Remote Social Science Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Work arrangement: Remote within the United States, with potential international travel
Engagement: Contingent, part-time/on-call specialist
Anticipated compensation: $150–$300 per hour, depending on qualifications and assignment, or a negotiated fixed price by work package. $300 per hour is the maximum anticipated rate.

Opportunity

Axyde Analytics is assembling a multidisciplinary expert team for anticipated U.S. government-funded project-scoping assignments involving critical minerals and international infrastructure.

We seek environmental, social, biodiversity and resilience specialists capable of evaluating mining, mineral-processing, refining, recycling and associated-infrastructure projects in emerging and international markets.

Potential assignments may require early-stage risk screening, field verification, environmental and social scoping, permitting analysis, climate and geophysical resilience assessment, or development of feasibility-study and technical-assistance requirements.

Axyde does not expect one candidate to cover every environmental and social discipline. Applicants should identify the technical areas, project types and geographic environments in which they possess direct, demonstrable expertise.

Specialist Tracks

We are recruiting experts in one or more of the following tracks:

• Mining environmental and social impact assessment

• Environmental and social baseline-study design

• International permitting and regulatory strategy

• Biodiversity, critical habitat and ecosystem services

• Indigenous peoples, traditional communities and cultural heritage

• Land acquisition, resettlement and livelihood restoration

• Community engagement, benefit sharing and grievance mechanisms

• Labor, worker rights and occupational/community health

• Human rights, security and responsible sourcing

• Water resources, water quality and aquatic ecology

• Air quality, noise, vibration and emissions

• Tailings, waste rock, residues and hazardous waste

• Mine closure, reclamation and post-closure management

• Contaminated sites and legacy-mine remediation

• Climate, flood, drought, wildfire and extreme-weather resilience

• Seismic, landslide, volcanic and other geophysical hazards

• Environmental and social management systems

• International lender and development-finance standards

Potential Responsibilities

Depending on the assignment and specialist track, selected experts may:

• Identify material environmental, social, biodiversity and resilience risks early in project evaluation.

• Review available baseline data, permits, assessments, management plans and sponsor records.

• Determine whether environmental and social information is sufficient for project advancement.

• Identify applicable host-country authorities, approvals, standards and realistic permitting sequences.

• Assess critical habitat, protected areas, ecosystem services and biodiversity constraints.

• Evaluate land rights, Indigenous or traditional-community interests and consultation requirements.

• Review resettlement, livelihood, labor, human-rights, security and community-health considerations.

• Assess water availability, water quality, discharge, competing users and downstream receptors.

• Evaluate tailings, waste rock, residues, hazardous materials, closure and long-term liabilities.

• Screen projects for flood, drought, heat, wildfire, storm, seismic, landslide, volcanic and cascading infrastructure risks.

• Evaluate whether proposed mitigation is technically, institutionally and financially implementable.

• Identify fatal flaws, curable gaps, additional studies and project-design alternatives.

• Define environmental and social tasks, methods, fieldwork, deliverables and acceptance criteria.

• Contribute environmental and social assumptions to project costs, schedules and financing analyses.

• Evaluate consistency with likely development-finance and lender requirements.

• Assess sponsor capacity to implement environmental and social commitments.

• Identify opportunities for U.S. environmental, engineering, monitoring and remediation services.

• Develop or review feasibility-study or technical-assistance terms of reference, budgets and schedules.

• Participate in sponsor, community, government, lender, engineering or civil-society discussions.

• Support international meetings, site visits and field verification when required.

• Prepare concise findings and recommendations for senior government decision-makers.

• Serve as a discipline lead, contributor, same-discipline alternate or independent technical reviewer.

Required Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

• At least 7–10 years of directly relevant environmental, social, biodiversity, resilience or international-permitting experience.

• A degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, ecology, biology, hydrology, geology, social science, anthropology, geography, planning or a closely related field.

• Direct responsibility for identifiable mining, mineral-processing, industrial, infrastructure or remediation projects.

• Demonstrated ability to distinguish screening-level risks from issues requiring detailed field studies, design or mitigation.

• Experience developing or independently reviewing environmental and social assessments, management plans, permit strategies or lender-diligence materials.

• Strong written and verbal English-language communication skills.

• Ability to prepare concise, decision-oriented technical work.

• Ability to collaborate across mining, processing, infrastructure, regulatory, commercial and financial disciplines.

• Either U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent-resident status in the United States.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally when an assignment requires it.

• No known employment, confidentiality, intellectual-property, noncompete or conflict-of-interest restriction that would prevent participation.

Professional certification and experience with international development-finance institutions are advantageous but not mandatory when supported by substantial relevant experience.

Application Information Requested

Please submit a résumé and a brief response identifying:

1. Your strongest environmental, social, biodiversity or resilience specialties.

2. The mining, processing, industrial or infrastructure projects with which you have direct experience.

3. Up to five representative projects, assessments, permitting efforts or studies and your personal responsibilities on each.

4. The host-country, lender or international standards you have applied.

5. Your experience conducting fieldwork, stakeholder engagement or independent review.

6. Countries and regions in which you have worked.

7. Languages in which you can conduct professional discussions or stakeholder engagement.

8. Whether you can serve as a discipline lead, independent reviewer, or both.

9. Your current U.S. location.

10. Whether you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

11. Your availability during the next 30 days.

12. Your ability to travel internationally and any geographic restrictions.

13. Your anticipated hourly rate.

14. Any actual or potential conflicts involving governments, project sponsors, mining companies, lenders, engineering firms or current employers.

Engagement Conditions

This is a contingent opportunity supporting anticipated government-funded assignments. No employment, contract award, minimum workload or particular assignment is guaranteed.

Selection for an assignment will depend on contract award, the specific environmental or social question, qualifications, availability, eligibility, conflicts, travel requirements, mutually acceptable compensation and execution of appropriate employment or consulting documentation.

Axyde may tailor and reformat selected résumés for proposal compliance without materially changing the candidate’s qualifications or experience.

Axyde Analytics
Strategic minerals • Supply-chain security • U.S. industrial base