Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer

As a Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer, you're developing remediation plans for contaminated sites. You might be designing a groundwater treatment system for an old industrial property, evaluating soil contamination at a former gas station, or developing a closure plan for a hazardous waste facility. At the senior level, you're leading projects independently, interfacing directly with clients and regulators, and signing off on engineering designs.

The work is highly regulated and involves managing risk. You're conducting or overseeing site investigations, interpreting analytical data to understand contamination extent, evaluating remediation alternatives, and designing systems that meet environmental standards. You're constantly coordinating with regulatory agencies — EPA, state environmental departments — who review and approve your plans. There's significant documentation: reports, permit applications, monitoring plans, and ongoing compliance tracking.

The hardest part is navigating the regulatory complexity and client cost pressures. Cleanup can be expensive, and clients want the cheapest compliant solution while regulators want certainty that contamination won't spread. You're making technical decisions with environmental and liability consequences that can last decades. People who thrive here are motivated by protecting public health — they find meaning in transforming contaminated sites into safe, usable properties.