Staff Biologist- Natural Resources (Temporary)

About the opportunity

Do you thrive in the pursuit of ensuring excellence in environmental consulting services for your clients? SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding our team and looking for dynamic individuals who are following their passion for protecting sensitive natural resources. This position offers a unique opportunity to learn and apply practical knowledge of southern California biological resources and habitats, and local, state, and federal regulations to advance a diverse portfolio of projects in transmission, renewables, land development, and more. 

 SWCA is expanding our natural resources team and seeking a  Temporary Staff Biologist 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  may be available. Work may include supporting siting, alternatives, and constraints analysis; recording and documenting pre-existing biological and aquatic conditions; and monitoring mitigation and compliance plans. You may utilize a variety of online tools including ArcGIS Online, Survey123, CNDDB, FWS Critical Habitat Mapper, and Google Earth to conduct desktop research and collect data in the field. You will learn and gain experience with local threatened, endangered, and special-status plants, wildlife, and vegetation communities, and well as jurisdictional waters and wetlands. Work will be performed in a fast-paced environment working within a larger team.

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.

For this position, depending upon the project, an element of your job may be to independently supervise a biological 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 providing timely performance feedback, including deciding when disciplinary action is necessary and delivering discipline.

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.

What you will accomplish

• 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, resources, 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.
• Must enjoy working in a fast-paced, cross-functional team environment while working on interesting and challenging projects with tight schedule

Experience and qualifications for success

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a related life sciences field preferred.
• 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 preferred.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
• Report or other writing experience.
• Proficiency in MS-Office, MS-Outlook, and Internet/Intranet technologies; ArcGIS, Survey123, Smartsheet and GoogleEarth familiarity a plus
• Able to work independently and collaborate with a variety of colleagues and clients

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 need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; 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 a Staff Biologist can expect 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. 

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