Junior Concrete Petrographer

ECS Group of Companies; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

ECS Group of Companies focuses on geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and building science + infrastructure consulting. Founded in 1988, ECS is an employee-owned firm with a national footprint. The Pittsburgh lab role supports Materials Science investigations and requires strong organization and willingness to learn.

There is emphasis on QA compliance, microscopy proficiency, and collaboration with in-house engineers and other technical staff within a team-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of science in Geology, Physical Science, Civil Engineering or related field with coursework in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry.
• No experience required, entry level.
• Experience preparing specimens for microscopy (thin sections) and use of microscopy (SEM/EDS) preferred.
• If driving for ECS, a valid driver’s license required.
• Ability to identify minerals and classify rock types; operate optical/SEM microscopes.

Responsibilities

• Perform tasks to support the Materials Science Laboratory and related investigations.
• Learn and perform industry standard lab test methods with strict QA/QMS practices.
• Comply with corporate QA policies and procedures; assist adoption and enforcement.
• Obtain and maintain lab-testing certifications for defined scope.
• Provide training to incoming junior staff and collaborate with engineers and architects.
• Assist with lab organization, calibration tracking, and consumable supplies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Geology

Mineralogy

Petrology

Geochemistry

Microscopy

Education

B.S. Geology or related field

Tools

Polarized light microscope

SEM/EDS

Microscopy tooling

Job description

• Perform all necessary existing and developmental tasks in support of the Materials Science Laboratory and project material related investigations.
• Learn and perform industry standard laboratory test methods following strict quality and documentation requirements and good laboratory practices.
• Responsible for complying with corporate-level and office-specific Quality Management Systems (QMS) related policies and procedures; including adoption, implementation, and enforcement.
• Responsible for obtaining and maintaining appropriate lab-testing related certifications by external certifying agencies for the defined scope.
• Provide training to incoming junior level staff.
• Collaborate with in-house engineers, architects, and other technical professionals.
• Assist with the organization and operation of the laboratory including but not limited to tracking of equipment calibration and laboratory comsumable supplies
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform all necessary existing and developmental tasks in support of the Materials Science Laboratory and project material related investigations.
• Learn and perform industry standard laboratory test methods following strict quality and documentation requirements and good laboratory practices.
• Responsible for complying with corporate-level and office-specific Quality Management Systems (QMS) related policies and procedures; including adoption, implementation, and enforcement.
• Responsible for obtaining and maintaining appropriate lab-testing related certifications by external certifying agencies for the defined scope.
• Provide training to incoming junior level staff.
• Collaborate with in-house engineers, architects, and other technical professionals.
• Assist with the organization and operation of the laboratory including but not limited to tracking of equipment calibration and laboratory comsumable supplies
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of science in Geology, Physical Science, Civil Engineering or a related field with coursework in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry.
• No experience required.
• Experience preparing specimens for microscopy such as thin sections and use of a stereo-optical microscope, polarized light microscope, or scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), is preferred.
• If driving for, or on behalf of, any ECS subsidiary, a valid driver’s license is required.
• Ability to identify minerals and classify rock types
• Experience or familiarity with the operation and maintenance of optical microscopes and scanning electron microscopes
• Experience or familiarity with thin section preparation techniques
• Intellectual curiosity, problem-solving abilities, and strong motivation to learn
• Ability to work effectively in teams, with peers, and independently
• Dependable, self-motivated, responsible and detail-oriented
• Good organization skills and ability to prioritize mulitple tasks
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office Suite and image collection and processing tools/software

ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and building science + infrastructure consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 3,200 employees in 125 offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #60 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms (April 2026), #148 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms (October 2025) and #38 in Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List (June 2026). For additional information about ECS, visit: www.ecslimited.com. ECS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To learn more, click here.