Geoenvironmental Research Associate

Colorado State University • Fort Collins, CO

6d • $70,000 - $75,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Research Associate will support interdisciplinary geo-environmental research programs focused on contaminant hydrology and environmental geotechnics, with emphasis on the interactions between soil mechanics, groundwater processes, and environmental systems. The position will assist with laboratory- and field-scale investigations of legacy and emerging contaminants affecting groundwater systems and other subsurface environments, including studies of contaminant fate and transport and remediation approaches such as natural source zone depletion, bioventing, enhanced natural degradation, and oleophilic bio-barriers. The role will also contribute to research related to mining waste and tailings management, including characterization of geomaterials and monitoring of environmental and geotechnical performance of mine waste systems.

Requirements

• Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Hydrologic Sciences, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in the environmental field, including experience supporting groundwater/subsurface and geo-environmental research.
• Previous experience serving in a laboratory management role, including coordinating laboratory operations, maintaining equipment and supplies, and ensuring compliance with quality assurance and quality control procedures.
• Demonstrated experience supporting laboratory and field investigations related to groundwater systems, contaminant hydrology, or subsurface environmental processes.
• Demonstrated experience processing cryogenic soil cores and preparing subsurface environmental samples for laboratory analysis.
• Experience coordinating field logistics for environmental monitoring or research campaigns, including planning sampling activities, managing field equipment, and maintaining proper documentation of samples and measurements.
• Experience deploying and maintaining environmental monitoring instrumentation, including IoT-enabled environmental sensors used for subsurface or environmental monitoring applications.
• Demonstrated experience conducting soil moisture sampling using field instrumentation.
• Experience applying soil characterization methods, including soil texture classification and particle size analysis using sieve or hydrometer techniques.
• Demonstrated proficiency with computational and analytical tools commonly used in environmental and hydrologic research, including MATLAB and Python for data analysis and modeling, AutoCAD for technical visualization or design tasks, and ArcGIS for geospatial analysis and environmental mapping.
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, including evidence of scholarly communication through authorship or co-authorship of peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or conference presentations.
• Previous teaching or instructional experience in an academic or educational setting.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting laboratory- and field-scale remediation research, including studies of contaminant fate and transport in groundwater and subsurface environments.
• Experience working with legacy and emerging contaminants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons or PFAS, including laboratory or field investigations related to contaminant transport and remediation processes.
• Experience supporting research on subsurface remediation approaches, such as natural source zone depletion (NSZD), bioventing, enhanced natural degradation, or oleophilic bio-barriers.
• Experience conducting field-based environmental monitoring campaigns, including deployment and management of environmental monitoring systems and environmental sensor networks.
• Experience with IoT-based environmental monitoring systems, including configuration, maintenance, or data management associated with sensor networks used in environmental research.
• Experience supporting geo-environmental or geotechnical research related to mining waste or tailings management, including characterization of geomaterials or monitoring of tailings facilities.
• Experience supporting interdisciplinary research teams, including coordination of field campaigns, laboratory activities, or research logistics across multiple collaborators.
• Experience assisting with research dissemination, including preparation of figures, reports, technical documents, or presentations for scientific conferences.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and support laboratory and field-scale geo-environmental research investigating contaminant fate and transport and remediation processes affecting groundwater systems and other subsurface environments, including legacy and emerging contaminants.
• Implement environmental monitoring and field investigations by coordinating sampling logistics, preparing field equipment, and deploying and maintaining environmental monitoring instrumentation, including soil moisture instrumentation and IoT-enabled environmental sensors.
• Perform laboratory preparation and characterization of environmental samples including processing cryogenic soil cores and conducting soil characterization analyses such as soil texture classification and particle size analysis to support groundwater and subsurface remediation studies.
• Assist with environmental data management, analysis, and visualization by organizing datasets and supporting computational and geospatial analysis of environmental monitoring data to inform research findings and project reporting.
• Manage laboratory operations supporting geo-environmental research programs by maintaining laboratory instrumentation, coordinating sample tracking and documentation systems, managing laboratory supplies and safety procedures, and supporting quality assurance and contamination prevention protocols.
• Coordinate research program activities and project logistics by maintaining project schedules, supporting collaboration among faculty, students, and research partners, assisting with research documentation and dissemination activities, and performing other related duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees