Temporary Assistant Staff Environmental Scientist - Maui, HI

About the opportunity

Are you passionate about applying science to better understand Hawaiʻi’s wildlife and flora? SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking an experienced, dynamic, and self-motivated Temporary Assistant Staff Environmental Scientist with strong interpersonal skills and a background in natural resources and biological studies to join our fast-paced, supportive team of Hawaiʻi-based biologists.

This individual will primarily support field operations for a large wildlife monitoring project on the islands of Maui and Lanaʻi. Depending on the selected candidate’s skills and experience, they may also assist with other natural resources projects on Maui or other islands throughout Hawaiʻi, as needed.

The Assistant Staff Environmental Scientist should have the technical aptitude to quickly learn and perform a range of project-related tasks. These include deploying and maintaining wildlife monitoring equipment, managing data, completing field logs, drafting brief reports, and coordinating with the project manager and team regarding project progress.

This position is primarily field-based and may involve working independently or in small teams. It requires a strong level of physical fitness, the ability to hike over varied terrain with a backpack, work in a range of weather conditions, and safely operate four-wheel-drive vehicles.

This is a temporary, hourly position that can be performed remotely from anywhere on Maui. Compensation will be based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. The position will report to a Maui-based Project Manager.

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

• Assist the project manager with the field deployment, maintenance, and retrieval of wildlife monitoring equipment throughout Maui and Lanaʻi.
• Support general natural resources tasks, including general biological surveys and report preparation.  
• Accurately document deployment metadata, GPS coordinates, habitat conditions, and field observations using data sheets and digital data collection tools.
• Collect, label, and manage data storage cards and associated data following established chain-of-custody and QA/QC procedures.
• Maintain equipment inventory, conduct routine maintenance, and report damage, loss, or malfunctions.
• Support related biological projects on Maui or other islands on an as needed basis.
• Adhere to the safety program and look out for the safety of others, promptly communicating and mitigating safety hazards.   
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and written. 
• Depending upon project, an element of your job may be to independently supervise a biological survey crew in the field.

Experience and qualifications for success

Required:  

• Demonstrated experience working in a fast-paced work environment, and a desire to work in a highly collaborative team atmosphere. 
• Bachelor’s degree in biology, Plant Science, Fish and Wildlife Science, Ecology, or a related environmental science field.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in environmental or natural resources fieldwork in Hawaiʻi.
• Ability to manage field data collection devices and associated data.
• Familiarity with GPS devices and mapping software such as ArcGIS.
• Previous experience using Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, and similar programs.
• Must reside in HI 

Additional Information:  

• Valid driver's license and ability to pass a Motor Vehicle background screening. 
• This is primarily a field-based position (90%).  Limited time each week will be required for field operations planning, data management, and reporting (10%). 

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.

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services.  Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA 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. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. 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. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require a confidential conversation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We are 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. 

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

An employee in this Maui, HI - based position can expect a salary of:  Assistant Staff Environmental Scientist – between $22.39/hour and $28.94/hour.  Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.

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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