Earth & Biological Scientist

The Earth and Biological Systems Division at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is seeking innovative scientists and engineers to advance research and technology development supporting environmental stewardship, ecological resilience, predictive modeling, and sustainable site operations across the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. As the nation’s Environmental Management Laboratory, SRNL conducts impactful work in environmental remediation, biological and ecological sciences, earth system processes, and integrated environmental analysis.

• Conduct scientific research, field investigations, laboratory studies, or modeling activities related to earth systems, biological processes, environmental monitoring, or ecosystem responses.
• Develop, apply, or validate models and data-driven tools to support environmental characterization, contaminant fate and transport, risk assessment, or ecosystem dynamics.
• Perform laboratory or bench-scale experiments in microbiology, environmental chemistry, geochemistry, ecology, genomics, or related fields.
• Collect, analyze, interpret, and integrate environmental or biological data to support DOE mission needs in cleanup, stewardship, and environmental resilience.
• Prepare technical reports, manuscripts, presentations, and analyses for internal teams, stakeholders, and external sponsors.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams combining engineering, biological sciences, geosciences, environmental modeling, and data analytics.
• Contribute to the development and demonstration of technologies that improve environmental monitoring, remediation strategies, or biological and earth system understanding.
• Ensure all work is conducted in accordance with SRNL safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Support proposal writing, project planning, and sponsor engagement to grow SRNL’s earth and biological systems research portfolio.
• Maintain awareness of emerging scientific advances, new methodologies, and relevant environmental or biological research trends.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline (e.g., environmental science, ecology, biology, geosciences, hydrology, environmental engineering, microbiology, biogeochemistry, atmospheric sciences).
• Demonstrated ability to conduct scientific research, environmental analysis, or field/laboratory investigations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to work collaboratively within diverse, multidisciplinary research teams.
• Commitment to SRNL’s strong safety culture and rigorous quality expectations.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance, for which US citizenship is legally required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in environmental monitoring, contaminant transport, microbial process studies, ecological assessment, earth system modeling, or environmental remediation technologies.
• Familiarity with computational modeling, geospatial analysis, data science, sensor technologies, or laboratory/field instrumentation.
• Experience working within DOE, national laboratory, or other regulated environmental research settings.
• Strong record of technical publications, scientific presentations, or demonstrated research contributions.
• Experience with project planning, field operations coordination, or stakeholder engagement.

Security Clearance Information

This position will require selected candidate to be able to obtain a DOE Security Clearance. BSRA is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, criminal records, and employment history, and education verifications. Positions with BSRA require applicants to have the ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L or Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.

Factors such as pre-employment background review results, dual citizenship status, and unpaid and/or unfiled taxes may impact your ability to obtain a security clearance. This list of factors is not exhaustive; pre-employment information and security clearance requests are reviewed…