Staff-Level Biologists

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding our team and looking for temporary Staff-Level Biologists with backgrounds in botany, wildlife biology, wetland ecology, and/or environmental science to support our Salt Lake City office. These are temporary, hourly positions that will support a variety of natural resources projects and field efforts at sites throughout Utah and the Intermountain West. Candidates local to Utah (or neighboring states) familiar with flora and fauna of Utah, conducting field surveys, and 4x4 truck, ATV, and trailer towing experience are strongly preferred. Applicants should be able to work outdoors in a team or independently for 40 hours or more per week (travel included) with flexible scheduling based on project and client needs.

Applicant must be willing to participate in a drug and alcohol screening as part of the pre-employment process, as some projects require such screenings.

This position can hire at three different levels:

• Natural Resources Technician – Typically with a few months of relevant experience and expertise
• Assistant Staff Biologist – Typically with up to one (1) year or relevant experience and expertise.
• Staff Biologist – Typically with up to two (2) years of relevant experience and expertise.

For assistant staff and staff biologist positions, depending upon 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.

Our Vision (the North Star): Help drive SWCA to be the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership.

Core Values: We are #OneSWCA and collaborate across all of our offices, programs, and disciplines. We are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle and we #GiveBack. We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. It is imperative for the successful candidate to fit SWCA's unique culture. Do you appreciate sustainability and environmental awareness? Is giving back to your community a priority? SWCA is a team of scientists, planners, technical experts, and corporate services professionals that are committed to our culture.

Purpose: Our company’s purpose is to preserve natural and cultural resources for tomorrow while enabling projects that benefit people today. You are invited to be a part of our success story.

What you will accomplish

• Follow established scientific protocols to conduct wildlife, vegetation, and wetland field surveys, complete environmental inspections, wildlife and vegetation baseline studies, habitat assessments, noxious weed mapping, stormwater inspections, and reclamation monitoring 
• Assist with tasks to collect and/or manage natural resources and wetland data in the field or office. Technicians are expected to work efficiently to complete assigned tasks in a manner that ensures the data are accurate, complete, and verifiable
• Use topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS units, and other mapping tools to determine exact locations of project areas, habitat types, species of interest, and associated landforms
• Photograph and record appropriate habitat, species, and geographic landforms relative to suitable habitat requirements and ecological classifications
• Operate SWCA vehicles, assure they will perform safely, and notify appropriate person if vehicle needs maintenance
• Ability to perform all work with a focus on safety in a remote field setting for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather, rugged terrain, and at high altitudes is required; the ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds and walk up to 12 miles per day is required
• Communicate frequently and openly with team members and supervisors to ensure that task objectives and methods are clearly understood, task progress is shared, and questions or needs are promptly addressed. This includes initiating and/or responding to communication requests before, during, and after task implementation as part of a real-time, collaborative work effort
• Project work may include electrical transmission, renewable generation projects (wind, solar, geothermal), oil and gas development, transmission/pipelines, transportation, mining, and state and federal agency clients
• Adhere to SWCA’s safety program while looking out for the safety of others, promptly communicating and mitigating safety hazards 

Experience and qualifications for success

Requirements

• Minimum of B.A. or B.S. in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management field preferred
• Experience with field-based natural resources scientific data collection and attention to detail 
• Must have experience with accurate natural resources data collection procedures and data QA/QC
• Familiarity with Intermountain West flora and fauna; botany and/or wetland delineation experience a plus
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office 365, ArcGIS, and other software suites
• Must have valid driver's license and be able to meet SWCA’s driver requirements
• Ability to drive a 4-wheel-drive vehicle on rugged, back-country roads

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Ability to work long days outdoors for extended periods of time (up to 14 days) in a safe and productive manner
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude while working closely with a small team in a dynamic work environment 
• Ability to travel and work remotely as required
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team with excellent team collaboration skills
• Excellent communication and organizational skills

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 Salt Lake City office -based position can expect a salary of:  Natural Resources Technician --  $19.24/hour to $25.48/hour;  Assistant Staff Biologist -- $21.32 to $27.56/hour; Staff Biologist -- $23.92/hour to $31.20/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.

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.

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