Water Quality Environmental Scientist (Junior-Level)

Environmental Science Associates; Orlando (FL); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation & holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) seeks a motivated Environmental Scientist with a focus on water quality and watershed science to join our Southeast team. This junior-level role targets candidates with 2+ years of experience applying quantitative methods to ecological and hydrologic data, ideally within Florida watersheds.

The position offers hybrid schedule (2–3 days per week) from Tampa and/or Orlando offices with opportunities to grow within a 50-year-old employee-owned firm.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in ecology, environmental science, hydrology, water resources, or related natural science field.
• 2+ years of professional experience in environmental consulting or applied ecological science.
• Knowledge and experience in water quality data analysis, including QA/QC, and geospatial evaluation of watershed conditions.

Responsibilities

• Work as a data scientist, including compilation and analysis of water quality and hydrologic data, to assist clients in decision-making related to pollution controls in coastal and freshwater environments.
• Support projects involving watershed evaluations, source water protection, ecosystem restoration, and regulatory compliance.
• Contribute to development of technical materials describing methods and results of evaluations for environmental management decisions or permit applications.
• Digest Florida environmental regulations (e.g., CWA, NPDES, TMDLs, BMAPs, WUPs, MFLs) relevant to projects.
• Collaborate with team members and contribute to problem solving and client meetings.

Skills

Water quality data analysis

Data compilation/QA/QC

Statistical modeling

R

SAS

GIS

Education

Bachelor's degree in ecology/environmental science/hydrology or related field

Tools

R scripting

GIS

Field Maps/Survey123

Job description

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore for projects across our communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong in 21 offices across California, the Pacific Northwest, and the southeastern United States.

ESA is seeking a motivated Environmental Scientist with a focus on water quality and watershed science to join our Southeast team. This junior-level role is ideal for a scientist with 2+ years of experience applying quantitative methods to ecological, hydrologic, and water quality datasets, preferred within Florida's freshwater and estuarine systems and associated watersheds. The ideal candidate brings a passion for natural systems, analytical skills, and the ability to translate complex datasets into clear, defensible technical work products. This is an exempt, full‑time, salaried role, working a hybrid schedule (2‑3 days per week) depending on project needs, out of the Tampa and/or Orlando, FL offices. Qualified candidates within a commutable distance to other Florida ESA locations may be considered. Strong preference given to candidates able to work hybrid from our Tampa or Orlando ESA offices.

Who You Are

You hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in ecology, environmental science, hydrology, water resources, or a related natural science field, and you bring 2+ years of professional experience in environmental consulting or applied ecological science. You possess 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.

Qualifications and Experience

• 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.
• 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.
• Watershed management planning, supporting or conducting surface water resource assessments, land use characterizations, and pollutant loading estimates.
• Water quality, biological, and hydrologic data analysis, scripting, reproducible analysis pipelines, and integration of large, multisource datasets to support statistical and mechanistic modeling.
• 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.

Desired Skills

• Experience with R, SAS, or other statistical programming software.
• Familiarity with hydrologic, hydrodynamic, and/or water quality data and modeling preferred.
• Watershed management plan development.
• GIS, Field Maps, Survey123, or similar tools.
• Ecological knowledge (e.g., wetlands, SAV, wildlife, restoration ecology). Preference given to candidates with Florida‑specific experience.
• Experience conducting water quality, biological, or hydrologic analyses.
• Ability to contribute to technical writing and environmental documentation.
• General knowledge of environmental regulations and water quality programs (Florida‑specific preferred).
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited direction.
• A valid driver’s license.

What You Will Do

Responsibilities include:

• Work as a data scientist, including compilation and analysis of water quality and hydrologic data, to assist public and private sector clients in decision‑making related to pollution controls in coastal and freshwater environments, in response to regulatory and/or policy directives.
• Support projects involving watershed evaluations, source water protection, ecosystem restoration, and regulatory compliance.
• Contribute to the development of technical materials, including memoranda, documents, and/or presentations, that describe methods and results of scientifically rigorous and technically sound biological, water quality, and/or hydrologic evaluations, which may serve as supporting materials for environmental management decisions or environmental permit applications.
• Dive into and digest the 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.
• Contribute to a collaborative, feedback‑driven team culture through internal discussions, project coordination, and problem solving.
• Contribute to the presentation of technical information to interdisciplinary internal teams and support meetings with clients, agency staff, and stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner.
• Participate in conferences, workshops, or networking events as appropriate.
• Deliver assignments on time and within budget.
• Thrive in a fast‑paced environment balancing multiple responsibilities.

What's Special About Our Team

Our Southeast Biological Resources and Land Management team includes environmental scientists, quantitative ecologists, hydrologists, planners, and technical specialists who support projects in water quality, hydrology, ecological monitoring program design and implementation, restoration design, and regulatory analysis. Much of our work focuses on watershed‑scale assessments, hydrobiological monitoring, permitting support, and data‑driven ecological evaluations that inform resilient, science‑based management decisions.

What's Special About ESA

Joining ESA means becoming part of a close‑knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places.

Benefits

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you and your family), annual allocations of company share through our ESOP, a 401(k) plan with company match, and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few.

We also provide specific programs whether you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee‑owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.

Equal Opportunity Employment

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOEM/V/F/D)