Hydrogeologist EarlyCareer

POSITION: Hydrogeologist, Early-Career

CLASSIFICATION: Full-time, Exempt

REPORTS TO: Practice Director

LOCATION: Santa Barbara, CA
-or
- Morro Bay, CA (hybrid position)

SALARY RANGE: $65,000.00 – $85,000.00 (exclusive of bonuses and other rewards)

GSI Water Solutions (GSI) is seeking an energetic and motivated Early-Career
Hydrogeologist who has strong education and developing technical skills in field work, data analytics, compliance, and documentation. This is an exciting opportunity to join a passionate, high-performing team of professionals making a positive impact in the water industry.

GSI Water Solutions is an employee‑owned consulting firm specializing groundwater, environmental, and water resources with offices in Oregon, Washington, and California. At GSI, we take pride in being a company that treats its employees with respect and fairness and strives for all team members to feel they belong, have valuable insights, and can grow with us. We value work‑life balance and are open to flexible work and scheduling arrangements.

As hydrogeologists, engineers, environmental scientists, and water experts, we focus on helping our clients protect our shared natural resources. We help develop and manage groundwater resources and ensure the long‑term sustainability and reliability of this invaluable resource. As an example, we have long been a champion of using aquifer storage and recovery technologies to save water for drought conditions and provide environmental benefits to fish and streams which may be impacted by development and climate change.

Learn more on our website:

Our Early-Career
Hydrogeologists work closely with mid‑and senior‑level project managers and provide essential technical support in data collection, data analysis, reporting, and collaborative problem solving related to water resources and water supply development. They gain hands‑on experience conducting field investigations and drilling activities and help to coordinate contractors, laboratories, and vendors with guidance from senior staff. As experience grows, this early‑career position may take on additional responsibilities aimed at developing project management skills.

• Collect hydrogeologic data, including aquifer test data and soil, water, and geologic samples.
• Maintain accurate records of field observations, data collection activities, and data from laboratory analyses.
• Write technical field reports and assist in the preparation of technical reports, figures, and graphs.
• Oversee field explorations, drilling activities, and water well construction projects.
• Participate in monitoring programs to assess groundwater quality and contamination levels.
• Coordinate scheduling and communication with well owners, laboratories, and other parties.
• Perform routine technical analyses with supervision and oversight.
• Research and review published geologic reports, papers, and literature.
• May participate in project management tasks such as project budgeting and proposal writing.
• May manage smaller projects or assist with tasks on larger projects to develop project management skills.

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in environmental science, hydrogeology, geology, engineering, or related field plus a minimum of 1 year of professional experience.
• Or a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in environmental science, hydrogeology, geology, engineering, or related field plus a minimum of 3 years of professional experience.

We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet every qualification listed. We value potential, transferable skills, and a willingness to learn just as much as direct experience. Research shows that many qualified candidates, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, hesitate to apply unless they meet 100% of the criteria. We’re interested in the whole person, not just a checklist.

• Professional geologist or certified hydrogeologist license within the state where work will be performed is preferred.
• Current and valid driver's license and…