Senior Associate Environmental Scientist

Position Purpose

Senior Associate Environmental Scientists use their species specific and relevant environmental knowledge to provide important services pertaining to the health of communities and work to protect the environment from serious hazards This position is a professional position with responsibility for gathering, compiling, analyzing, and interpreting complex data, then utilizing the information to prepare technical documents and presentations, with an emphasis on NEPA and CEQA compliance. This position can also act as a project manager. The Senior Associate Environment Scientists will complete analysis of environmental problems and develop solutions to these problems. This includes the assessment of the risks of new construction to the environment needed in order to complete projects.

What You'll Do

Essential Tasks and Responsibilities

• Assist with, or provide project management and business development for those projects requiring collection and analysis of field data
• Prepare technical, biological reports, including constraints analysis, wetlands delineation reports, wetland permit applications, and biological resources reports in accordance with NEPA and CEQA
• Perform ecological research and data collection, participate in natural resources studies, monitoring, and restoration
• Conduct field surveys for threatened, endangered, or rare species and habitats in support of ESA, CWA, Section 404, and other environmental regulations
• Observe and monitor species in the field
• Conduct archival/electronic research with USFWS and other state and federal agencies in support of permitting, NEPA and CEQA, ESA, CWA, and other policies and regulations
• Prepare technical memoranda, meeting minutes, transmittals, presentations, and other written materials
• Attend meetings inside and outside the firm
• Coordinate with planners and engineering staff and interface with clients
• Prepare and present relevant information at public presentations/meetings/ workshops
• Other duties as assigned or as needed in order to successfully complete project deliverables or meet internal goals

Who We Need

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Species identification and research/survey, vegetation community and habitat classification and inventory, monitoring, data synthesis and interpretations required
• Excellent writing, research, analytical, interpersonal, communication, and time management skills required
• Ability to work as a team member and independently, with other QK professional and technical staff, clients, subcontractors, and agency staff
• Ability to develop and strengthen project management skills
• Ability to find creative solutions to environmental and planning issues, which may include political and socioeconomic issues, while meeting the needs of the client
• Ability to organize, collect, and analyze data, generate and evaluate alternatives, reach logical conclusions, and formulate consistent recommendations as necessary
• Quantitative analysis skills
• Ability to sit and stand for long periods
• Visual acuity and manual dexterity
• Ability to perform repetitive wrist and hand motions required
• Ability to travel to field sites and walk long distances may be required

Preferred Skills and Abilities

• Drive to be helpful to internal team members, including mentoring junior staff
• Strong critical thinking skills that allow for collaborative innovation in problem solving and project planning
• Demonstrated ability to motivate others and drive results
• Ability to be resourceful
• Proven ability to successfully work against a deadline and within constrained budgets
• Ability to teach junior staff both agency and firm standards
• Ability to provide constructive feedback in a positive and productive manner
• Ability to communicate complex technical ideas and concepts to non-technical people

Education

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in biology, botany, wildlife management, ecology, environmental biology, or environmental science.

Experience

• Five (5) to ten (10) years' experience, especially in the areas of NEPA and CEQA compliance, wetlands delineations, CWA, ESA, and related federal and/or state environmental compliance regulations (or MA/MS plus three (3) years' experience) Prefer field experience in California
• Strong background in, and practical experience in, environmental regulatory documentation and permitting

Organizational Relationships

The Senior Associate Environmental Scientist provides support to the all members of the environmental scientist group, as well as the planning group. Senior Associate Environmental Scientists are assigned to a Team/Group Leader for reporting/managerial purposes, but will also receive guidance and direction from the discipline's Technical Leader. The Senior Associate Environmental Scientist is expected to create a mentor/protégé relationship by either being the mentor or the protégé. The person may be asked to act as a Teaming Advisor for junior staff. Senior Associate Environmental Scientists are expected work with both planning and bio team members throughout the entire firm in order to promote our "One Company" philosophy.