diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 28976f7a85..3b098810cd 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ executors:
       - image: circleci/node:<< parameters.nodeversion >>-browsers
     working_directory: ~/ng
     environment:
-      BASH_ENV: ~/.profile
       NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX: ~/.npm-global
     resource_class: xlarge
 
@@ -191,6 +190,9 @@ jobs:
     parallelism: 4
     steps:
       - attach_workspace: *attach_options
+      - run:
+          name: Initialize Environment
+          command: ./.circleci/env.sh
       - run:
           name: Execute CLI E2E Tests
           command: PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH node ./tests/legacy-cli/run_e2e --nb-shards=${CIRCLE_NODE_TOTAL} --shard=${CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX} <<# parameters.ivy >>--ivy<</ parameters.ivy >> <<# parameters.snapshots >>--ng-snapshots<</ parameters.snapshots >>
@@ -202,8 +204,12 @@ jobs:
     parallelism: 4
     steps:
       - attach_workspace: *attach_options
-      # Ensure latest npm version to support local package repository
-      - run: PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH npm install --global npm
+      - run:
+          name: Initialize Environment
+          command: |
+            ./.circleci/env.sh
+            # Ensure latest npm version to support local package repository
+            PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH npm install --global npm
       - run: PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH node ./tests/legacy-cli/run_e2e --nb-shards=${CIRCLE_NODE_TOTAL} --shard=${CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX}
 
   build:
diff --git a/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh b/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5fa1263e11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+####################################################################################################
+# Helpers for defining environment variables for CircleCI.
+#
+# In CircleCI, each step runs in a new shell. The way to share ENV variables across steps is to
+# export them from `$BASH_ENV`, which is automatically sourced at the beginning of every step (for
+# the default `bash` shell).
+#
+# See also https://circleci.com/docs/2.0/env-vars/#using-bash_env-to-set-environment-variables.
+####################################################################################################
+
+# Set and print an environment variable.
+#
+# Use this function for setting environment variables that are public, i.e. it is OK for them to be
+# visible to anyone through the CI logs.
+#
+# Usage: `setPublicVar <name> <value>`
+function setPublicVar() {
+  setSecretVar $1 "$2";
+  echo "$1=$2";
+}
+
+# Set (without printing) an environment variable.
+#
+# Use this function for setting environment variables that are secret, i.e. should not be visible to
+# everyone through the CI logs.
+#
+# Usage: `setSecretVar <name> <value>`
+function setSecretVar() {
+  # WARNING: Secrets (e.g. passwords, access tokens) should NOT be printed.
+  # (Keep original shell options to restore at the end.)
+  local -r originalShellOptions=$(set +o);
+  set +x -eu -o pipefail;
+
+  echo "export $1=\"${2:-}\";" >> $BASH_ENV;
+
+  # Restore original shell options.
+  eval "$originalShellOptions";
+}
+
+
+# Create a function to set an environment variable, when called.
+#
+# Use this function for creating setter for public environment variables that require expensive or
+# time-consuming computaions and may not be needed. When needed, you can call this function to set
+# the environment variable (which will be available through `$BASH_ENV` from that point onwards).
+#
+# Arguments:
+# - `<name>`: The name of the environment variable. The generated setter function will be
+#   `setPublicVar_<name>`.
+# - `<code>`: The code to run to compute the value for the variable. Since this code should be
+#   executed lazily, it must be properly escaped. For example:
+#   ```sh
+#   # DO NOT do this:
+#   createPublicVarSetter MY_VAR "$(whoami)";  # `whoami` will be evaluated eagerly
+#
+#   # DO this isntead:
+#   createPublicVarSetter MY_VAR "\$(whoami)";  # `whoami` will NOT be evaluated eagerly
+#   ```
+#
+# Usage: `createPublicVarSetter <name> <code>`
+#
+# Example:
+# ```sh
+# createPublicVarSetter MY_VAR 'echo "FOO"';
+# echo $MY_VAR;  # Not defined
+#
+# setPublicVar_MY_VAR;
+# source $BASH_ENV;
+# echo $MY_VAR;  # FOO
+# ```
+function createPublicVarSetter() {
+  echo "setPublicVar_$1() { setPublicVar $1 \"$2\"; }" >> $BASH_ENV;
+}
diff --git a/.circleci/env.sh b/.circleci/env.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..49c0ab1832
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.circleci/env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Variables
+readonly projectDir=$(realpath "$(dirname ${BASH_SOURCE[0]})/..")
+readonly envHelpersPath="$projectDir/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh";
+
+# Load helpers and make them available everywhere (through `$BASH_ENV`).
+source $envHelpersPath;
+echo "source $envHelpersPath;" >> $BASH_ENV;
+
+
+####################################################################################################
+# Define PUBLIC environment variables for CircleCI.
+####################################################################################################
+# See https://circleci.com/docs/2.0/env-vars/#built-in-environment-variables for more info.
+####################################################################################################
+setPublicVar PROJECT_ROOT "$projectDir";
+
+####################################################################################################
+# Define SauceLabs environment variables for CircleCI.
+####################################################################################################
+setPublicVar SAUCE_USERNAME "angular-ci";
+setSecretVar SAUCE_ACCESS_KEY "9b988f434ff8-fbca-8aa4-4ae3-35442987";
+setPublicVar SAUCE_LOG_FILE /tmp/angular/sauce-connect.log
+setPublicVar SAUCE_READY_FILE /tmp/angular/sauce-connect-ready-file.lock
+setPublicVar SAUCE_PID_FILE /tmp/angular/sauce-connect-pid-file.lock
+setPublicVar SAUCE_TUNNEL_IDENTIFIER "angular-${CIRCLE_BUILD_NUM}-${CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX}"
+# Amount of seconds we wait for sauceconnect to establish a tunnel instance. In order to not
+# acquire CircleCI instances for too long if sauceconnect failed, we need a connect timeout.
+setPublicVar SAUCE_READY_FILE_TIMEOUT 120
+
+# Source `$BASH_ENV` to make the variables available immediately.
+source $BASH_ENV;