Job Description

AECOM is actively seeking a highly motivated Biologist for employment in the San Luis Obispo /Santa Maria area. Office location is flexible as this role will serve areas of the central coast, including but not limited to San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Monterey and Kern.

This position would support numerous natural resource projects in the southern California region with a generalist focus including wildlife biology, botany, compliance, construction monitoring and permitting. Primary duties include general biological surveys for wildlife, plants, and/or vegetation, electronic data collection, and preparation of technical reports. Additional duties may include assisting on botanical surveys, listed species surveys, conservation plans, and habitat management plans, or assisting with natural resources related field surveys. Experience with technical writing of environmental documents, along with conducting general species surveys for avian (including nest searching), herp, mammal, and invertebrate species, and/or experience conducting botany surveys and vegetation characterization and mapping desired.

Imagine working on rewarding projects within a diverse culture and having access to exceptional training and career development opportunities. Working at AECOM means being part of a global team, working with award-winning professionals across the world. Aspire to be a key player on some of the best projects regionally, with opportunities to work on projects nationally or internationally. Our people bring deep industry knowledge to help you succeed.

Responsibilities will include:

• Perform assignments that require background in wildlife ecology and/or botany and ecological processes.
• Conduct biological survey fieldwork as part of a team in coastal, inland, and desert environments, which can include rugged terrain.
• Identify and record native and non-native fauna and/or flora in field.
• Utilize electronic data collection methods and manage data, as needed.
• Prepare writing assignments, including completing survey reports, Biological Technical Reports, Mitigation and Monitoring Plans, Biological Assessments, and/or EIR/EIS sections.
• Possess some knowledge of major state and federal agencies (e.g., USACE, USFWS, BLM, BOR, 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.
• Work under supervision of a project manager or senior-level team member.
• Ensure assigned tasks stay on schedule and budget.
• Occasional travel may be required.

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 diverse community profiles.

AECOM’s Sustainable Legacies program describes our approach to the environment, social equity and governance (ESG.) We embed sustainability throughout our business and help clients embed sustainable practices into their work. We help clients reduce their impact on the environment, achieve compliance and reduce risks.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field (biology, ecology, etc.)
• 2 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education.
• Valid driver license required and must be able to safely drive to job sites.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in related field plus 5 years of experience.
• Experience with energy and utility companies, specifically Southern California Edison, P66, Shell, PCEC, and Chevron, is desired.
• Prior consulting experience preferred, but non-consultant candidates with relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience with flora and fauna in California and southwest U.S. preferred.
• Strong technical writing and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced work environment where changing client priorities result in the need to determine creative ways to get the job done.
• Candidate must be flexible and willing to support multiple projects as needed.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team; be innovative and a problem solver.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Ability to create and maintain tracking spreadsheets and documents
• Data management experience, including electronic data collection in field, managing large data sets, programming, and/or web development, including experience with field data collection tools such as Pendragon and Fulcrum.
• Experience with protocol wildlife surveys, special-status plant surveys, habitat assessments, and/or wildlife tracking.
• Experience in biological survey fieldwork, including vegetation monitoring utilizing line-intercept, transect, and/or Releve methods.

Additional Information

• Due to the nature of the work, US Citizenship is required.
• Offered rate of compensation in California only will be based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. The salary range for this position is $65,000.00 - $82,000.00.

AECOM is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits program to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D and disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absence, voluntary benefits, perks, wellness and global well-being, and global EAP, Business Travel and Service Awards programs.

With infrastructure investment accelerating worldwide, our services are in great demand, and there’s never been a better time to be at AECOM! Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well-being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

Join us and let’s get started.