Job Title: Risk Assessor II
Location: Reston, VA
Description/Job SummaryPOSITION DESCRIPTION HGL is seeking a Risk Assessor II to support environmental projects, including hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste; PFAS; mining; and military munitions response program projects nationwide. The Risk Assessor II will prepare human health risk assessments and/or ecological risk assessments in accordance with CERCLA, RCRA, and applicable state guidance, with support from HGL's risk assessment team, including senior- and principal-level staff. The ideal candidate can lead both human health and ecological risk assessments; candidates with strong experience in either discipline will also be considered. This role is well suited for a self-directed individual who enjoys integrating complex environmental data, technical analysis, and regulatory requirements to support sound project and remedial decisions. HGL is seeking to fill one hybrid position based out of our Reston, VA office.
Responsibilities/DutiesWHAT YOU'LL BE DOING - Manage and analyze large environmental datasets.
- Prepare tables, figures, and other data exhibits.
- Author risk assessments, risk assessment work plans, and other technical deliverables.
- Review and interpret environmental and toxicological studies and reports.
- Support remedial strategy design, including development of risk-based cleanup levels.
- Conduct statistical analyses, including statistical comparisons of background data to site data.
- Serve as the project risk assessor in project meetings and technical discussions with clients, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders.
- Lead and provide technical direction to junior-level staff.
Minimum RequirementsWHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL - Bachelor's degree in toxicology, environmental science, public health, engineering, or a related health or environmental science discipline.
- At least 6 years of work experience in an environmental consulting or regulatory environment on DoD or EPA projects, with a focus on site investigation and human health or ecological risk assessment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience implementing EPA's Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund and/or EPA's Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund.
- Working knowledge of relevant federal regulations, especially CERCLA and RCRA, and the ability to integrate federal requirements with varying state regulations.
- Ability to present technical information effectively to scientific, regulatory, and public audiences.
- Ability to succeed in a fast-paced consulting environment, manage multiple project assignments, meet strict deadlines, travel to client facilities as needed, and work independently as a self-starter.
- Demonstrated ability to learn and adopt new technologies and digital tools to improve project delivery and operational efficiency.
Desired QualificationsWHAT YOU NEED TO STAND OUT - Preferred, not required- Advanced degree (MS, MPH, or PhD) in toxicology, environmental science, public health, engineering, or a related health or environmental science discipline.
- Experience completing statistical comparisons of site data to background data and geochemical evaluations to distinguish site-related contaminants from background constituents.
- Experience in technical areas beyond risk assessment-such as contaminant fate and transport, analytical chemistry, characterization of the nature and extent of contamination, or development of remediation strategies-to support integration across project teams.
- Experience designing and leading baseline ecological risk assessments that include collection of site-specific data, such as biota tissue, toxicity testing, bioaccumulation studies, or habitat and/or species surveys.
- Experience in blood lead modeling to support human health risk assessments.
- Familiarity with environmental databases, primarily LOCUS, and statistical software.
- Experience using generative AI tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or similar) to improve technical writing, data analysis, research, visualization, or project delivery efficiency.
Physical & Environmental RequirementsPHYSICAL & COGNITIVE REQUIREMENTS- Prolonged sitting up to 70% of the time.
- Viewing computer screen for extended periods.
- Analyzing and synthesizing data.
- Managing competing deadlines and shifting priorities.
WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTSThis description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.
DetailsWork Schedule: HGL office work is dictated by a 5-day work week; however, fieldwork schedules will deviate based on job requirements and may require longer hours and weekends.
Office Type: Hybrid (3 days in office)
Travel: Minimal but as needed to client facilities; percentage varies by project assignment.
A favorable pre-hire drug test is required.
All positions are subject to a pre-hire education and driving record verification.
Digital & AI Proficiency: HGL encourages the responsible use of approved AI-enabled and digital technologies to improve productivity, technical quality, decision-making, and project delivery. Candidates who demonstrate curiosity, adaptability, and experience leveraging emerging technologies are highly valued.
The annual salary for this position ranges from $96,480.00 - $144,720.00. This position's final salary can be impacted by various factors including, but not limited to, contractual requirements, geographic location, job-related education, training, experience, and skills. If your desired salary falls outside of this range, we hope you'll still apply as there may be other positions that better align.
#LI-hybrid
