What are the responsibilities and job description for the Environmental Scientist position at Freese and Nichols?
Freese and Nichols, Inc. is seeking a motivated individual to join our Coastal and Environmental Science team in our Austin, TX office. The candidate can expect to work on a wide variety of projects including, but not limited to water infrastructure and planning, flood risk reduction, ecological monitoring and restoration, transportation, ports and navigation, and energy development. Clients mostly consist of state, federal, and municipal entities, with some NGO and private industry work..
Responsibilities
At the heart of our culture is our LEADS values (Learn continuously, Engage as family, Act with integrity, Deliver quality, and Serve always). Each year, our employee engagement survey confirms that our leaders and our employees live our values.
We strive to be the firm of choice for clients and employees through innovative approaches, practical results, and outstanding service. For more than 130 years, we have been planning and designing the infrastructure our communities need: developing water supplies, designing roadways and bridges, preparing for natural disasters, and much more.
Besides our comprehensive benefits package (see more at https://www.freese.com/services/benefits-that-work/), we offer paid overtime for salaried employees, an annual bonus, and access to company cabins in Red River, New Mexico. We are proud of our flexible work environment which includes a hybrid schedule with up to 40% of remote work, and an alternative work schedule program which provides a day off every other Friday.
Join our team of 1,200 employees as we grow from Virginia to Colorado. Learn more about working here at https://www.freese.com/careers/.
Freese and Nichols is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because he or she is an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.
We recognize that our workforce reflects the increasingly diverse nature of our society, and we strive to take advantage of that diversity with both our external and internal customers. As a Federal Contractor, Freese and Nichols is an equal employment, affirmative action employer.
Responsibilities
- Assist with:
- Preparing technical presentations, reports, letters, plans, and proposals.
- Developing documents supporting environmental compliance (e.g., Aquatic Resource Relocation Plans, Biological Assessments, NEPA documents).
- Conduct fieldwork including:
- Wetland/stream delineations, freshwater mussel surveys, fish relocations, and habitat assessments.
- Using water quality meters, dip nets/seines, and GPS units in fieldwork.
- Support data management, processing, and interpretation.
- Utilize ESRI mapping applications (ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online).
- Collaborate with team members and interface effectively with internal and external clients.
- Travel up to 50% of the time, mostly within Texas, with some out-of-state projects.
- Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, or a similar field
- Background in ecology/biology and understanding of terrestrial and aquatic ecology.
- Field skills in plant identification, freshwater mussel and fish identification, soil classification, and sampling methods.
- Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills.
- Valid Texas driver’s license and ability to pass a pre-employment drug screen.
- Physical capability to lift over 50 pounds and work in strenuous conditions or inclement weather.
- Comfortable traveling short distances to field sites by boat.
- Open Water Diver certification (PADI, NAUI, or SSI) with recent SCUBA diving experience.
- Familiarity with environmental compliance (e.g., Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, NEPA).
- Experience with off-road driving and towing/backing trailers (or willingness to learn).
- Master’s degree
At the heart of our culture is our LEADS values (Learn continuously, Engage as family, Act with integrity, Deliver quality, and Serve always). Each year, our employee engagement survey confirms that our leaders and our employees live our values.
We strive to be the firm of choice for clients and employees through innovative approaches, practical results, and outstanding service. For more than 130 years, we have been planning and designing the infrastructure our communities need: developing water supplies, designing roadways and bridges, preparing for natural disasters, and much more.
Besides our comprehensive benefits package (see more at https://www.freese.com/services/benefits-that-work/), we offer paid overtime for salaried employees, an annual bonus, and access to company cabins in Red River, New Mexico. We are proud of our flexible work environment which includes a hybrid schedule with up to 40% of remote work, and an alternative work schedule program which provides a day off every other Friday.
Join our team of 1,200 employees as we grow from Virginia to Colorado. Learn more about working here at https://www.freese.com/careers/.
Freese and Nichols is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because he or she is an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.
We recognize that our workforce reflects the increasingly diverse nature of our society, and we strive to take advantage of that diversity with both our external and internal customers. As a Federal Contractor, Freese and Nichols is an equal employment, affirmative action employer.
