrate or SAV survey experience
- Experience with wetland delineations or assessments
- Experience with listed species surveys, such as gopher tortoise surveys or others
- Experience with advanced water quality instrumentation and technical equipment
- Experience with GIS
- Scuba certified
- Benthic or coral assessment experience
- Florida Boater Safety Certified and/or experience with handling small watercraft
Applied Ecology, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our firm is committed through responsible management policies to recruit, hire, promote, train, transfer, compensate, and administer all other personnel actions without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, status as a protected veteran and any other factor prohibited under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.