Staff Level Biologist - Natural Resources

Do you thrive in the pursuit of ensuring excellence in environmental consulting services for your clients? SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding their team and looking for dynamic individuals who are following their passion in delivering the highest-quality project work.

SWCA is expanding our natural resources team and seeking temporary Staff Level Biologists to support a variety of environmental projects involving a range of office and field duties throughout Southern California. Work hours may vary seasonally, and depending on project needs and your skills. As our Natural Resources team continues to grow, additional opportunities for advancement and/or transition to a regular, full-time position will be available.

The ideal candidate is an energetic, proactive problem solver who enjoys supporting a diverse group of technical specialists. It is anticipated that travel, including overnight stays, will be required for this position. Fieldwork will include travel throughout southern California. Candidates should have, at a minimum, recent experience and comfort with independently conducting nesting bird surveys and/or construction monitoring.

This position is temporary, hourly. Pay is dependent on experience.

The candidate could fill any of three staff-level roles based on skill and years of relevant experience:

• Assistant Staff Biologist: Typically up to 1 year of relevant experience and expertise
• Staff Biologist: Typically up to 2 years of relevant experience and expertise.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• For assistant staff and staff paleontologist positions, a key element of your job will be to independently supervise an paleontological survey crew in the field. This includes:

  • Independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery;
  • Ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely;
  • Serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers;
  • Receiving and resolving complaints from employees in the field; and
  • Monitoring team productivity and offering timely performance guidance, including determining when corrective action is needed and delivering appropriate feedback
• Ensures that appropriate preliminary research is conducted and organized prior to fieldwork, and that necessary equipment, and other resources are ready for fieldwork.
• Conduct environmental inspections, wildlife and vegetation baseline studies, nesting bird surveys, basic wetland assessments, bioassessments, and general habitat assessments.
• Collect field data, record and identify fauna and flora.
• Use topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS units, and other maps and tools to determine exact locations of project areas, habitat types, and associated landforms.
• Photograph and take detailed notes of habitats, species, and landforms. Operate SWCA vehicles safely, including operation of 4-wheel-drive vehicles on rugged, back-country roads.
• Follow industry-leading safety check-in and reporting procedures.
• Communicate effectively with SWCA project managers, construction crews, and other environmental specialists to complete the field work and reporting requirements.
• Understand project environmental requirements and the applicable laws and regulations protecting biological resources.
• Maintains SWCA's high standard of scientific ethics and quality assurance; is motivated to identify and resolve problems in creative ways.
• Complete desktop analyses, web-based database queries, prepare technical reports describing the methods, results, recommendations, and regulatory background for projects.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team is critical.

• • Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a related life sciences field required.
  • Knowledge of common and special status state and federal listed California fauna and flora.
  • Prior experience with GIS software, GPS units/tablets and ability to use technology for data collection.
  • Ability to travel to a location, walk and conduct fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather, rugged terrain, often at high altitudes, and ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds is required.
  • Excellent communication and organizational skills.
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
  • Report or other writing experience.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges on all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this San Diego, CA-based position as an Assistant Staff Biologist an hourly pay rate of $23.99 - $31.01/hour and a Staff Biologist an hourly pay rate of $26.91-$35.10/hour. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success

This position is eligible for our wellness paid time off, employee assistance program and wellness program activities.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA's continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

#LI-LP1