Environmental Jobs in Washington, DC
Environmental jobs in Washington, District of Columbia are in strong demand, concentrated in the Capitol Hill corridor, Southwest Waterfront, and the NoMa district across federal agencies, nonprofits, and environmental consulting firms. Employers hiring right now include Sunbelt Rentals, World Bank, and Environmental Law Institute. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
Find Environmental JobsOverview
Open roles18
Top employerSunbelt Rentals
Work type50% On-site
Top credentialBachelor's degree
Companies hiring14
Showing 5 of 18+ Environmental jobs
Principal Environmental Specialist
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Added 3d ago
World Bank Group
Principal Environmental Specialist
Washington, District of Columbia
Added 3d ago
Trial Attorney - Environmental Defense Section (Open Continuous)
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Added 4d ago
United States Department of Justice
Trial Attorney - Environmental Defense Section (Open Continuous)
Washington, District of Columbia
Added 4d ago
U
Managing Director, Environmental & Social Risk Assessment
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U
Added 5d ago
US Development Finance Corporation
Managing Director, Environmental & Social Risk Assessment
Washington, District of Columbia
Added 5d ago
Environmental & Social Research Analyst - Temporary
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Added 6d ago
Institutional Shareholder Services
Environmental & Social Research Analyst - Temporary
Washington, District of Columbia
Added 6d ago
Director of Environmental Services
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Added 1w ago
Mary's Center
Director of Environmental Services
Washington, District of Columbia
Added 1w ago
Added 3d ago
Principal Environmental Specialist
World Bank Group·Washington, District of Columbia
Job functions:
Master's degree in social science
Job Description
Principal Environmental Specialist
Job #:
req38978
Organization:
IFC
Sector:
Environment
Grade:
GH
Term Duration:
Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP)
Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment
Location:
Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s):
English
Preferred Language(s):
Spanish, Portuguese
Closing Date:
11/5/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
At the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
The WBG Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Vice Presidency is the core unit responsible for Group-wide institutional risk oversight, including establishment and monitoring adherence to risk policies and guidelines and risk assessment and reporting to the Board and executive management. Its mission is to enable and support the WBG to achieve its goals in a financially sustainable manner. The VPU assists management with identifying and managing Group-wide cross-cutting risks, enhancing risk response decisions, reducing financial and operational surprises and losses, seizing opportunities and improving deployment of capital. The WBG CRO Vice Presidency includes the IBRD/IDA, IFC, and MIGA risk teams and covers a wide range of financial and non-financial risks.
To enhance accountability and credibility, the World Bank Group (WBG) has established an independent second line of environmental and social risk oversight within its Chief Risk Officer (CRO) function called CROES. While operational teams at the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA are responsible for designing and implementing projects in accordance with E&S policies, the newly formed E&S Risk Department—led by the WBG Global Director for Environment and Social Risk—oversees, monitors, and evaluates E&S risk and performance.
CROES seeks a seasoned, dynamic, and motivated Senior Environmental or Social Specialist with strong technical judgment and substantial experience in social risk management. The selected candidate will support independent second-line oversight of operations and portfolios across the World Bank Group, with balanced thematic coverage of environmental and social aspects, such as pollution prevention, labor and working conditions; land acquisition, biodiversity conservation, resettlement and livelihood restoration; stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanisms. The role will identify project-level and systemic social and environmental risks, assess the adequacy of mitigation and implementation arrangements, and provide clear advice to CROES management and senior decision-makers.
Duties and Accountabilities
The Principal E&S Specialist will work in collaboration with the Manager, Lead E&S Risk Specialists, regional teams, and relevant WBG technical specialists. Key duties include:
Independent E&S Risk Oversight
- Lead independent second-line review of environmental and social risks in WBG operations, focusing on complex and high-risk projects and material implications for affected communities, the environment, development outcomes, and institutional reputation.
- Assess the adequacy of E&S risk identification, assessment, mitigation measures, monitoring arrangements, and escalation pathways proposed by operational teams, while maintaining independence from first-line responsibilities.
- Provide independent technical opinions on E&S risk categorization, application of relevant E&S policies and standards, adequacy of mitigation measures, institutional capacity, and implementation readiness.
