STEM OPT Environmental Field Technician Jobs
Environmental Field Technician roles in site assessment, air monitoring, and remediation sampling qualify for STEM OPT when your degree is in environmental science, geology, or a related STEM field. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the 24-month STEM OPT extension gives you up to 36 months total to build field experience while pursuing long-term sponsorship.
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At WSP, we are inspired by bringing together the right people to be part of future-focused business objectives that support our diverse client base. Ethical environmental systems and sound project delivery are foundational to shaping a sustainable future. Through environmental consulting, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement, we help clients understand project impacts and meet regulatory requirements.
Our Planning & Environment group is seeking an On-Call Field Biologist / Environmental Planner based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, or El Paso, Texas. This position will support a diverse range of environmental planning, biological field survey, permitting, and compliance projects across the Desert Southwest.
Your Impact
Design
- Conduct biological field surveys, habitat assessments, desktop reviews, and environmental data collection under appropriate supervision.
- Identify plants, wildlife, and sensitive habitats characteristic of the Desert Southwest.
- Support surveys for special-status species, including endangered plants and avian species.
- Assist with environmental planning, permitting, impact assessments, construction monitoring, and regulatory compliance.
- Contribute to natural resource sections of environmental assessments, biological evaluations, technical memoranda, permit applications, and related environmental documents.
- Prepare accurate and defensible survey reports, technical memoranda, field documentation, and supporting materials.
- Maintain field notes, photographs, geographic data, species observations, project files, and tracking tools in accordance with project quality requirements.
- Coordinate field activities and project requirements with project managers, technical specialists, subcontractors, and agency or tribal representatives.
- Maintain awareness of applicable environmental regulations, agency guidance, survey protocols, and regulatory changes.
- Follow applicable health and safety requirements when working outdoors, traveling, and conducting work in remote locations.
- Perform other duties as required by project and business needs.
- Up to 80% travel may be required, primarily to southeastern New Mexico, typically for field assignments lasting 2 to 6 days.
Collaborate
- Provide occasional guidance to junior staff or interns and support effective project delivery.
- Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
- Prepare clear, accurate, and defensible technical memoranda, survey reports, environmental documentation, and supporting materials.
- Maintain working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements, agency guidance, survey protocols, and relevant rule changes.
- Other duties as required by business needs.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Ecology, Biological Science (Botany, Wildlife Biology, etc.), Natural Resource Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- 3 to 5 years of experience working in the environmental planning field, completing environmental field surveys for plants and animals, construction support, impact assessments, and permitting.
- Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
- Effective analytical skills and prior experience with research techniques, local/regional ecology and habitats, and applicable species required.
- Knowledge of relevant environmental laws, permitting requirements, notification and compliance practices, and applicable Regional/State/Federal regulatory framework.
- Proficient technical writing skills.
- Proficient interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to a technical and non-technical audience.
- Proficiency identifying plants and wildlife of the Desert Southwest.
- Experience with discipline-specific software (Microsoft Office Suite).
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Ability and willingness to travel, work outdoors in remote locations, and maintain project-specific schedules that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in planning, resource management, environmental science, biology, or a related field.
- Growing industry knowledge through participating in local professional practice organization.
- Exposure to ArcGIS.
- Experience working with tribal, federal, state, or local agencies or the public.
- May participate in and conduct field delineation of wetlands and waters of the US or other field or permitting activities.
- Experience conducting protocol surveys for special status species, particularly avian raptors and endangered plants.
- Exposure to creating, editing, and analyzing information within Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to produce maps and spatial analysis for a variety of topic areas, including: natural resources, land use / land cover, ecotypes, habitat, etc.
- Familiarity with rules and regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Endangered Species Act; Migratory Bird Treaty Act; Clean Water Act; and state and local environmental rules and regulations and related reporting requirements (e.g., Environmental Assessments; Biological Assessments; Reclamation Plans; Pre-Construction Notifications; reclamation and restoration regulations).
- Eager to participate in land management to promote responsible, sustainable development of oil and gas projects, renewable energy infrastructure, roads and bridges, and more.
About WSP
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
This Opportunity
At WSP, we are inspired by bringing together the right people to be part of future-focused business objectives that support our diverse client base. Ethical environmental systems and sound project delivery are foundational to shaping a sustainable future. Through environmental consulting, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement, we help clients understand project impacts and meet regulatory requirements.
Our Planning & Environment group is seeking an On-Call Field Biologist / Environmental Planner based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, or El Paso, Texas. This position will support a diverse range of environmental planning, biological field survey, permitting, and compliance projects across the Desert Southwest.
Your Impact
Design
- Conduct biological field surveys, habitat assessments, desktop reviews, and environmental data collection under appropriate supervision.
- Identify plants, wildlife, and sensitive habitats characteristic of the Desert Southwest.
- Support surveys for special-status species, including endangered plants and avian species.
- Assist with environmental planning, permitting, impact assessments, construction monitoring, and regulatory compliance.
- Contribute to natural resource sections of environmental assessments, biological evaluations, technical memoranda, permit applications, and related environmental documents.
- Prepare accurate and defensible survey reports, technical memoranda, field documentation, and supporting materials.
- Maintain field notes, photographs, geographic data, species observations, project files, and tracking tools in accordance with project quality requirements.
- Coordinate field activities and project requirements with project managers, technical specialists, subcontractors, and agency or tribal representatives.
- Maintain awareness of applicable environmental regulations, agency guidance, survey protocols, and regulatory changes.
- Follow applicable health and safety requirements when working outdoors, traveling, and conducting work in remote locations.
- Perform other duties as required by project and business needs.
