Intermediate Aquatic Scientist - Fisheries

About Us

At Onterris, we build careers grounded in purpose,responsibilityand real-world impact.

“For Planet and Progress” is our north star that guides everything we do. We believe environmental responsibility and human progress are interconnected,interwovenand international. Our scientists, engineers, field teams,consultantsand professionals collaborate across disciplines and geographies, guiding industries and governments, ensuring that communities and environments thrive.

When you join us,you’renot just forging acareer,you’rejoining a movement. A movement for better thinking, smartersolutionsand lasting impact.

Together, we will advance our way of life and protect the integrity of our environment every step of the way.

A Day in the Life

As an Aquatic Scientist (Fisheries) , you will join our Grande Prairie, Calgary or Edmonton, Alberta office as part of our Wildlife and Aquatics team.

The compensation range for this role is $32.50 to $42.50, commensurate with experience, skills, and geographic location.

To thrive in this role, you will be comfortable taking ownership of the following responsibilities:

• Support a variety of specialized project areas including aquatic studies, fish salvages, habitat assessments, fish health studies, aquatic effects assessments supporting risk assessments, and/or remediation techniques in aquatic habitats in a field and office capacity.
• Work under the guidance of senior staff members.
• Have autonomy and the opportunity to interact and work with a community of technical experts from other Onterris regions in Western Canada.
• Interact with extensive, long-standing clients within municipal governments, conservation authorities, academia, and private industry.
• Contribute to complex biological investigations, specifically aquatic effects assessments (e.g., benthic invertebrate and aquatic ecology projects) in a field capacity with the potential of supporting in the office.
• Contribute to a growing and collaborative team of biologists, hydrologists and aquatic scientists.
• Apply current scientific knowledge with accurate and precise field data collection.
• Work with seniors to provide advice to internal and external clients related to complex aquatic environmental monitoring strategy, aquatic monitoring in streams and waterbodies affected by contaminated sites and industrial impacts, aquatic effects assessments, and Ecological Risk Assessments.
• Actively participate in maintaining the strong safety culture at Onterris.

Your Expertise and Skills

These requirements reflect the knowledge, skills and abilities that help you do your best work here.

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree, or technical diploma in environmental science, biology related field.
• Eligible for professional designation in a relevant organization (i.e., B.I.T., P. Biol., P. Ag., etc.).
• 4 to 8 years of consulting experience related to aquatics, and/or the environmental consulting industry.
• Familiarity with pertinent regulatory guidelines is an asset (e.g., Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Water, Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life.) Demonstrate knowledge of the environmental assessment process in Alberta (Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act) and Canada (Impact Assessment Act) as related to effects on aquatic environments is an asset.
• Abilities in the areas of aquatic study design, field sampling protocols, and coordination.
• Experience in summarizing field activities and environmental information.
• Possess strong attention to detail as well as good organizational skills.
• Excellent written communication and technical report writing abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines on integrated assessments.
• Possess a valid class 5 driver’s license with no driving restrictions.
• Able to work in all seasons for up to 2 weeks at a time in remote areas of Western Canada.
• Strong safety mindset and demonstrated safety leadership.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

The physical and environmental requirements below reflect what is typically needed to perform the essential functions of this role safely and effectively. We may provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities, consistent with applicable law, to support performance of the essential functions.

• Sitting, standing, and walking.
• Ability to swim and be comfortable working in and around swift water.
• Lifting up to 50 pounds several times a day.
• Overhead lifting of over 20 pounds.
• Often works outdoors and may be exposed to hot and cold environments and extreme weather conditions, including sunlit, rainy and windy conditions.
• Will work shifts up to 12 hours in duration.

In keeping with our Health & Safety Policy, individuals in safety sensitive positions are subject to pre-employment, pre-access (and in some client cases, random) alcohol & drug testing as well as drivers abstract reviews.

Onterris provides support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities; including accommodation that considers an applicant’s accessibility needs. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to work with Human Resources directly.

This posting reflects a current vacancy that the company is actively seeking to fill.

Please note, we are not accepting third party agency applicants at this time.

Onterris is a leading global environmental solutions company partnering with organizations to solve complex challenges where environmental pressures, regulatory expectations and operational risks intersect. Guided by our mission to advance the way of life without compromising the integrity of our environment, we believe environmental responsibility and human progress are fundamentally connected. Our scientists, engineers, field teams and consultants apply systems thinking that unites science, data and practical expertise to deliver solutions that strengthen our clients’ resilience, mitigate risk and protect the air, water and soil that sustain communities, while uncovering responsible paths forward for planet and progress. For more information, visit

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We acknowledge that these experiences and perspectives help to enrich our teams and contribute to our ongoing success. We are committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in our employment for all applicants. For US residents, click here to learn more.