Job Description

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

This position would support numerous natural resource projects in the southern California region with a generalist focus including wildlife biology, botany, environmental compliance, construction monitoring and permitting. Primary duties include supporting regional habitat restoration projects by conducting regular performance monitoring, oversight of maintenance activities such as weed control, leading plant and seeding installations, and assisting with reporting.

Other primary duties include conducting general biological surveys for wildlife, plants, and/or vegetation, electronic data collection, and preparation of technical reports. Field tasks may include conducting compliance monitoring during construction activities, completing nesting bird surveys and nest monitoring, assisting on vegetation mapping, focused botanical surveys, and listed species surveys, or other natural resources related field efforts. This position may also include assisting with the preparation of biological resources technical reports, conservation plans, habitat management plans, and other similar documentation. Experience with technical writing of environmental documents, along with experience conducting either general species surveys for avian (including nest searching), herp, mammal, and invertebrate species, and/or botanical surveys and vegetation characterization and mapping is 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 and 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. Fieldwork may include walking surveys in 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 survey reports, restoration performance reports, Biological Technical Reports, Mitigation and Monitoring Plans and related annual reporting, 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 be able to apply this knowledge 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 in biological survey fieldwork.
• Valid driver license required and must be able to safely drive to job sites.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Locally based on the Central Coast, with ability to regularly support projects in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties without overnight travel.
• 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.
• Experience with flora and fauna in California and southwest U.S.
• 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.
• Experience in waters related field surveys, including mapping streambeds and wetlands to determine state and federal jurisdictional boundaries.
• Experience with energy and utility companies, specifically Southern California Edison, SoCalGas, P66, Shell, and Chevron, and/or state agencies including Caltrans, is desired.
• Ability to create and maintain tracking spreadsheets and documents.
• Data management experience, including electronic data collection in field, managing large data sets, including experience with field data collection tools such as ArcGIS Field Maps and Fulcrum.
• Prior consulting experience preferred, but non-consultant candidates with relevant experience will be considered.
• Strong technical writing and oral communication skills.

Additional Information

• Due to the nature of the work, US Citizenship is required.

About AECOM

AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary benefits, perks, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan.

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

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

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

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.