- Up to 80% travel may be required, primarily to southeastern New Mexico, typically for field assignments lasting 2 to 6 days.
Collaborate
- Provide occasional guidance to junior staff or interns and support effective project delivery.
- Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
- Prepare clear, accurate, and defensible technical memoranda, survey reports, environmental documentation, and supporting materials.
- Maintain working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements, agency guidance, survey protocols, and relevant rule changes.
- Other duties as required by business needs.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Ecology, Biological Science (Botany, Wildlife Biology, etc.), Natural Resource Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- 3 to 5 years of experience working in the environmental planning field, completing environmental field surveys for plants and animals, construction support, impact assessments, and permitting.
- Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
- Effective analytical skills and prior experience with research techniques, local/regional ecology and habitats, and applicable species required.
- Knowledge of relevant environmental laws, permitting requirements, notification and compliance practices, and applicable Regional/State/Federal regulatory framework.
- Proficient technical writing skills.
- Proficient interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to a technical and non-technical audience.
- Proficiency identifying plants and wildlife of the Desert Southwest.
- Experience with discipline-specific software (Microsoft Office Suite).
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Ability and willingness to travel, work outdoors in remote locations, and maintain project-specific schedules that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in planning, resource management, environmental science, biology, or a related field.
- Growing industry knowledge through participating in local professional practice organization.
- Exposure to ArcGIS.
- Experience working with tribal, federal, state, or local agencies or the public.
- May participate in and conduct field delineation of wetlands and waters of the US or other field or permitting activities.
- Experience conducting protocol surveys for special status species, particularly avian raptors and endangered plants.
- Exposure to creating, editing, and analyzing information within Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to produce maps and spatial analysis for a variety of topic areas, including: natural resources, land use / land cover, ecotypes, habitat, etc.
- Familiarity with rules and regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Endangered Species Act; Migratory Bird Treaty Act; Clean Water Act; and state and local environmental rules and regulations and related reporting requirements (e.g., Environmental Assessments; Biological Assessments; Reclamation Plans; Pre-Construction Notifications; reclamation and restoration regulations).
- Eager to participate in land management to promote responsible, sustainable development of oil and gas projects, renewable energy infrastructure, roads and bridges, and more.
About WSP
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
See all STEM OPT Environmental Field Technician Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Environmental Field Technician Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as an Environmental Field Technician
Confirm your CIP code covers field work
Cross-check your degree's CIP code against the STEM OPT designated degree list before applying. Environmental science (40.0401) and geology (40.0601) qualify, but environmental policy or general natural resources degrees sometimes fall outside the list, which kills your extension eligibility.
Verify E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Ask the hiring manager directly whether the company is enrolled in E-Verify before your interview reaches the offer stage. Small environmental consulting firms and regional contractors frequently skip E-Verify enrollment, which disqualifies them from hiring you on STEM OPT regardless of how willing they are to sponsor.
Build your I-983 training plan around field competencies
Your I-983 must list specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not just job duties. For field technician roles, map each objective to a technical skill: soil sampling methodology, chain-of-custody procedures, or GPS data collection protocols that connect directly to your environmental science coursework.
Target firms with active PERM and H-1B filing history
Use Migrate Mate to filter Environmental Field Technician postings by employers with documented DOL labor condition application filings. Firms that have filed PERM applications or H-1B visa petitions for technician-level roles are structurally set up to sponsor you after your OPT window closes.
Time your job search around regulatory project cycles
Federal Superfund deadlines, EPA reporting cycles, and state environmental agency contract renewals drive hiring spikes at remediation firms. Starting your search three to four months before those cycles peaks your visibility when firms are actively building field crews and are more open to OPT candidates.
Document field hours to support future H-1B specialty occupation
Keep a contemporaneous log of technical tasks during your STEM OPT period: sampling protocols run, instruments calibrated, and reports authored. USCIS scrutinizes whether field technician roles meet specialty occupation standards, and a detailed work history strengthens any future H-1B petition your employer files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Environmental Field Technician role qualify for STEM OPT?
It depends on your degree, not just the job title. If your degree is in environmental science, geology, civil engineering, or another CIP-code-designated STEM field, and the role requires applying that technical knowledge directly, it qualifies. Roles limited to manual labor or data entry without applied STEM content can be challenged by your DSO or USCIS during I-983 review.
What happens if my employer is not enrolled in E-Verify?
You cannot work on STEM OPT at that employer, full stop. E-Verify enrollment is a statutory requirement under the STEM OPT extension regulations. If you discover your employer is not enrolled after you've already accepted an offer, your DSO cannot approve the I-983, and you'd need to find a new employer before your initial OPT period expires to preserve your extension eligibility.
How do I find Environmental Field Technician employers who can sponsor STEM OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters job listings by employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and documented visa filing history, which removes the guesswork of cold-applying to firms that can't legally hire you. Environmental consulting companies, federal contractors, and state agency partners tend to have the compliance infrastructure already in place for STEM OPT hires.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a field technician position?
Your I-983 must connect each training objective to your STEM degree curriculum, not just describe what you'll do on the job. For field technician roles, include objectives like applying soil and groundwater sampling methodologies from coursework, interpreting analytical data using environmental chemistry principles, and using GIS or field data collection tools consistent with your technical training. Generic job descriptions get flagged by DSOs.
Can cap-gap protect me if my employer files an H-1B petition before my STEM OPT expires?
Yes, if your employer files a timely H-1B petition before your STEM OPT EAD expires and the petition is selected in the lottery, cap-gap extends your work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year. You can continue working in your field technician role during this period without interruption, provided your employer maintains E-Verify enrollment and your I-983 remains active.