Senior Wildlife Ecologist, Project Manager (San Joaquin Valley, Antelope Valley, and California Central Coast)

About You

You are a senior wildlife ecologist and project manager with extensive experience leading complex environmental and conservation projects throughout California. Your work combines scientific expertise, project leadership, and strategic problem-solving to help clients navigate challenges while achieving regulatory compliance and conservation objectives. You have experience managing projects from planning through implementation, conducting biological assessments, coordinating field studies, preparing technical reports, and guiding clients through complex environmental permitting processes. You are recognized for your strong technical writing skills, attention to detail, and ability to build successful partnerships. Whether working in the field, remotely, or in a hybrid environment, you are passionate about advancing conservation outcomes while supporting responsible development of California’s diverse landscapes and natural resources. A lifelong learner, you want to keep growing intellectually and professionally. Collaborating with colleagues with diverse expertise is exciting for you, and you are also comfortable working independently. Quality management and integrity are among your strongest principles.

About Integral

Integral Consulting Inc. is a science and engineering firm delivering sound technical solutions to meet today’s challenges in the health, environmental, and natural resource arenas. We are a values-driven collaborative team that is as passionate about company culture as we are about the work we do for our clients. Since our founding in 2002, we have operated with a demonstrated commitment to the well-being, diversity, and professional development of our staff and an equal commitment to strong partnerships with our clients and teaming partners. We are a company where people come to solve today’s toughest environmental challenges through innovative ideas, exceptional teamwork, and dedication to accuracy and technical quality.

About The Role

We are seeking a senior wildlife ecologist and project manager for projects in the San Joaquin Valley, Antelope Valley, and Central Coast, California. This full-time role allows you to become part of a team with other wildlife ecologists and experts in botany, land management, conservation planning, ecological restoration, and landscape architecture. Project managers will apply their expertise as the lead biologist on projects and lead project teams, helping develop solutions to ecological challenges in the San Joaquin Valley as well as in the broader Central Valley and Central Coast regions in California. The work requires in-depth knowledge of local species, a strong background in regulatory issues, and solid technical writing skills. This position may offer in-office, remote, or hybrid opportunities based on the candidate’s location and the needs of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Applying expertise as lead biologist on projects, leading project teams, and developing solutions to ecological challenges
• Applying critical thinking to develop project-specific approaches that benefit the environment
• Conducting surveys, population monitoring, and permit acquisition for projects involving rare plants and wildlife species including San Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, Tipton’s kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, western spadefoot toad, burrowing owl, California tiger salamander, and/or Swainson’s hawk
• Supporting federal and California Endangered Species Act permitting
• Performing endangered and threatened species surveys and assessments, preconstruction surveys and monitoring, and conservation land assessment, preservation, and management

Requirements

• Degree in biological studies, natural resources, wildlife management, wildlife biology, or a related discipline; M.S or Ph.D. preferred
• 6+ years of applicable professional experience, including 1+ year of management experience
• In-depth knowledge of a variety of special-status wildlife species and their habitats in the greater Central Valley and/or Central Coast, specifically with one or more of the following: San Joaquin kit fox, giant kangaroo rat, Tipton’s kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, California tiger salamander, burrowing owl, or Swainson’s hawk
• Experience with authoring and editing technical reports (with demonstrated exceptional writing ability), executing federal and state biological permitting processes (preferably in California), and assessing project impacts within regulatory frameworks (CEQA and NEPA)
• History of serving as a designated biologist for projects in the region
• Willingness to travel and work in a range of locations and terrains
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong organizational abilities
• Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers

Benefits

• Company-subsidized (employee and family) medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) participation with a company match of 1% to 4% of annual compensation
• Company-paid life and short- and long-term disability insurance
• Paid sick leave (10 days), paid vacation (12-15 days; determined by title at hire), and paid holidays (9 days) per year
• Potential for an annual discretionary bonus based on company performance

Pay

$65,000–$115,000 per year