Staff-level Environmental Scientist

Title: Staff-level Environmental Scientist

Location: Norfolk, VA

Job Type: Full Time

What’s the Opportunity?

Anchor QEA is seeking a Staff-level Environmental Scientist to support multidisciplinary projects focused on climate resilience, nature-based solutions, beneficial use of dredged material, ecological restoration, and community-centered environmental outcomes. This position supports applied science, planning, and implementation projects across coastal, estuarine, and riverine systems.

You will support senior staff in planning, coordinating, and implementing restoration and resilience projects, contributing to project planning activities, field efforts, data synthesis, reporting, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams in a collaborative, science-driven consulting environment.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities of this position include the following:

• Support planning, design, and implementation of ecological restoration and climate resilience projects, including living shorelines, habitat restoration, green infrastructure, and water quality improvement efforts.
• Assist with coordination of multidisciplinary project teams, including scientists, engineers, planners, contractors, and agency partners.
• Support development of work plans, scopes, schedules, and budgets under the guidance of senior staff.
• Participate in field activities such as site assessments, habitat monitoring, data collection, and construction oversight support as needed.
• Compile, manage, and synthesize environmental, biological, and physical data to support technical analyses.
• Support preparation of technical memoranda, reports, client proposals, graphics, and summaries.
• Assist with permitting and regulatory coordination activities, including development of permit applications, for restoration and resilience projects.
• Contribute to stakeholder and community engagement efforts, including meeting preparation and coordination.
• Assist with grant tracking, reporting, and documentation for federally and state-funded projects, as needed.

What Are We Looking For?

Ideal Candidates Will Have The Following

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, resource management, fisheries science, or a related field.
• 0 to 5 years of relevant experience supporting environmental restoration, resilience, or applied ecology projects.
• Background in aquatic ecology, habitat restoration, nature-based solutions, and/or coastal and riverine systems.
• Strong organization skills.
• Excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills.
• Desire to learn and apply new skills to solve complex environmental challenges.
• Experience supporting project coordination, including schedules, deliverables, and partner coordination.
• Familiarity with environmental permitting processes and regulatory compliance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in database development, data management, and analysis, including basic statistical analysis using standard software (e.g., Excel).
• Willingness to travel for field assignments and meetings as needed.

What Can You Expect?

A collaborative, science-driven work environment where your expertise directly contributes to improving aquatic ecosystems and community outcomes. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits detailed below.

Who Are We?

Anchor QEA provides environmental planning, science, and engineering consulting services with the mission of transforming our environment and communities with integrity and vibe. With more than 500 people in offices across the United States, our collective vision is to be an inclusive, sustainable, and growing environmental innovator making generational impacts. By embodying our core values, we strive to be our clients’ first choice for solving their most challenging problems and to be our employees’ reason to be excited about going to work each morning. Learn more about Anchor QEA at

How to Apply?

Apply online through Anchor QEA’s Open Positions page at Veterans are encouraged to apply. Applicants with a disability, who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, may e-mail their request to [email protected].

Additional Information

We work hard to embrace diversity and inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, Anchor QEA is committed to a diverse, multi-cultural work environment. Anchor QEA does not discriminate in employment based on age, race, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a comprehensive background check.

Salary And Other Compensation

• Annual Bonus
• Other potential bonus types: Billable Time Bonus, Spot Bonus, Milestone Anniversary Bonus, Receiving Professional License/Certification Bonus, Peer-reviewed Publication Bonus, Employee Referral Bonus.

Base Level Benefits For Regular Full-Time Positions

• Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, basic life and AD&D insurance
• Paid Company and Floating Holidays: 7 paid company and 2 floating holidays annually
• Vacation: 2 weeks accrued paid vacation based on length of service. Vacation may vary by level.
• Sick and Safe Time: 80 hours annually

Retirement Plan: 401k plan with an employer match * Further information on benefits: