Water Quality Environmental Scientist (Mid-Level)
HybridOrlando, Florida, United States
Orlando, Florida, United StatesHybridFull TimeMid LevelDoctorate Or Professional DegreeEnvironmental ConsultingMedium
Full TimeMid LevelDoctorate Or Professional DegreeMediumEnvironmental Consulting
Job Summary
Compile and analyze water quality and hydrologic data to support client decision-making on pollution controls and regulatory compliance. Serve as a technical specialist for watershed evaluations, source water protection, and ecosystem restoration projects, preparing defensible technical memoranda and permit applications. Apply quantitative methods using R or SAS to evaluate datasets against standards, manage project scopes and budgets, and present findings to internal teams and stakeholders. Understand Florida-specific environmental regulations including NPDES and TMDLs while collaborating on business development proposals. Deliver assignments on time within budget as part of a collaborative team culture.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in ecology, environmental science, hydrology, water resources, or a related natural science field
- 5+ years of professional experience in environmental consulting or applied ecological science
- Knowledge and experience in water quality data analysis, including data compilation, quality assurance, statistical modeling, hydrologic/water quality data evaluation, and geospatial evaluation of watershed conditions
- Skills in data compilation and quality assurance, compiling data from various sources, conducting data quality reviews (QA/QC), and producing concise quality-controlled datasets ready for delivery and analysis
- Skills in water quality and water quantity analyses, producing descriptive statistics, plots, and other visualizations, exploratory data analysis, comparisons to water quality standards, and other regulatory evaluations
- Skills in watershed management planning, supporting or conducting surface water resource assessments, land use characterizations, and pollutant loading estimates
- Skills in water quality, biological, and hydrologic data analysis, scripting, reproducible analysis pipelines, and integration of large, multi-source datasets to support statistical and mechanistic modeling
- Skills in regulatory technical documentation, including preparation of clear, defensible sections of permit applications, contributing to technical memoranda, environmental evaluations, and data-driven summaries that support decision making
- Advanced R or SAS proficiency
- Experience with GIS, Field Maps, Survey123, or similar tools
- Ecological knowledge (e.g., wetlands, SAV, wildlife, restoration ecology)
- A valid driver's license
- Strong ability in data synthesis and analysis, translating complex water quality and hydrologic datasets into actionable insights into freshwater, estuarine, and watershed systems
- Demonstrated experience conducting water quality, biological, or hydrologic analyses, including scripting in R or SAS
- Understanding of environmental regulations, water quality programs, and ecological assessment methods
- Strong technical writing and communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively and independently, manage deadlines, and contribute to high-quality analytical deliverables
- Experience applying quantitative methods to ecological, hydrologic, and water-quality datasets
- Experience in Florida's freshwater and estuarine systems and associated watersheds
- Hybrid schedule (2-3 days per week) depending on project needs
- Location: out of the Tampa and/or Orlando, FL, offices
- Commutable distance to other Florida ESA locations
- Proof of vaccination status or approved exemption for in-person ESA work-related activity
Desired Qualifications
- Preference in Florida's freshwater and estuarine systems and associated watersheds
- Familiarity with hydrologic, hydrodynamic, and/or water quality data and modeling
- Watershed management plan development
- Florida specific experience
- Understanding of environmental regulations relevant to Florida, including those associated with the Clean Water Act and associated regulatory programs (NPDES, TMDLs, BMAPs) and water supply programs (WUPs, MFLs) as well as other water-resource programs
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