Senior Biologist - AECOM

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AECOM is seeking a highly talented Senior Biologist/Project Manager for immediate employment within our Southern California Natural Resources Group.  This hybrid position can be based in any of our Southern California locations including San Diego, Orange, Long Beach, Los Angeles or Ontario.  

This position will lead numerous natural resource projects in southern and central California, including management of and technical work on permitting and compliance projects. Primary duties include managing projects involving impact assessments, mitigation planning, regulatory compliance and permitting efforts including CEQA/NEPA, 404/401, CESA, ESA, BGEPA, and MBTA and preparing environmental documents and management plans. Candidate will manage clients, coordinate with resource agency staff, lead complex environmental, waters, and/or species-related permitting projects and participate in public review processes. Candidate will contribute to growth of department through marketing pursuits including proposal development, interviews, and business development. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manages a team to prepare large, complex natural resources documents such as Biological Technical Reports, Biological Assessments, 2081 Permit Applications, Habitat Conservation Plans, Eagle Conservation Plans, Delineation Reports, and/or Aquatic Resources Permit Applications.
• Operates as primary author or senior reviewer.
• Manages projects/tasks that include all aspects of environmental analysis (e.g., biological, cultural, air quality, traffic, etc.).
• Serves as an extension of staff for key clients and strategizes with them on project paths and permitting approaches.
• Manages projects with large-scale field efforts and intensive schedules.
• Manages large-scale compliance projects requiring adherence to permit conditions.
• Performs project management duties such as forecasting, tracking, accounting updates, invoicing, progress reports, and scheduling.
• Reviews contracts for understanding of scope, fee, schedule, and deliverables, and all other contractual obligations.
• Develops work breakdown structure for control and integrity of work to be performed as and defined by the contract.
• Monitors and analyzes project costs, commitments, accruals, and changes, and takes corrective action where necessary.
• Identifies trends and deviations in financial performance to project team with recommended courses of action.
• Performs client management duties such as recurring status meetings, milestone check ins, and day-to-day interfacing.
• Focuses on supporting career development of mid-level and junior staff in the practice.
• Successfully leads competitive proposals.
• Participates in interviews with large or small team for a variety of clients.
• Contributes to growth of practice through business development.

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.

Minimum Requirements:

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

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Master’s Degree in related field (biology, ecology, or project management/controls).
• 8-10 years of relevant experience in natural resources/project management.
• Experience with protocol wildlife surveys, habitat assessments, and/or botanical surveys.
• Data management experience, including electronic data collection in field; managing large data sets.
• Experience working on utility projects in Southern California.
• Possession of valid USFWS 10(a) permit to conduct wildlife protocol surveys in Southern California.
• Wetland Delineation experience and certification.
• Willingness to work with multiple colleagues on a variety of initiatives
• Successful marketing experience.
• Ability to work in a high-paced 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.
• Previous experience with career development of junior and mid-level biologists.

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

About AECOM

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, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absence, voluntary benefits, perks, U.S. and global well-being programs, 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 culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – 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 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.

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.