CAREERS

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Join the Catalyst Team!

Our dynamic and energetic team of scientists and planners at Catalyst are passionate about making a positive impact on our shared environment. We work closely together across disciplines to serve as trusted strategic advisors to a diverse client base including private industry, and local, state, and federal government agencies. Everyone has the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects and project types, with numerous opportunities for career growth. We encourage our staff to pursue clients and markets within the environmental space that excite them and for which we can provide added value. We provide annual opportunities for professional development and growth via training courses or conferences. Catalyst has offices in Portland, OR; Santa Barbara, CA, Oxnard, CA; Oakland, CA; and Santa Monica, CA and provide a flexible working environment, including options for remote work.
Catalyst team photo at the Catalyst anniversary partyCatalyst team photo at the Catalyst anniversary party

Why Work At Catalyst?

Be part of a team dedicated to making a positive impact through innovative environmental solutions. As leaders in energy, land development, remediation, and water resources, we value creativity, ethics, and collaboration. Our award-winning company offers a supportive work environment and comprehensive benefits* to help you grow personally and professionally.
Insurance (medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, and life)
HMO, PPO, HDHP, Health Savings Account options
401(k) Retirement Plan with Match
Vacation Time
10 days paid Sick Leave per year
10 paid Holidays per year
Lifemart Discount program
Catalyst Anniversary Party
Bi-weekly All Staff meetings and brown bag presentations

Open Positions

Junior Staff Environmental Scientist

We are seeking a junior level environmental scientist or engineer to be based in our Oakland, CA office. ​​​​​​​
Preferred Skills
We are looking for a motivated and energetic individual who wants to join a fast-growing team and contribute to a wide variety of projects for a diverse client base. Key skills and attributes:
  • Self-starter, motivated, and enthusiastic
  • Desire to work on interesting and sometimes controversial projects
  • Ability to think critically and problem-solve
  • Ability to take direction, ask questions as needed, and run with an assignment with oversight
  • OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER training
  • CPR/First Aid Certified
Qualifications and Education Requirements
  • 1-3 years of professional experience
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Environmental Science, Geology, Hydrogeology, and/or Civil or Environmental Engineering
  • Strong communication skills, both verbally and written
  • Working knowledge of MS Office Programs – Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.
  • Work may require lifting equipment and materials up to 50-pounds and traversing uneven ground
  • Job sites are located across the Bay Area and individual must be able to independently travel to sites as needed
Role and Responsibilities
  • Performing a range of defined technical tasks, field work, collecting and analyzing data, and writing technical sections of reports, under direct supervision
  • Working on active construction sites, operating field equipment, and handling construction materials and supplies
  • Managing and overseeing small tasks including being responsible for your assigned task, scope, deliverables, budgets, and schedule commitments
  • Contributing to client relations and business development by representing Catalyst in a positive manner to clients, agencies, and other outside parties
  • Working effectively as part of a team and making contributions that foster the growth of your practice area and Catalyst as a whole
Job Benefits and Opportunities
  • Salary - $66,500 to $73,000
  • Vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay
  • Health care, dental, and vision
  • Matching 401k contribution plan
  • Opportunities to work from home when not required in the field or in meetings
  • Professional growth and development opportunities
  • Excellent company culture and diversity of tasks and projects
  • Professional mentorship opportunities

Mid-Level Environmental Planner

​​​​​​​We are seeking an environmental planner to be based in California, Oregon, Washington, or Michigan with options to work either in-office or remotely, depending on location.
Preferred Attributes
We are looking for a motivated and energetic individual who wants to join a fast-growing team and contribute to a wide variety of projects for a diverse client base. Key attributes:
  • Self-starter, motivated, and enthusiastic
  • People-person – able to assign and oversee tasks, work with an interdisciplinary team, mentor junior staff, develop and maintain relationships with clients and regulators
  • Creative problem solver - ability to think critically and develop potential solutions to complex issues
  • Organized, efficient, detail-oriented, with great time management and verbal and written communication skills
Qualifications and Education Requirements
  • 5-8 years of professional experience in environmental consulting, government, or regulatory affairs in industry
  • Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Planning, Environmental Economics, Biology, Ecology, Geology or other physical science fields
  • Advanced working knowledge of federal and California state environmental regulations
  • Experienced project manager on medium-to-large contracts ($100k or greater)
  • Significant experience in the management and preparation of documents in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act
  • Significant experience in environmental permitting in California
  • Proven client relationship and business development skills
  • Expert knowledge of MS Office Programs – Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project, SharePoint, and Teams
Role and Responsibilities:
The primary responsibilities include:
  • Serving as project manager or deputy project manager for various environmental planning projects (CEQA, NEPA, environmental permitting, technical studies) – managing scope, deliverables, budgets, and schedule commitments
  • Performing a range of defined technical tasks, field work, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and editing reports, including Initial Studies, Environmental Impact Reports, and Environmental Impact Statements (ideally with substantial experience in conducting analyses for the physical and/or social science resource categories)
  • Preparing environmental permit applications, working with regulators through the environmental permitting process
  • Developing and maintaining client relationships, and supporting Principals with business development efforts, through the preparation of proposals, scopes of works and budgets
Salary and Benefits:
Staff level and salary will be commensurate with experience, $80,000 to $110,000.

​​​​​​​Catalyst offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, and 401K retirement plan with match, in addition to 80 hours per year paid sick leave, 10 paid holidays per year, and accrued vacation days (3 weeks per year for staff with 5-10 years’ experience, and 4 weeks per year for staff with 10-15 years’ experience)

Entry-Level Environmental Planner

We are seeking an environmental planner to be based in our Portland, Oregon office
Key Attributes
We are looking for a motivated and energetic individual who wants to join a fast-growing team and contribute to a wide variety of projects for a diverse client base. Key attributes:
  • Self-starter, motivated, enthusiastic, ready to jump in where needed
  • People-person – able to work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team, great verbal and written communication skills, willing to learn new skills and work with a variety of different project managers throughout the firm
  • Creative problem solver - ability to think critically and develop potential solutions to complex issues
  • Organized, efficient, detail-oriented, with great time management skills
  • Strong technical writing skills, research skills, attention to detail
Qualifications and Education Requirements
  • 0-3 years of professional experience in environmental consulting, government, and/or regulatory affairs in industry
  • Bachelor’s degree (Master’s or Ph.D. preferred) in Environmental Science, Environmental Planning, Environmental Economics, Biology, Ecology, Geology, Hydrology, or other related physical or social science fields
  • General knowledge of federal and California state environmental regulations (National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act)
  • Working knowledge of MS Office Programs – Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project, SharePoint, and Teams
Role and Responsibilities:
The primary responsibilities include:
  • Serving as technical writer for environmental planning projects (CEQA, NEPA, environmental permitting, technical studies/white papers, etc.) – researching and drafting environmental setting sections and conducting impact analyses for various resource categories
  • Performing a range of defined technical tasks, field work, collecting and analyzing data, and writing and editing reports (while this is primarily an office-based job, some field work and/or travel may be required)
  • Preparing environmental permit applications
Salary and Benefits:
Staff level and salary will be commensurate with experience.
​​​​​​​
Catalyst offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, a 401K retirement plan with match, 10 paid holidays per year, 80 hours per year paid sick leave, and accrued vacation based on years of experience.
Interested in one of these postions?
Fill out the form below to apply!
*All programs subject to review and change and are provided for regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30+ hours per week