Graduate Environmental Scientist

Help us build the future and we’ll help you build a rewarding and purposeful career. 

Our global network is made up of architects, designers, planners, engineers, and environmental scientists all working towards the same goal. 

Join a team that brings inspirational architecture, landscapes, townscapes and places to our world, and we’ll provide you unlimited space to grow.

At our Omaha office, you will work directly with experienced scientists and program leaders on projects for major U.S. clients, including Fortune 500 companies, Class I railroads, leading construction firms, and food manufacturers. You will get hands-on field experience, regular coaching, and the responsibility to grow your career.

Who are we looking for?   

At GHD we are looking for a new Graduate Environmental Scientist to join our Omaha, NE office. This is an entry-level professional role, and recent graduates and early-career candidates are welcome. We welcome graduates in environmental science, civil engineering, environmental engineering, hydrogeology, geology, biology, natural resources, sustainability, and other related fields, so if your degree title does not match exactly, we would still love to meet you. You will start with well-defined problems and take on more complex work as you grow, with guidance from experienced colleagues, so no prior experience in this role is needed. What matters most is your curiosity, your attention to detail, and your interest in field work. If you do not meet every qualification but you are eager to learn, we would like to hear from you.

Be part of the dynamic culture! Our workplace thrives on a hybrid model, combining in-office collaboration and flexibility. This is a full-time role, and we would love to see you in the office or in the field every day. Learning alongside experienced colleagues is the fastest way to grow, and it helps build a strong team. Our hybrid model includes at least three days a week in the office or in the field, with flexibility and independence in how you manage your schedule and your work, as agreed with your manager. When a project calls for more field time in a week, that takes priority.

What does the work look like?

• This role includes hands-on field work at client facilities and project sites, from contaminated-site monitoring to native grassland visits. You can expect:

• Up to half of your time in the field, though not evenly distributed from week to week, including sampling, monitoring, and site inspections, in a range of weather conditions

• Travel within Nebraska and surrounding states as projects require

• Occasional environmental emergency response work. It is not frequent, but when it happens, you will be part of the team that shows up for our clients, and we give as much notice as we can

Why our Omaha office?

• Direct access to experienced professionals: Your day-to-day work is guided by principal and senior professionals who coach you along the way.

• Early exposure: You will be in the field, in client conversations, and part of project discussions from the beginning.

• Real ownership: You will be trusted with your own responsibilities, such as monitoring rounds and data summaries, with experienced colleagues backing you up.

• Work that matters: Help protect groundwater and land, move contaminated sites toward closure, and support clients when an incident happens, on projects for major U.S. clients across industries.

• Build your career in Omaha: Grow your career close to home, with project work across Nebraska and the surrounding states, and the training, support, and network of a global firm.

• GHD Graduate Development Program: Join a structured two-year program for early-career professionals, with core modules and learner groups alongside graduates across GHD, a buddy to help you settle in, a technical development plan for your on-the-job learning, and quarterly check-ins on your goals and career. Your learning time is built into your schedule.

• A community to grow with: GHD’s nine Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are open to all employees and cover a wide range of communities and interests, including Young Professionals (YP). The North America YP group is very active, with networking, professional development, mentoring, and community volunteering alongside peers across GHD.

Working with an energetic and high performing team, this position offers a variety of work and will see you involved in: 

• Field Work and Sampling: Perform routine groundwater monitoring at contaminated sites, including petroleum, VOC (volatile organic compound), and fertilizer-impacted sites, and monitor a managed native grassland through routine site visits. Inspect properties for potential environmental concerns based on their use and history. Collect water and soil samples so materials can be characterized for proper disposal. You will take excellent field notes and follow established procedures so the data we collect is accurate and reliable.

• EHS Compliance Support: Help clients meet environmental, health, and safety (EHS) requirements by supporting plans and reports such as Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) reporting, and by helping with hazardous waste compliance and other onsite compliance tasks at client facilities.

• Emergency Response (occasional): Learn to support emergency response projects under the guidance of experienced responders, such as overseeing response contractors cleaning up after incidents, conducting air monitoring, and carrying out other related field tasks.

• Data, Reports, and Documents: Help prepare data summaries, technical documents, and related reports, and help with data entry for other programs, such as asbestos management.

• Project and Team Support: Support project managers, including helping with simple proposals, and share in keeping the team field-ready by maintaining field equipment and our company truck and keeping the field room organized.

• Health and Safety: Follow our policies, procedures, and mandatory instructions to identify and mitigate risks to the well-being of yourself and others in the workplace and in the field; follow and promotesafe work practices; and speak up when you see a hazard, escalating serious issues as appropriate.

• Learning and Development: Learn from experienced scientists through coaching, field time, and team discussions. Build your skills through development planning, formal training (including GHD’s Graduate Development Program), and ongoing learning about relevant technology, regulations, and industry best practices.

What you will bring to the Team

Education

• Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Level in Environmental Science or a related field, such as civil engineering, environmental engineering, hydrogeology, geology, biology, natural resources, or sustainability

Experience

• General Experience: 0-2 years of experience in a related field. Field courses, research, lab or field internships, part-time or campus jobs, volunteer work, and military service count

• You are self-motivated, comfortable working independently, and you work well with others

• You ask good questions and keep working a problem until you understand it

• You pay attention to detail and care about quality

• You bring a can-do attitude and a strong work ethic, and you are eager to take on more responsibility, build new skills, and grow your career with us

• You are interested in field work, including occasional emergency response, and are able to travel within Nebraska and surrounding states

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 As a multicultural organization, we encourage individual achievement and recognize the strength of a diverse workforce. GHD is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, genetic information, national origin, sex (including same sex), sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, age, disability or handicap, citizenship status, service member status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.