Biology Project Manager

About the role

Dudek’s journey began in 1980 with a vision to serve Southern California’s water and wastewater agencies. Today, we are a 100% employee-owned firm supporting clients nationwide and delivering projects that improve and protect the built and natural environments of communities throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by leading industry organizations, and we’ve been honored with multiple national Top Workplace Awards. Our employee-owners are unified by a singular commitment to supporting projects that address key societal issues, such as the transition to renewable energy, infrastructure hardening and repair, environmental protection, and community resilience.

Responsibilities

• Lead collection of detailed field data, work in remote field locations, hike steep slopes over uneven terrain, and work full days in all types of weather
• Lead aquatic resource delineations
• Identify California flora to species and subspecies or variety
• Lead field surveys for rare, threatened, and endangered plants and wildlife
• Lead vegetation surveys, invasive plant surveys, and habitat assessments
• Manage small-to-mid scale biological resource projects and biological tasks on larger multidisciplinary projects, including scheduling, budgeting, client coordination, and quality control
• Prepare and oversee preparation of reports summarizing methodology, field survey results and recommendations
• Prepare and oversee preparation of Aquatic Resources Delineation Reports
• Prepare and oversee preparation of documents supporting environmental permit applications and CEQA/NEPA biological evaluations
• Serve as a mentor to junior to lower mid-level staff and assist in building proficiency of technical skills
• Work as member of a team and independently to make decisions and complete tasks on time and within budget

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, botany, environmental science or related natural resources field
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in biological resource consulting (or equivalent experience in a regulatory agency setting) with increasing levels of responsibility
• Proven experience managing biological tasks or projects, including client communication, deliverable oversight, and team coordination
• Knowledge and understanding of special-status plant species, vegetation communities, and sensitive vegetation resources that occur in the Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura County regions and broader Southern California
• Knowledge of state and federal statutes, regulations, and permitting requirements relating to biological resources, in particular, the federal Clean Water Act, state and federal Endangered Species Acts, California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and California Fish and Game Code
• Familiarity with using a handheld GPS unit (e.g., EOS Arrow or similar) and experience using advanced software and mapping tools such as ESRI FieldMaps, Survey123, and Collector
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Conzious and detail-oriented with demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail
• Exercises good judgment and sound decision-making skills
• Willingness to travel for work, including overnight stays in hotels

Qualifications

• Valid driver’s license and active personal automobile liability insurance by first day of employment

Skills

• Ability to work as member of a team and independently to make decisions and complete tasks on time and within budget
• Knowledge and understanding of field and data analysis techniques used to map and assess wetland and water features potentially jurisdictional under the federal Clean Water Act, California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and California Fish and Game Code
• Knowledge of California aquatic resource types and systems
• Strong customer service emphasis and solution-oriented project delivery approach
• Possess or actively pursuing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 10(a)(1)(A) recovery survey permits and/or California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Scientific Collecting Permits (SCPs) for regionally relevant species including, but not limited to, coastal California gnatcatcher, Quino checkerspot butterfly, southwestern willow flycatcher, burrowing owl, and Crotch’s bumblebee
• Possess or actively pursuing a CDFW Plant Voucher Collecting Permit to collect voucher specimens of state‑listed rare, threatened, endangered, or candidate plant species

Benefits

Compensation: $90,000-110,000/annually

Final agreed-upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location.

Successful candidates must pass a pre-employment drug test and background check prior to beginning employment.

This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc.

This job requires occasional project site visits, based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, and moving vehicles and equipment.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. This job requires the following:

• Working on a computer, sitting, or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting
• Employees must be capable of bending, squatting, climbing ladders, and lifting up to 35 lbs. unassisted; 50lbs in a team lift (two or more employees)

This job requires attending meetings, both in person and virtually as well as speaking on the phone with government agency representatives, members of the public, and others. Speaking, hearing and listening are required.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Outdoor activity may involve walking/trekking in uneven terrain over long distances in extreme weather conditions for extended periods of time.