Senior Field Biologist

Company Description

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Job Description

AECOM is seeking a highly motivated Senior Field Biologist for immediate part-time, on call employment in the southern/central California and Nevada desert regions. This position would support numerous natural resource projects in the Mojave Desert region of California and Nevada with a focus on conducting biological surveys and regulatory compliance monitoring primarily for desert tortoise and/or burrowing owl, with potential to assist with vegetation mapping, wildlife assessments, habitat restoration, and/or permitting implementation with support from junior biologists. This is a field-based, fully remote position requiring the ability to be local on field assignments for extended periods but linked to a Southern California-based office.  

Training and/or experience conducting surveys for listed species local to southern California and Nevada desert regions including desert tortoise, burrowing owl, Mojave fringe-toed lizard, and Mojave ground squirrel is preferred.

The responsibilities of this position could include a subset of those listed below based on relevant experience:

• Lead protocol and pre-construction desert tortoise surveys and monitoring.
• Lead and conduct focused burrowing owl surveys and monitoring, including passive relocation.
• Lead and conduct focused American badger and desert kit fox surveys and monitoring.
• Conduct general wildlife and/or botanical surveys, including vegetation and habitat mapping.
• Identify and record native and non-native fauna and/or flora in the field.
• Conduct other special-status species surveys, following established protocols or guidelines as relevant.
• Conduct avian species nesting surveys and avian mortality monitoring.
• Support project execution, including pre-construction surveys and construction monitoring.
• Assist with environmental compliance monitoring.
• Provide oversight of restoration crew work and restoration vegetation performance monitoring.  
• Perform other related duties assigned, such as coordination with team members, scheduling of work, etc.
• Utilize electronic data collection methods in the field; manage, interpret, and analyze data, as needed.
• Conduct monitoring and survey fieldwork as part of a team and independently in inland and desert environments, which can include rugged terrain.
• Work under the supervision of a senior project manager or senior-level team member.
• Ensure assigned tasks stay on schedule and budget.
• Elevate compliance concerns to project or construction managers. 
• Provide clarification of resource project requirements to the compliance and construction teams.
• Promote safety culture and adherence to Safe Work Plans.

Authorized Desert Tortoise Biologist

To be approved by the USFWS to conduct activities that may result in “take” of the desert tortoise, an authorized biologist should have thorough knowledge of desert tortoise behavior, natural history, and ecology, and demonstrate substantial field experience and training to successfully:

• Locate, identify, and report all forms of desert tortoise sign in accordance with approved protocols.
• Handle and temporarily hold desert tortoises.
• Relocate/translocate desert tortoises prior to implementation of projects.
• Excavate burrows to locate desert tortoises or eggs.
• Reconstruct desert tortoise burrows.
• Unearth and relocate desert tortoise eggs.
• Review and approve individual desert tortoise monitors and their activities based on qualifications of the monitors.
• Directly supervise desert tortoise monitors during clearance surveys and train monitors in all aspects of protecting desert tortoises during implementation of projects.
• Be familiar with project biological assessm