Intermediate Aquatic Scientist, Water Quality Specialist

Onterris; Calgary; On-site; CAD 68,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Onterris is seeking an Aquatic Scientist (Water Quality) to join our Wildlife and Aquatics team in Alberta (Edmonton, Calgary or Grande Prairie). The role focuses on water quality study design, field sampling, data analysis and reporting across major projects in energy and infrastructure sectors.

You will collaborate with biologists, hydrologists and consultants, lead field work when required, and ensure QA/QC across programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or diploma in environmental science, biology, or related field.
• Eligible for professional designation (e.g., B.I.T., P. Biol., P. Ag.).
• 4–8 years of consulting experience related to water quality or environmental consulting.
• Strong attention to detail and good organizational skills.
• Excellent written communication and technical report writing.
• Ability to work with other disciplines on integrated assessments.
• Valid Class 5 driver’s license with no restrictions.

Responsibilities

• Be an active Aquatics Team member on a growing multidisciplinary team.
• Lead water quality sampling, data analysis and reporting on projects.
• Collaborate with other disciplines on complex assessments.
• Lead or oversee field work and sampling methodologies as needed.
• Coordinate with labs, write field work plans, and track samples.
• Support field crews and ensure field programs run smoothly.
• Interact with internal regions and client groups, maintaining safety culture.

Skills

Water quality knowledge

Written communication

Attention to detail

Project management

Regulatory familiarity

Team collaboration

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in environmental science / biology

Professional designation eligibility

Job description

About Us

At Onterris, we build careers grounded in purpose, responsibility and real-world impact.

About Us

At Onterris, we build careers grounded in purpose, responsibility and real-world impact.

“For Planet and Progress” is our north star that guides everything we do. We believe environmental responsibility and human progress are interconnected, interwoven and international. Our scientists, engineers, field teams, consultants and professionals collaborate across disciplines and geographies, guiding industries and governments, ensuring that communities and environments thrive.

When you join us, you’re not just forging a career, you’re joining a movement. A movement for better thinking, smarter solutions and lasting impact.

Together, we will advance our way of life and protect the integrity of our environment every step of the way.

A Day in the Life

As an Aquatic Scientist (Water Quality), you will join one of our Alberta offices (Edmonton, Calgary or Grande Prairie) as part of our Wildlife and Aquatics team.

The compensation range for this role is $32.50 to $42.50, commensurate with experience, skills, and geographic location.

To thrive in this role, you will be comfortable taking ownership of the following responsibilities:

• Be an active Aquatics Team member and contribute to a growing and collaborative team of biologists, hydrologists and aquatic scientists participating in discipline specific and multi-disciplinary projects.
• Engage as a Water Quality Discipline Lead role on routine and complex projects that require surface water and sediment quality sampling, data analysis and reporting. These projects may include aquatic environmental effects monitoring, aquatic environmental risk assessments, environmental impact assessments, and routine operational monitoring programs for the power, mines, oil and gas facilities, and pipelines industries.
• Collaborate with other aquatic and terrestrial disciplines on complex projects to assess aquatic environmental effects (e.g., benthic invertebrate assessments, wetland projects, aquatic ecology projects, etc.).
• Taking on and leading field work is desirable; may be required to lead/oversee the application of specialized sampling methodologies related to water and sediment sampling.
• Work under the guidance of senior staff members.
• Apply diligence in conducting field data collection using standard and/or approved methods consistent with project objectives and QA/QC methods.
• Take guidance from technical senior staff to apply Onterris norms and best practices for managing and analyzing data, and reporting.
• Support field crews from the office in a timely manner with any required assistance to ensure field programs are carried out successfully. This may include writing field work plans, confirming scopes, coordinating with labs to prep for field work (e.g., sample bottle orders, etc.), sample tracking, updating field maps, and facilitating communications between field teams with project managers and technical accountables.
• Interact and work with a community of technical experts from other Onterris regions in Western Canada.
• Interact with extensive, long-standing clients within local and regional government, conservation authorities, academia, and private industry.
• Actively participate in maintaining the strong safety culture at Onterris.

Your Expertise and Skills

These requirements reflect the knowledge, skills and abilities that help you do your best work here.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, or technical diploma in environmental science, biology related field.
• Eligible for professional designation in a relevant organization (i.e., B.I.T., P. Biol., P. Ag., etc.).
• 4 to 8 years of consulting experience related to water quality, and/or the environmental consulting industry. The amount of field work required will depend on applicant’s experience and skillset.
• Possess strong attention to detail as well as good organizational skills.
• Excellent written communication skills and strong technical report writing abilities.
• Ability to anticipate secondary project outcomes (e.g., delays, opportunities) and make plans to address changes ahead of time to support project success.
• Experience in writing field reports summarizing field activities and relevant environmental information.
• Project Management experience is an asset.
• Familiarity with pertinent regulatory guidelines is an asset (e.g., Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Water, Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life.) Demonstrate knowledge of the environmental assessment process in Alberta (Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act) and Canada (Impact Assessment Act) as related to effects on aquatic environments is an asset.
• Abilities in the areas of water quality study design, field sampling protocols, and project coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines on integrated assessments.
• Possess a valid class 5 driver’s license with no driving restrictions.
• Strong safety mindset and demonstrated safety leadership.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

The physical and environmental requirements below reflect what’s typically needed to perform the essential functions of this role safely and effectively. We may provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, consistent with applicable law, to support performance of the essential functions.

• Office skills will require sitting, standing, and walking

For Times When Field Work May Be Required

• Ability to swim and be comfortable working in and around swift water
• Lifting up to 50 pounds several times a day
• Overhead lifting of over 20 pounds
• Often works outdoors and may be exposed to hot and cold environments and extreme weather conditions, including sunlit, rainy and windy conditions
• Will work shifts up to 12 hours in duration

In keeping with our Health & Safety Policy, individuals in safety sensitive positions are subject to pre-employment, pre-access (and in some client cases, random) alcohol & drug testing as well as drivers abstract reviews.

Onterris provides support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities; including accommodation that considers an applicant’s accessibility needs. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to work with Human Resources directly.

This posting reflects a current vacancy that the company is actively seeking to fill.

Please note, we are not accepting third party agency applicants at this time.

Onterris is a leading global environmental solutions company partnering with organizations to solve complex challenges where environmental pressures, regulatory expectations and operational risks intersect. Guided by our mission to advance the way of life without compromising the integrity of our environment, we believe environmental responsibility and human progress are fundamentally connected. Our scientists, engineers, field teams and consultants apply systems thinking that unites science, data and practical expertise to deliver solutions that strengthen our clients’ resilience, mitigate risk and protect the air, water and soil that sustain communities, while uncovering responsible paths forward for planet and progress. For more information, visit www.onterris.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We acknowledge that these experiences and perspectives help to enrich our teams and contribute to our ongoing success. We are committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in our employment for all applicants.

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