Environmental Engineer Jobs in Ames, IA (NOW HIRING)

29100 Lone Tree Mine Rd, Valmy, NV 89438, USA

Posted Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 7:00 AM

About Us: At i-80 Gold, we are committed to establishing Nevada’s next leading mid-tier gold producer, underpinned by exceptional performance and a people-centered culture where every employee can contribute meaningfully. Our development plan encompasses five gold projects, including both open pit and underground mines—supported by three processing streams: the refurbishment of an autoclave processing facility, construction of a CIL plant, and a large-scale heap leach facility. This environment presents a valuable opportunity to expand your skillset and advance your career. For more information about i-80 Gold please visit our website: www.i80gold.com.

Who are we?

Join us during this period of rapid growth within a collaborative, small team setting with a flat organizational structure, guided by our core values: care, integrity, respect, collaboration, and excellence.

Position: Environmental Engineer

This role focuses on ensuring regulatory compliance and accurate environmental reporting and plays a key role in monitoring, reporting, and educating staff in order to maintain high standards of environmental stewardship while supporting operational efficiency. The ideal candidate must be willing to engage with all site personnel and business partners (contractors, consultants and other service providers) to promote a culture of environmental awareness through training and site‑wide engagement.

Location: Lone Tree Mine, Valmy, NV

• Compliance Management: Oversee and ensure adherence to all local, state, and federal environmental regulations, including those related to air quality, water management, waste disposal, land disturbance, and reclamation. Conduct regular audits, inspections, and risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential compliance issues.
• Environmental Reporting: Prepare, review, and submit accurate reports as required by the site operating permits and plans (e.g., water pollution control permit, stormwater permit, air quality permits). Utilize data analysis tools to track trends and recommend improvements for site compliance goals and corporate sustainability goals.
• Site Engagement and Collaboration: Act as a point of contact for environmental matters on‑site, engaging with cross‑functional teams including site operations and safety staff. Foster partnerships with external stakeholders such as regulatory agencies and environmental consultants to promote transparency and collaborative problem‑solving.
• Utilize GIS: Create, maintain, and update environmental data maps and figures, digitize and manage spatial databases of monitoring sites, perform spatial analysis and trend mapping of key data; produce high quality maps and visuals for regulatory submissions, compliance reports, presentations, and overlay environmental layers with operational plans to improve planning and implementation or projects.
• Incident Response and Investigation: Participate in investigations into environmental incidents, support development of corrective action plans, and ensure timely implementation to prevent recurrence.
• Supervise Environmental Technician: Directly supervise, mentor, and provide day‑to‑day guidance to the site environmental technician. Assign tasks, review work quality, ensure adherence to sampling protocols and safety standards, and support their professional development.
• Task Assignment and Scheduling: Plan and assign daily/weekly fieldwork to technicians, such as collecting water samples from monitoring wells, pit lakes and process ponds, collection of site piezometer data; inspecting stormwater control structures; inspecting waste storage areas; and collection of water usage data. Responsible for ensuring tasks align with the mine’s environmental monitoring program, permit requirements, and operational priorities.
• Quality Control and Data Review: Review all field data and chain‑of‑custody forms submitted by technicians for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs). Identify anomalies (e.g., unexpected pH or cyanide levels in water samples), request re‑sampling when necessary, and verify that sampling equipment is properly calibrated and maintained.
• On‑the‑Job Training and Mentoring: Provide hands‑on training to technicians on proper sampling techniques, equipment use (e.g., multi‑parameter water quality probes, air samplers, GPS devices), safety protocols, and accurate field documentation. Conduct regular toolbox talks and skill‑development sessions to build the team’s technical competency.
• Performance Management and Safety Oversight: Monitor technician performance, providing constructive feedback, and contributing to their performance evaluations. Enforce strict adherence to site safety standards (MSHA, company zero‑harm policies), conduct field safety audits alongside the team, and immediately address any unsafe behaviors or procedural deviations.
• Coordination and Reporting: Act as the primary point of contact between the technicians and senior environmental staff. Compile technician‑collected data into weekly summaries or monthly reports, flag emerging issues (e.g., increasing turbidity in a nearby creek), and recommend corrective actions to management.

This supervisory responsibility gives you early leadership experience while ensuring high‑quality, reliable environmental data that supports the mine’s regulatory compliance and sustainability goals.

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in environmental engineering, preferably in mining.
• In‑depth knowledge of environmental regulations (e.g., NDEP, EPA, NEPA, Clean Water Act, and mining‑specific laws).
• Experience with environmental management systems (EMS).
• Willingness to work in a mining environment, including outdoor fieldwork, irregular hours, and potential travel to remote sites.
• Valid driver's license and ability to pass a background check and drug screening.

29100 Lone Tree Mine Rd, Valmy, NV 89438, USA