Biologist III – Natural Resources

Company Description

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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.

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Job Description

AECOM is actively seeking an experienced Mid-level Biologist for immediate employment with AECOM’s southern California Natural Resources Group in our Orange or Los Angeles, CA offices. The ideal candidate is a strong task leader capable of confidently authoring complex permitting documentation and technical reports. This position will support numerous natural resource projects in the southern California region with a focus on preparing technical reports, Biological Assessments, sections of NEPA and CEQA documents, Habitat Conservation Plans, and other permitting support. This position will require mostly office work with the potential for up to 30% field work. 

Familiarity with the application of Sections 7 and 10 of the federal Endangered Species Act, 2081 permitting under the California Endangered Species Act, NEPA, CEQA, and the Clean Water Act are required. Expertise with electronic data collection along with spatial data interpretation is desired along with meticulous attention to detail in data QA review. Additional duties may include deputy project management including review of budgets and invoices and preparing progress reports along with scopes of work/proposals, compliance monitoring/coordination of small field teams, and surveys for sensitive flora and/or fauna. Position will support multiple project managers on a variety of types of projects including utility, military, transportation, and renewable energy sectors.

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, those listed below:

• Oversee small teams of field staff on survey or compliance efforts. Provide task leadership – coordination, staffing, scheduling, data QA, reporting, etc.
• Confidently and professionally interface and communicate with clients on a daily basis.
• Conduct writing assignments, including completing Biological Technical Reports, Mitigation and Monitoring Plans, Natural Environment Studies, Biological Assessments, and/or EIR/EIS sections.
• Possess knowledge of major state and federal agencies (e.g., USACE, USFWS, BLM, CDFW, RWQCB, and CCC) and major regulatory frameworks (e.g., NEPA, CEQA, ESA, CESA, CFGC, CWA and CCA as well as knowledge of regional conservation planning (i.e., MSCP, MHCP, MSHCP) and apply to assigned tasks.
• Support proposal efforts.
• Work under supervision of senior project managers or senior-level team members.
• Ability to independently manage projects or tasks and/or oversee project teams.
• Ensure assigned tasks stay on schedule and budget.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; be innovative and a problem solver.
• Perform assignments that require background in wildlife ecology and/or botany and ecological processes.
• Occasional field survey work, including driving off road in remote, rugged terrain.
• Travel out of town on occasion for field surveys.
• Utilize electronic data collection methods and manage data, as needed.

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 are diverse and interesting. They span market sectors and geographies and require innovative technical solutions to solve wide-ranging environmental problems within div