Senior Ecologist

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About the role

AECOM is actively seeking an experienced Senior Ecologist to join our Natural Resources Group. This role is an exciting opportunity to support industry-leading projects and programs in the utility, renewables, federal, transportation, and conservation sectors with opportunities to lead and specialize in meaningful technical work such as raptor studies, species permitting, conservation plans, and large-scale environmental analyses. This hybrid role can be based in any of our West region offices, including offices throughout California or Nevada. Experience and expertise in ecology of the interior west is required. This position will support numerous natural resource projects in the west, including technical work on a variety of projects.

Responsibilities

• Designs and leads large-scale field studies with an emphasis on raptors/ornithology.
• Provide support to projects with advanced spatial modeling and statistical analysis needs, as applied to population analysis of sensitive species.
• Collaborates with a team to prepare large, complex natural resources documents such as NEPA sections, Technical Reports, Biological Assessments, Biological Evaluations, Habitat Conservation Plans, Eagle Conservation Plans, Resource Management Plans.
• Operates as primary author or senior reviewer as appropriate.
• Knowledge of major state and federal agencies (e.g., USACE, USFWS, BLM, BOR, CDFW, RWQCB, and CCC) and major regulatory frameworks (e.g., NEPA, CEQA, ESA, CESA, CFGC, CWA and CCA).
• Work independently and as part of a team; be innovative and a problem solver.
• Experience with management and synthesis of large datasets, including data from complex field survey protocols.
• Operates as primary point of contact for clients and resource agencies on projects.
• Supports career development of junior staff in the practice.
• Participates in interviews with large or small teams for a variety of clients.
• Contribute to growth of department through marketing pursuits including grant applications, proposal preparation, interviews, and business development.
• Ability to work long field days (10-12 hours), on occasion and as needed.
• Primary duties include raptor population studies, mitigation planning, regulatory compliance and permitting efforts including ESA, BGEPA, MBTA, 401/404, and preparing environmental documents (NEPA, resource management plans, and habitat conservation plans, etc).
• Coordinate with resource agency staff, lead complex environmental, waters, and/or species-related permitting projects and participate in public review processes.
• Fieldwork will be varied and may include travel for up to a few weeks at a time with the candidate leading avian, herpetological, and/or mammal studies.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field (biology, ecology).
• 6 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education in natural resources/project management.
• Valid U.S Driver's license is required for this role.
• Due to the nature of the work, US Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in related field (biology, ecology).
• 15+ years of experience in natural resources.
• Expertise with raptor ecology/ornithology including sensitive species such as Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Northern Spotted Owl, Mexican Spotted Owl, California Condor, Pinyon Jay, Burrowing Owl, Common Ravens, Greater Sage-Grouse, etc.
• Expertise with designing and implementing long-term large-scale avian studies that may entail ground and/or aerial (helicopter) surveys.
• Experience with sensitive herpetofauna of Nevada and the interior west including desert tortoise.
• Experience with sensitive mammal species of Nevada/the interior west such as bighorn sheep, pygmy rabbit, kangaroo mice, and others.
• Possession of valid USFWS 10(a) permits to conduct wildlife protocol surveys.
• Expertise in assessing telemetry data, collaborating with colleagues to summarize data in 2- and 3-D visual formats, assessing risk based on analysis of spatial behavior for energy and transmission projects.
• Expertise with NEPA, ESA, and BGEPA permitting.
• Data management experience, including electronic data collection in field; managing large data sets.
• Excellent verbal communication skills; ability to build consensus across diverse teams; effective client communication and ability to work independently on large multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong writing skills and experience completing detailed reports summarizing technical studies and spatial analyses.
• Previous experience working on environmental programs in the utility, renewables, federal, transportation, and/or conservation sectors.
• Willingness to work with multiple colleagues on a variety of initiatives.
• Successful marketing/business development experience.
• Experience with career development of junior and mid-level biologists.
• Ability to work in a high-paced environment where changing client priorities result in the need to strategize on creative approaches.
• Candidate must be flexible and willing to support multiple projects.

About AECOM’s Environment Business Line

Join AECOM to be part of an expert global team who is connected through a well-developed, worldwide, internal technical practice network through which you can learn from and brainstorm with the best in the world. AECOM is an industry-leading, world-class environmental firm, and we want you to succeed within it. We respect and encourage your own pathway to excellence via our Freedom to Grow initiative. AECOM is known for our award-winning technical excellence, leading-edge science and innovative project delivery. We provide sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most challenging issues. Our global clients and their projects span a variety of market sectors and geographies and require innovative technical solutions to solve wide-ranging environmental problems.

Benefits

AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits
• Paid time off, leaves of absences
• Voluntary benefits, perks
• Flexible work options
• Well-being resources, employee assistance program
• Business travel insurance
• Service recognition awards
• Retirement savings plan
• Employee stock purchase plan

Pay

Offered rate of compensation will be based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. The range for this position is $120,000 to $140,000.