SWCA Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned company specializing in natural and cultural resource management, environmental planning, and regulatory compliance.  SWCA’s Chicago, Illinois team is growing and seeks a Project-Level Environmental Scientist.  This position offers a collaborative and supportive work environment with a diverse team of scientists working on a wide range of projects, and is based in Cincinnati, OH. The successful candidate will possess a broad range of skills including a well-developed understanding of environmental permitting in the Midwest U.S. across multiple sectors including energy, utilities, and land development, strong technical field skills, and effective communication skills.

This is a full-time, regular status position located in Cincinnati, OH, with hybrid work environments encouraged.  This position will report into our Chicago, ILL office

Under this job requisition, we may hire the following job position:  

• Assistant Project Environmental Scientist- Typically with at least 3 years of relevant industry experience and expertise 
• Associate Project Environmental Scientist – Typically with at least 5 years of relevant industry experience and expertise 
• Project Environmental Scientist - Typically with at least 7 years of relevant industry experience and expertise 

Application deadline: Application is due at 5:00 PM EDT on 6.27.2026

Responsibilities for this position include serving as a task manager, overseeing, and directing field activities, and managing small to mid-sized project projects. As part of this position, the Project Environmental Scientist will:

• Develop project management and technical lead skills on a variety of environmental and water resource projects.
• Manage a variety of tasks, including projects related to wetland science and threatened/endangered species. 
• Oversee and direct all aspects of environmental permitting related to Clean Water Act (CWA) Sections 401 (Water Quality Certification), 402 (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System), and 404 (Dredge and Fill Material), as well as the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and other state and local laws and regulations.
• Collaborate with a team of natural and cultural resources specialists to fulfill a variety of environmental planning and permitting needs for various projects.
• Be responsible for multi-disciplinary scope of work and budget development with the natural resources team, as well as tracking scopes and budgets during project execution.
• Direct agency and client coordination regarding wetland, rare species, stormwater, and compliance monitoring programs and building trusted relationships with the responsible agencies and stakeholders.
• Prepare resource inventory reports, environmental permitting support, and other documents. 
• Organize, review, and transfer field data, and write technical reports and permit applications related to the CWA, floodplain management, and other state and local water resources regulations.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other SWCA scientists, including wetland specialists, ecologists, stormwater specialists, restoration specialists, hydrologists, floodplain specialists, wildlife specialists, etc. for quality assurance for scope of work and project approach development.
• Take  responsibility for team safety, developing safety plans (when applicable), and anticipating potential safety hazards.

Required

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Wetland Science, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Science, Ecology or other related field.
• A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in natural resources.
• Demonstrated prior experience leading wetland delineations, rare species investigations, construction monitoring, and other similar tasks.
• Previous experience with federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations in the midwest United States.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Preferred

• At least one (1) year of natural resources (or related) project management experience, including developing and implementing budgets, scopes of work, and project schedules.
• Five (5) years’ experience of progressively responsible experience in natural resources.
• Experience working on linear projects, including natural gas clients.
• Experience working on renewable energy projects
• Professional certifications including PWS, CWB, CERP, NHCWS, CESSWI, Registered (Professional) Soil Scientist, CE, or similar.

Additional Information

• Valid driver's license.
• Ability and willingness to travel, sometimes at moment’s notice, for extended periods, at night and occasionally on the weekend.
• Ability to pass a Motor Vehicle background screening. 
• Available to access projects within the geographic area.
• Ability to work long hours in harsh conditions.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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