- Review project documentation, E&S assessments and management plans, stakeholder engagement arrangements, advisory products, and relevant legal commitments from an independent E&S risk perspective.
Lead or support quality assurance reviews of selected operations, assessing the quality of E&S due diligence, management of stakeholder impacts, feasibility of mitigation measures, and capacity to meet applicable E&S requirements.
Portfolio Monitoring and Analytics
- Lead portfolio-level monitoring and assessment of E&S risks and performance across sectors, regions, and WBG institutions.
- Develop and maintain an E&S Risk Watch List highlighting projects with elevated environmental, social, stakeholder, compliance, implementation, reputational, or development outcome risks.
- Conduct thematic and sector-specific portfolio reviews to identify systemic E&S risk trends, recurring implementation challenges, and emerging risk patterns.
- Analyze E&S risk events and lessons learned to strengthen institutional risk practices and contribute to enterprise-level reporting and integrated risk dashboards for senior management and governance committees.
- Recommend improvements to E&S risk management practices based on portfolio experience, independent assessments, and international good practices.
- Monitor E&S risks in projects subject to accountability mechanism reviews, CAO or Inspection Panel processes, integrity investigations, significant stakeholder complaints, disputes, or public controversy.
- Advise on risk implications of complaints, disputes, compliance findings, and corporate management responses.
- Coordinate with operational teams, regional ESG specialists, and other relevant functions to assess the implications of E&S issues for implementation, development outcomes, and WBG reputation.
- Support independent reviews and lessons-learned exercises arising from major E&S incidents, disputes, compliance cases, or implementation failures.
Strategic Risk Advice
- Advise CROES management and senior leadership on significant E&S risk developments, emerging trends, and implications for WBG operations.
- Support escalation of material E&S risks that may affect development outcomes, compliance, institutional reputation, stakeholder confidence, or the sustainability of operations.
- Provide independent perspectives during corporate discussions on high-profile operations, complex E&S issues, and proposed responses to significant implementation challenges.
- Assess implications of evolving regulatory, policy, environmental, social, and political economy conditions for E&S risks in WBG operations and portfolios.
Knowledge Leadership and Capacity Building
- Serve as a trusted senior advisor on E&S risks across the institution and contribute to building CROES capability in independent E&S risk oversight.
- Mentor junior staff and provide technical guidance to specialists, associates, and analysts working on E&S risk reviews.
- Represent CROES in internal E&S communities of practice, technical working groups, portfolio discussions, and risk review forums.
- Promote cross-institutional learning and dissemination of emerging E&S risk insights, lessons learned, and good practices.
Selection Criteria
- Master's degree or higher in environmental sciences, social sciences, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of fifteen years of relevant professional experience in environmental and social risk assessment, due diligence, supervision, advisory services, or related independent risk oversight functions.
- Demonstrated experience assessing, supervising, or advising on complex and high-risk E&S issues in projects in emerging markets and developing economies, including evaluating mitigation measures and implementation capacity.
- Strong technical understanding of E&S risk management requirements and practices, including impact assessment, mitigation planning, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, and monitoring, with the judgment to provide independent challenge and escalate material risks.
- Experience managing or overseeing E&S risks in sectors such as transport, energy, water, urban infrastructure, telecommunications, health, education, or other social infrastructure.
- Familiarity with World Bank Group operations, guarantees, private sector investments, advisory services, and applicable environmental and social risk management frameworks, as well as accountability mechanisms and compliance review processes, would be highly desirable.
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize diverse information sources, assess portfolio-level E&S risk trends, identify systemic issues, and translate findings into actionable advice and senior management reporting.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex risk issues clearly and concisely to senior audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to influence decisions, provide senior-level technical advice, mentor staff, and work effectively with multidisciplinary, multicultural teams while maintaining professional independence.
- Strong project management capabilities and ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
- High professional integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive matters respectfully.
- Willingness and ability to undertake international travel.
- Experience working in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS/FCV) is desirable
As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
- Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
- Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
WBG Five Managerial Competencies Include only for managerial positions
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.
World Bank Group
Principal Environmental Specialist
Washington, District of Columbia
Added 3d ago
Job functions:
Master's degree in social science
Job Description
Principal Environmental Specialist
Job #:
req38978
Organization:
IFC
Sector:
Environment
Grade:
GH
Term Duration:
Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP)
Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment
Location:
Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s):
English
Preferred Language(s):
Spanish, Portuguese
Closing Date:
11/5/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
At the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
The WBG Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Vice Presidency is the core unit responsible for Group-wide institutional risk oversight, including establishment and monitoring adherence to risk policies and guidelines and risk assessment and reporting to the Board and executive management. Its mission is to enable and support the WBG to achieve its goals in a financially sustainable manner. The VPU assists management with identifying and managing Group-wide cross-cutting risks, enhancing risk response decisions, reducing financial and operational surprises and losses, seizing opportunities and improving deployment of capital. The WBG CRO Vice Presidency includes the IBRD/IDA, IFC, and MIGA risk teams and covers a wide range of financial and non-financial risks.
To enhance accountability and credibility, the World Bank Group (WBG) has established an independent second line of environmental and social risk oversight within its Chief Risk Officer (CRO) function called CROES. While operational teams at the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA are responsible for designing and implementing projects in accordance with E&S policies, the newly formed E&S Risk Department—led by the WBG Global Director for Environment and Social Risk—oversees, monitors, and evaluates E&S risk and performance.
CROES seeks a seasoned, dynamic, and motivated Senior Environmental or Social Specialist with strong technical judgment and substantial experience in social risk management. The selected candidate will support independent second-line oversight of operations and portfolios across the World Bank Group, with balanced thematic coverage of environmental and social aspects, such as pollution prevention, labor and working conditions; land acquisition, biodiversity conservation, resettlement and livelihood restoration; stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanisms. The role will identify project-level and systemic social and environmental risks, assess the adequacy of mitigation and implementation arrangements, and provide clear advice to CROES management and senior decision-makers.
Duties and Accountabilities
The Principal E&S Specialist will work in collaboration with the Manager, Lead E&S Risk Specialists, regional teams, and relevant WBG technical specialists. Key duties include:
Independent E&S Risk Oversight
- Lead independent second-line review of environmental and social risks in WBG operations, focusing on complex and high-risk projects and material implications for affected communities, the environment, development outcomes, and institutional reputation.
- Assess the adequacy of E&S risk identification, assessment, mitigation measures, monitoring arrangements, and escalation pathways proposed by operational teams, while maintaining independence from first-line responsibilities.
- Provide independent technical opinions on E&S risk categorization, application of relevant E&S policies and standards, adequacy of mitigation measures, institutional capacity, and implementation readiness.
- Review project documentation, E&S assessments and management plans, stakeholder engagement arrangements, advisory products, and relevant legal commitments from an independent E&S risk perspective.
Lead or support quality assurance reviews of selected operations, assessing the quality of E&S due diligence, management of stakeholder impacts, feasibility of mitigation measures, and capacity to meet applicable E&S requirements.
Portfolio Monitoring and Analytics
- Lead portfolio-level monitoring and assessment of E&S risks and performance across sectors, regions, and WBG institutions.
- Develop and maintain an E&S Risk Watch List highlighting projects with elevated environmental, social, stakeholder, compliance, implementation, reputational, or development outcome risks.
- Conduct thematic and sector-specific portfolio reviews to identify systemic E&S risk trends, recurring implementation challenges, and emerging risk patterns.
- Analyze E&S risk events and lessons learned to strengthen institutional risk practices and contribute to enterprise-level reporting and integrated risk dashboards for senior management and governance committees.
- Recommend improvements to E&S risk management practices based on portfolio experience, independent assessments, and international good practices.
- Monitor E&S risks in projects subject to accountability mechanism reviews, CAO or Inspection Panel processes, integrity investigations, significant stakeholder complaints, disputes, or public controversy.
- Advise on risk implications of complaints, disputes, compliance findings, and corporate management responses.
- Coordinate with operational teams, regional ESG specialists, and other relevant functions to assess the implications of E&S issues for implementation, development outcomes, and WBG reputation.
