Careers
In this section
Available positions and employment application
Frequently asked questions
Degreed positions and non-degreed positions
Engineering programs
Environmental programs
Hydrologic programs
Employment benefits package
Programs for environmental scientists
Environmental scientists at the St. Johns River Water Management District may be involved in one of three distinct areas of District responsibility — environmental research, resource assessment, and resource management. An environmental scientist is generally trained in the chemical, physical, or biological sciences, but may include other areas of expertise such as mathematics, statistics or geography. Entry-level positions require a bachelor’s degree while higher-level positions require increasing amounts of related experience. Areas of specialization often associated with an environmental scientist position may include agronomy, forestry, taxonomy, ecology (aquatic, estuarine), cartography, geography, geology, environmental science, limnology, oceanography, biology, toxicology, chemistry, statistics, mathematics and land management.
Environmental research
Research at the District is conducted to support the development of new regulations and/or management plans that will improve the District’s ability to protect water resources, both in terms of quality and quantity. In order to accomplish this, an environmental scientist is required to design and conduct scientifically sound research investigations, the results of which support management decisions. These studies may include contractual support from private consultants, academic institutions or other agencies or be conducted completely in-house. Often a number of environmental scientists with varying backgrounds and specialties will be assembled into a project team.
Resource assessment and monitoring
Resource assessment by an environmental scientist generally involves an evaluation of the health of the environment and/or the effectiveness of current management practices in protecting water resources. This includes a one-time evaluation of some characteristic or area of the environment, as well as routine monitoring to detect changes that occur over time as a result of improved management or the absence of adequate protection.
Resource management
Environmental scientists involved in this aspect of the District’s responsibilities often use their scientific training to apply standard best management practices in the day-to-day maintenance and operation of District-owned or managed lands. Within the regulatory arena, an environmental scientist is involved in permit application review and evaluation and in the development of rules and regulations for the protection of the environment.

