Principal Environmental Scientist

GFT • Columbus, OH

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

GFT is seeking a Principal Environmental Scientist to join its Environmental Practice. This hybrid role requires regular attendance at the Columbus, Ohio location. The Environmental team provides integrated planning, permitting, and compliance solutions for infrastructure development across North America, working in transportation, power, water, and facilities markets with federal, state, and local agencies.

The Principal Environmental Scientist will serve as a project-level environmental lead for transportation infrastructure projects throughout Ohio. The role manages environmental scopes, regulatory compliance, documentation, and permits, with emphasis on NEPA compliance, natural resources, protected species, and habitat considerations for rail, transit, roadway, bridge, and transportation-facility projects. The successful candidate will independently manage small to mid-sized environmental projects, work directly with transportation agencies and regulators, and integrate environmental requirements into planning, design, and construction.

The position also provides technical direction and quality review for junior and mid-level staff, contributes to transportation proposals and project planning, and coordinates with clients, agencies, municipalities, tribal entities, and other stakeholders. GFT describes itself as a privately held AEC firm with more than 5,000 employees and more than a century of experience.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or a related field.
• 15 years of progressive experience in natural resources documentation, impact assessments, and regulatory coordination for permit approvals supporting transportation infrastructure projects and public utility projects; Ohio or northeastern U.S. experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading environmental scopes and coordinating NEPA documentation and permitting for public agency clients.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary transportation project teams.
• Strong understanding of environmental regulations as applied to linear transportation projects, active transportation facilities, and water utilities.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, schedules, and deliverables for environmental project components.
• Excellent technical writing and review skills for NEPA documents and permit applications.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, including confidence working directly with clients and regulators.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a closely related field.
• Relevant professional certification, such as Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS), Certified Ecologist, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Lead, conduct, and review natural resource baseline inventories and impact assessments for transportation corridors and facilities, including effects on wetlands, waterways, wildlife habitat, and threatened and endangered species.
• Prepare and manage permitting and compliance under Clean Water Act Sections 401/404, Endangered Species Act Section 7, and applicable Ohio and local permits.
• Oversee field investigations such as wetland delineations, habitat assessments, and species surveys, including coordinating subconsultants.
• Track environmental commitments and mitigation measures and support their integration into design documents and construction-phase activities.
• Serve as an environmental task lead or project environmental lead, managing scope, schedules, budgets, team collaboration, and deliverable quality.
• Manage environmental components of transportation projects subject to NEPA, including joint federal–state review processes.
• Coordinate and oversee preparation of Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, and supporting technical studies.
• Act as a primary environmental point of contact with transportation owners and agencies, including ODOT, FHWA, FTA, USACE, and USFWS.
• Support coordination with municipalities, tribal entities, and other stakeholders for transportation environmental review and permitting.
• Prepare and lead agency coordination materials, technical correspondence, and meetings.
• Provide day-to-day technical direction to junior and mid-level environmental staff and review their work for quality and regulatory compliance.
• Perform QA/QC reviews of environmental documents for defensibility, consistency, and adherence to agency requirements.
• Contribute project-level input to proposals, scopes of work, staffing plans, and cost estimates for transportation pursuits.

Benefits

• Hybrid (in-person and remote) work environment.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan.
• Competitive paid-time-off (PTO) accrual.
• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
• Professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support for active participation in professional organizations.
• Incentive compensation for eligible positions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal