STEM OPT Environmental Jobs
Environmental roles in consulting, remediation, and compliance are strong fits for STEM OPT students with degrees in environmental science, engineering, or a related field. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension applies when your employer is enrolled in E-Verify, giving you up to 36 months total to build U.S. work experience.
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Get Access To All JobsPOSITION OVERVIEW
Provides support to the Environmental Departments of ASARCO sites by ensuring compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, permits, policies, and guidelines relating to the mining and processing operation. Perform field and office activities to support documentation of compliance, and evaluation of environmental conditions. Demonstrate environmentally sustainable principles to salary and hourly staff through formal and informal training. Coordinate with operational departments to ensure processes comply with environmental principles. The environmental engineer must have a strong aptitude for evaluating results of collected data and observations. Open communication with the Environmental Department team is expected. Must be able to manage time effectively, set priorities and accomplish assigned duties. Candidate will spend 6-12 months at each ASARCO site to develop Environmental Engineering expertise.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Become knowledgeable of and maintain compliance with requirements contained within site environmental permits including AzPDES, APP, Title V, Waste, etc.
- Become knowledgeable of and maintain site environmental plans: Emergency Response Plan, SPCC, Hazardous Waste Contingency Plan, Pollution Prevention Plan, SWPPP, Hazmat Security Plan
- Assist with collection, preparation and delivery of water, air, and waste samples.
- Assist with data collection and analysis, prepare reports, and draft cover letters for compliance reporting related to operational permits.
- Conduct inspections required by regulatory agencies to ensure the function of environmental controls for air, water, and waste permits.
- Assist with maintenance of databases, prepare tables & graphs, and generate summary reports narrating trends and observations.
- Investigate and write summary reports detailing cause and impact to the Environmental Manager.
- Assist with maintenance of environmental files, both electronic and printed.
- Interface occasionally with environmental regulatory inspectors and ensure follow-up actions from compliance inspections are completed and reported.
- Responsible for executing, supporting, and enforcing the Company's Environmental, Health and Safety program as required by OIS policy, directives, and principles.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
- Field work is required and occurs in temperature extremes, and occasionally requires extended hours.
- The environmental engineers' duties will be assigned to address operational conditions including working longer hours or weekends.
- Completion of complex, spreadsheet based, analyses for required EPA reporting
- Inspection of remote, inactive sites.
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Ability to recognize cause and effect to solve practical problems that may have multiple variables.
- Ability to accept and follow instruction whether furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Ability to demonstrate confidence and accept input from other employees.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Must have a valid driver's license.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, applications.
- Water, Soil and Air sampling and monitoring
- Technical writing
Requirements
- Technical writing
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree in environmental/applied sciences, engineering, or related field. Relevant experience will be considered.
- EPA Method 9 certification, RCRA and MSHA training (will be required after start of work as part of regular assigned duties)
All employees are subject to annual physical examinations as a condition of employment.
A core value of ASARCO LLC is “Safety First.” The Company is committed to helping employees continuously improve their efforts to work in the most safe, inclusive, socially, and environmentally responsible manner practicable. Employee safety and health, both on and off the job, are critically important to the Company. Therefore, ASARCO LLC requires employees to have and effectively demonstrate a good working knowledge of modern safety systems. Each employee will take prime responsibility for ensuring that they work within all required safety procedures and processes.
ASARCO LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates must possess a current and valid driver's license. Offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check and pre-employment physical including a drug screen.
ASARCO LLC offers an excellent low-cost benefits package for medical/prescription/dental/vision, disability coverage, life insurance and other optional coverage and 401(k) plan with company match.
POSITION OVERVIEW
Provides support to the Environmental Departments of ASARCO sites by ensuring compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, permits, policies, and guidelines relating to the mining and processing operation. Perform field and office activities to support documentation of compliance, and evaluation of environmental conditions. Demonstrate environmentally sustainable principles to salary and hourly staff through formal and informal training. Coordinate with operational departments to ensure processes comply with environmental principles. The environmental engineer must have a strong aptitude for evaluating results of collected data and observations. Open communication with the Environmental Department team is expected. Must be able to manage time effectively, set priorities and accomplish assigned duties. Candidate will spend 6-12 months at each ASARCO site to develop Environmental Engineering expertise.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Become knowledgeable of and maintain compliance with requirements contained within site environmental permits including AzPDES, APP, Title V, Waste, etc.
- Become knowledgeable of and maintain site environmental plans: Emergency Response Plan, SPCC, Hazardous Waste Contingency Plan, Pollution Prevention Plan, SWPPP, Hazmat Security Plan
- Assist with collection, preparation and delivery of water, air, and waste samples.
- Assist with data collection and analysis, prepare reports, and draft cover letters for compliance reporting related to operational permits.
- Conduct inspections required by regulatory agencies to ensure the function of environmental controls for air, water, and waste permits.
- Assist with maintenance of databases, prepare tables & graphs, and generate summary reports narrating trends and observations.
- Investigate and write summary reports detailing cause and impact to the Environmental Manager.
- Assist with maintenance of environmental files, both electronic and printed.
- Interface occasionally with environmental regulatory inspectors and ensure follow-up actions from compliance inspections are completed and reported.
- Responsible for executing, supporting, and enforcing the Company's Environmental, Health and Safety program as required by OIS policy, directives, and principles.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
- Field work is required and occurs in temperature extremes, and occasionally requires extended hours.
- The environmental engineers' duties will be assigned to address operational conditions including working longer hours or weekends.
- Completion of complex, spreadsheet based, analyses for required EPA reporting
- Inspection of remote, inactive sites.
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Ability to recognize cause and effect to solve practical problems that may have multiple variables.
- Ability to accept and follow instruction whether furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Ability to demonstrate confidence and accept input from other employees.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Must have a valid driver's license.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, applications.
- Water, Soil and Air sampling and monitoring
- Technical writing
Requirements
- Technical writing
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree in environmental/applied sciences, engineering, or related field. Relevant experience will be considered.
- EPA Method 9 certification, RCRA and MSHA training (will be required after start of work as part of regular assigned duties)
All employees are subject to annual physical examinations as a condition of employment.
A core value of ASARCO LLC is “Safety First.” The Company is committed to helping employees continuously improve their efforts to work in the most safe, inclusive, socially, and environmentally responsible manner practicable. Employee safety and health, both on and off the job, are critically important to the Company. Therefore, ASARCO LLC requires employees to have and effectively demonstrate a good working knowledge of modern safety systems. Each employee will take prime responsibility for ensuring that they work within all required safety procedures and processes.
ASARCO LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates must possess a current and valid driver's license. Offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check and pre-employment physical including a drug screen.
ASARCO LLC offers an excellent low-cost benefits package for medical/prescription/dental/vision, disability coverage, life insurance and other optional coverage and 401(k) plan with company match.
See all 1,544+ STEM OPT Environmental Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Environmental
Verify your CIP code matches STEM eligibility
Check whether your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code appears on the STEM Designated Degree Program list published by ICE. Environmental science and environmental engineering codes qualify, but interdisciplinary programs sometimes don't, so confirm before applying.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Your STEM OPT extension is only valid with an E-Verify enrolled employer. Ask recruiters directly or look up the company in the E-Verify employer search tool before you sign anything. Many smaller environmental consulting firms aren't enrolled.
Target employers with active PERM or LCA filings
Environmental firms that have filed Labor Condition Applications or PERM applications have already navigated DOL compliance requirements. Use Migrate Mate to filter for employers with verified filing history in environmental and engineering occupation categories.
Align your I-983 training plan to O*NET tasks
Your I-983 must show a clear connection between your job duties and your STEM degree. Pull the occupation profile from O*NET for your specific role, such as Environmental Scientists and Specialists or Environmental Engineers, and use those defined tasks in your training plan.
Time your extension application 90 days before OPT ends
USCIS requires your STEM OPT extension application to be filed no more than 90 days before your initial OPT EAD expires. File early enough to maintain continuous work authorization, especially if your employer needs to verify their E-Verify status before signing your I-983.
Prioritize federal contractors and EPA-adjacent firms
Federal environmental contractors and firms working on EPA remediation projects are legally required to use E-Verify, making them automatically eligible to employ STEM OPT students. Target solicitation notices and agency subcontractor lists to identify these employers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do environmental jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Environmental roles qualify when your degree's CIP code appears on the ICE STEM Designated Degree Program list and the job duties relate directly to that field. Degrees in environmental science, environmental engineering, civil engineering with an environmental focus, and related STEM disciplines typically qualify. Your DSO confirms eligibility before recommending the extension in SEVIS.
What happens if my environmental employer isn't enrolled in E-Verify?
You can't work on a STEM OPT extension with an employer that isn't enrolled in E-Verify. If your employer isn't enrolled, they must complete enrollment before your extension becomes valid. Some smaller environmental consulting firms and nonprofits skip E-Verify enrollment, so verifying this before accepting an offer is essential to avoid a gap in work authorization.
How do I complete the I-983 training plan for an environmental role?
Your I-983 must describe how the position provides practical training directly related to your STEM degree. For environmental roles, that means documenting specific duties such as site assessment, regulatory compliance analysis, data modeling, or fieldwork tied to your coursework. Your employer signs the plan and must provide a formal evaluation every six months throughout your STEM OPT period.
Does the cap-gap rule protect me if I'm in an environmental job and my H-1B is selected?
Yes. If you're working in an environmental role on OPT and your employer files an H-1B visa petition for you before your OPT expires, the cap-gap rule automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that year. You can continue working in your environmental position without interruption while USCIS processes the petition.
Where can I find environmental employers that hire STEM OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters environmental job listings to show employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and a history of sponsoring international candidates in engineering and science occupations. That removes the guesswork of cold-applying to firms that aren't set up to hire STEM OPT workers, letting you focus on companies already familiar with the extension requirements.