Senior Ecologist/Statistician

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

AECOM is actively seeking an experienced Senior Ecologist/Statistician to join our California Natural Resources Group.  This is a full-time, remote position that can be based anywhere within the Western Region of the U.S. and will report directly to our Southern California NR team.

This position would support numerous natural resource projects throughout the western United states, including California, the Great Basin region, and the southwest. There may be the potential for occasional field work through the western United States. Primary duties will be threefold: 1) eagle and listed species impact assessments and permitting, 2) statistics and modeling, 3) raptor studies. The position will lead complex permitting and compliance projects focused on Golden and Bald Eagles, federally listed species covered under the Endangered Species Act and state-sensitive species.

Responsibilities will require a working knowledge of leading impact assessments and developing permitting strategies, preparing permit applications and background technical materials, maintaining permit compliance, and performing associated task/client management duties. The position will require a strong background in ecological statistics and modeling including proficiency with statistical software (e.g., R, SAS, SPSS) and modeling approaches such as general linear and Bayesian models. Responsibilities will also include directing raptor studies such as nest monitoring, avian use surveys, post-construction mortality monitoring, and protocol surveys for such species as Swainson’s Hawk, Golden and Bald Eagles, and Burrowing Owls. Other focuses may include supporting development of Resource Conservation Plans, Eagle Conservation Plans, Habitat Conservation Plans, and Bird Bat Conservation Strategies. Candidate will coordinate with clients and resource agency staff, lead complex permitting projects involving eagles and other listed species and participate in public review processes.

Projects and clients can include renewable energy, transportation, and energy transmission sectors, with an emphasis on clients in the public sector such as federal and municipal entities.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manages projects with complex permitting needs and large-scale field efforts
• Oversees or authors advanced technical documents such as Eagle Conservation Plans, Habitat Conservation Plans, Biological Assessments, Bird Bat Conservation Strategies, Incidental Take Permit Applications, etc.
• Develops monitoring plans, avoidance/minimization strategies and adaptive management approaches for eagles, other raptors, and listed wildlife species
• Develops electronic data collection protocols and effectively manages large volumes of data
• Establishes and oversees robust QA/QC protocols
• Conducts modeling and analyses on large datasets to inform impact analyses and mitigation approaches, particularly for raptor impacts, and ultimately permitting approaches
• Directs a large team to complete field studies for raptors
• Tracks project financial performance and identifies trends and deviations to project team with recommended corrective courses of action
• Operates as primary point of contact for clients and resource agencies on projects
• Performs client management duties such as recurring status meetings, milestone check ins, and day-to-day interfacing
• Candidate will contribute to growth of department through marketing pursuits including proposal preparation, interviews, and business development
• Performs project management duties such as forecasting, tracking, accounting updates, invoicing, progress reports, and scheduling
• Develops work breakdown structure for control and integrity of work to be performed as and defined by the contract