Faculty of Environment typical co-op jobs

Faculty of Environment students secure competitive co-op jobs in industries across the world. 

Co-op is an opportunity to study a discipline you are interested in while trying different jobs. Regardless of program or major, every student’s co-op experience is different. 

Sustainability is increasingly important to employers and consumers and is outlined in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Faculty of Environment students apply their passion for the environment to all industries, regardless of the role. 

This list of sample co-op jobs is organized by program and includes descriptions based on real co-op work term positions held by Waterloo students. We have not included employer names to maintain employer confidentiality. This list is intended to help you understand what your co-op pathway may look like based on your program. However, you should explore diverse employment opportunities throughout your co-op work terms to find out where you want to take your career post-graduation.

Sample co-op jobs

Climate and Environmental Change

Junior

Projects assistant

Plan, co-ordinate and organize special project initiatives to support the environmental team. Use administrative skills to ensure successful completion and organization of projects.

Intermediate

Ecologist

Investigate factors in a disturbed ecosystem, design sustainable practices and solve environmental problems. Collect and analyze data on environmental conditions and assess a habitat while completing field work.

Senior

Climate change policy analyst

Conduct research and provide analysis to inform policies on climate change. Monitor and track climate change policies locally, nationally and internationally. Collaborate with various partners and stakeholders to produce climate summary reports.

Environment and Business

Junior

Customer relations assistant

Manage daily customer calls and build knowledge bases to improve workflows and procedures. Provide suggestions and strategies to help customers reach new goals. Develop problem-solving skills through issue resolution. Conduct data collection and analysis to improve analytical ability.

Intermediate

Marketing and business development co-ordinator

Develop databases and build relationships with potential clients. Conduct market research to identify potential customers and market trends. Analyze marketing and business development objectives with a sustainability focused approach.

Senior

Corporate sustainability associate

Support the planning and execution of environmental projects for high-level executive teams. Develop outreach strategies to engage internal and external stakeholders. Create informational materials while organizing meetings and workshops.


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Environment, Resources and Sustainability

Junior

Waste management project assistant

Research, develop, and implement promotional and educational material. Present at school and public events to support waste management programs. Create reports on program participation, contamination levels and issues to assist with ongoing waste collection programs.

Intermediate

Sustainability projects co-ordinator

Support environmental awareness programs that encourage behaviour towards a more sustainable future, through promotional techniques, event planning and social media. Collect and analyze data related to the organization’s ongoing environmental reporting requirements.

Senior

Policy analyst

Research and analyze social and economic topics related to environmental sustainability. Utilize environmental information to develop policies aimed at building a sustainable country. Draft reports to the federal government documenting the progress towards environmental goals.

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Geomatics

Junior

GIS customer support representative

Assist customers with technical issues related to geographic information system software and applications. Work as a part of the technical team to support customers and develop a new product feature and solve challenging customer problems.

Intermediate

Data scientist assistant

Analyze complex data sets to extract insights and support decision making. Data mining using state-of-the-art methods. Analyze large quantities of data visualization and test the validation of analytical models. Gain hands on experience with various data science tools and techniques.

Senior

Geospatial analyst

Collect, manage, analyze and visualize geographic data to understand patterns and trends. Create maps and tools using specialized software for various industries. Work with geographic information systems technology to examine data.


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Geography and Environmental Management

Junior

Assistant salmon officer

Support the management of salmon fisheries in the pacific region by applying legislation, regulations and policies while identifying areas for improvement and providing briefings/recommendations to management.

Intermediate

Biology and ecology field associate

Assist with field research and data collection related to biology and ecology. Conduct field surveys, collect samples, analyze data and organize data. Assist with maintaining equipment, preparing reports and presentations.

Senior

Agroclimate analyst

Complete statistical analysis on geographic information system data and develop maps. Create presentations on weather and climate data by utilizing graphs, tables and maps. Collect and analyze data from various sources and write reports based on findings.

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Planning

​​​​​​​Junior

Planning policy assistant

Assist with researching and writing reports on development proposals and issues that affect growth within the community. Contribute to recommendations on land use policies to promote effective use of land.

Intermediate

Transportation planning co-ordinator

Study transportation planning and traffic engineering to produce written reports, memos and graphic communications. Research policies and transportation documents to further assist with the execution of surveys, assessments and field measurements.

Senior

Map designer

Digitize indoor venues by analyzing blueprints and architectural plans. Apply creative skills when designing visually appealing maps that are easy to understand and navigate. Assist with ongoing quality assurance checks when updating maps and inputting client location data.

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Recent environment co-op experiences

Alison Baird smiling and holding a shovel.
Thursday, July 18, 2024

A Gender and Social Justice student's insight into on-campus opportunities

By: Lauren Ballard | 3 min read

Alison Baird (any), a third-year Gender and Social Justice student discusses how they made the most of their experience working in the University of Waterloo’s Sustainability Office and how she approaches applying to a co-op position.

Ben Woodward taking a selfie
Thursday, June 6, 2024

Mapping my way through co-op: problem solving in the workplace

By: Aadya Dixit | 5 min read

Ben Woodward (he/him) is a fourth-year Geography and Environmental Management and Earth Sciences student. In this blog he shares his experience using geographic information systems (GIS) and web mapping work for various levels of government, a private company and his local museum.

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