Senior Geologist Jobs in Rio Rancho, NM (NOW HIRING)

INTERA Incorporated is seeking a senior-level Geologist and Drilling Coordinator to join its Mining and Environmental Line of Business in the Albuquerque, New Mexico office. This role leads drilling-based field events for a variety of reclamation, remediation, and environmental characterization projects. The position also supports clients in meeting regulatory requirements, restoring impacted sites, and sustainably managing natural resources.

This position will include implementing highly technical work plans for complex projects, serving as the primary link between field operations and the project manager while leading teams of personnel to conduct field and office support work for subsurface contamination investigations, geotechnical studies, groundwater monitoring well installation and development, etc. Clients include state and municipal agencies and private industries that share our values of environmental stewardship and technical excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead daily site activities, manage field crews, and oversee work performed by drilling contractors and subcontractors to ensure work is completed in accordance with workplans, design drawings, specifications, and client expectations.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements for fieldwork.
• Collect environmental samples (soil/rock, aqueous, vapor), oversee drilling soil borings and monitoring well installation, and conduct hydraulic testing.
• Ensure accuracy of drilling data and submit status reports to the Project Manager.
• Develop cost estimates and proposals for drilling projects, including acquiring bids from multiple drilling firms and other vendors while ensuring consistency between and amongst the bids.
• Plan drilling programs including resource and equipment needs, preparation of field implementation plans that reference standard operation procedures (SOPs), sampling and analysis plans, and Health and Safety plans.
• Work with colleagues to ensure that the selected drilling contractor is aware of, and complies with, INTERA Statements of Work; including drilling type/style, schedule/forecast, oversight and review of drilling tickets, lithologic interpretation, geophysical logging, well construction, post-construction development, pump design and placement, aquifer testing, permanent pump design and placement, and all equipment associated with remote monitoring of the well/wellfield.
• Log soil and rock core utilizing ASTM standards for lithologic interpretation and prepare boring logs.
• Analyze environmental data and author detailed technical reports.
• Participate in environmental site characterization investigations, including soil gas investigations, soil sampling, and groundwater sampling.
• Continue to build upon and refine INTERA’s approach to drilling operations, including updating SOP’s and identifying potential inefficiencies.
• Mentor junior staff and collaborate with technical teams across the company.
• Support business development by maintaining client relationships and identifying new opportunities. Maintain regular contact with an ever-increasing list of drillers and related contractors.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in geology, hydrogeology, engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Professional licensure or willingness to obtain.
• Proficiency in various borehole advancement methods, including but not limited to sonic, hollow stem auger, direct push, air rotary casing hammer, and flooded reverse circulation mud rotary.
• Demonstrated experience managing drilling projects.
• Strong leadership, technical report writing, problem-solving, and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey complex thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner.
• General knowledge of hydrogeology, nature, and extent of contamination evaluation.
• The ability to work with a project team or independently to complete technical work.
• Experience developing and maintaining long-lasting relationships with drilling firms.
• Experience analyzing geophysical logs.
• Willingness to travel to project sites (50% - 70%) and other INTERA offices (primarily within New Mexico and Texas).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in geology, hydrogeology, engineering, or related field.
• Familiarity with state and federal environmental regulations (e.g., RCRA, CERCLA, NMED/NMAC, OSE, EPA) and risk-based criteria.
• Proficiency in various environmental sampling techniques such as heated head space soil sampling, soil sampling, push-ahead groundwater sampling, and zonal groundwater sampling.
• Experience with pLog and Logplot software.
• Previous experience with aquifer test (Aqtesolv, nSIGHTS) and geologic modeling software (Leapfrog preferred)
• OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER Certification

About INTERA & Our Benefits

INTERA is a Top Workplaces USA 2025 award winner!

Founded in 1974, INTERA has grown into an international geosciences and engineering consulting firm that helps clients make informed business decisions, mitigate risk, and drive optimal outcomes in a multitude of industries. Building and sustaining a strong company culture is at the heart of INTERA’s practice of good stewardship. We strive to foster an environment where people love the work that they do and the place that they work because we believe that our employees are our most valuable asset. As an employee-owned company, we are committed to investing in our people’s needs for security, health, and well-being with:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance that includes a free health plan option for employee-only coverage
• Paid parental leave – up to 12 weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Group term life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, short-term and long-term coverage – paid 100% by the company
• Paid holiday, vacation, and sick time
• Opportunities for stock ownership
• Performance-based bonuses and award programs for technical paper publication and employee referrals
• Career coaching instead of performance evaluations
• Tuition reimbursement, financial assistance for professional licensure and registration, and one paid membership to a professional society
• Pet insurance, LegalShield, IDShield, and more

These are just some of the reasons why many of our employees have spent 10 to 25 years at INTERA. We love what we do, and it shows.