- Support independent reviews and lessons-learned exercises arising from major E&S incidents, disputes, compliance cases, or implementation failures.
Strategic Risk Advice
- Advise CROES management and senior leadership on significant E&S risk developments, emerging trends, and implications for WBG operations.
- Support escalation of material E&S risks that may affect development outcomes, compliance, institutional reputation, stakeholder confidence, or the sustainability of operations.
- Provide independent perspectives during corporate discussions on high-profile operations, complex E&S issues, and proposed responses to significant implementation challenges.
- Assess implications of evolving regulatory, policy, environmental, social, and political economy conditions for E&S risks in WBG operations and portfolios.
Knowledge Leadership and Capacity Building
- Serve as a trusted senior advisor on E&S risks across the institution and contribute to building CROES capability in independent E&S risk oversight.
- Mentor junior staff and provide technical guidance to specialists, associates, and analysts working on E&S risk reviews.
- Represent CROES in internal E&S communities of practice, technical working groups, portfolio discussions, and risk review forums.
- Promote cross-institutional learning and dissemination of emerging E&S risk insights, lessons learned, and good practices.
Selection Criteria
- Master's degree or higher in environmental sciences, social sciences, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of fifteen years of relevant professional experience in environmental and social risk assessment, due diligence, supervision, advisory services, or related independent risk oversight functions.
- Demonstrated experience assessing, supervising, or advising on complex and high-risk E&S issues in projects in emerging markets and developing economies, including evaluating mitigation measures and implementation capacity.
- Strong technical understanding of E&S risk management requirements and practices, including impact assessment, mitigation planning, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, and monitoring, with the judgment to provide independent challenge and escalate material risks.
- Experience managing or overseeing E&S risks in sectors such as transport, energy, water, urban infrastructure, telecommunications, health, education, or other social infrastructure.
- Familiarity with World Bank Group operations, guarantees, private sector investments, advisory services, and applicable environmental and social risk management frameworks, as well as accountability mechanisms and compliance review processes, would be highly desirable.
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize diverse information sources, assess portfolio-level E&S risk trends, identify systemic issues, and translate findings into actionable advice and senior management reporting.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex risk issues clearly and concisely to senior audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to influence decisions, provide senior-level technical advice, mentor staff, and work effectively with multidisciplinary, multicultural teams while maintaining professional independence.
- Strong project management capabilities and ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
- High professional integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive matters respectfully.
- Willingness and ability to undertake international travel.
- Experience working in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS/FCV) is desirable
As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
- Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
- Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
WBG Five Managerial Competencies Include only for managerial positions
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.
See All 18 Environmental Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Environmental JobsEnvironmental Job Market in Washington
Who's Hiring
Environmental Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a environmental job in Washington?
The strongest path into Washington's environmental job market runs through federal agencies and their contractors, which dominate hiring here unlike almost any other city. Roles at the EPA, Department of the Interior, and NOAA headquarters all cluster in the city's core, alongside mission-driven nonprofits near Dupont Circle. Candidates with GIS skills, policy writing experience, or familiarity with federal contracting processes stand out consistently in this market.
Which companies hire environmentals in Washington?
Companies currently hiring environmentals in Washington include Sunbelt Rentals, World Bank, and Environmental Law Institute, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Washington's employer mix is distinctive, blending major federal contractors, environmental consulting firms, and advocacy organizations that operate alongside or in support of the federal government.
Are there remote environmental jobs in Washington?
Yes, though remote availability depends heavily on the role, with field, monitoring, and site assessment positions almost always requiring on-site presence while policy, research, and data analysis roles can often be done remotely. About 50% of environmental openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of November 2026. In Washington specifically, federal agency roles and contractor positions supporting regulatory or grant work are the most likely to offer hybrid arrangements.
How can I get a environmental job in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Washington is through federal internship programs, particularly those run by the EPA and Interior Department, which regularly convert strong interns into full-time hires. Environmental nonprofits near the Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom areas also hire entry-level research assistants and program coordinators. Volunteering with Chesapeake Bay restoration initiatives or local watershed groups adds Washington-relevant fieldwork that catches a hiring manager's eye here.
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