Staff Restoration Ecologist - SWCA Environmental Consultants

About the opportunity:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is actively seeking a Staff Restoration Ecologist with experience and interest in ecological restoration, invasive species management, reclamation, vegetation, and soil ecology to join our team. Projects will be located primarily within southern Nevada with possible geographical expansion throughout the southwestern United States.

 

The position would be based out of our Las Vegas, Nevada office, and is a regular (with benefits), hourly, full-time position. The position may require travel to complete vegetation and soil surveys and to conduct site visits. A key element of your job will be to oversee a small crew conducting ecological restoration field work.

 

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

What you will accomplish:

• Work in a team to develop restoration implementation, monitoring, and integrated vegetation management plans within solar and transmission projects in southern Nevada.
• Identify common southern Nevada native and non-native species, in a variety of life stages. 
• Perform weed and restoration inspections, daily reports, and weed treatment reporting within solar and transmission facilities.
• Oversee restoration implementation, guiding contractors on effective methodologies.
• Identify and treat weeds (or oversee treatment of weeds), with technical input from the Nevada Restoration Team.
• Identify emerging vegetation management concerns on project facilities and collaborate with the Nevada Restoration Team to develop and guide adaptive and remedial strategies. 
• Follow sampling protocols, field data management best practices, and coordinate with other applicable SWCA staff.
• Use topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS units, and other maps and scientific tools and equipment under sometimes arduous field conditions.
• Implement and complete tasks and responsibilities delegated by Project Managers.
• Take positive action and accountability for assigned work.
• Preparation of key aspects of upland restoration and reclamation monitoring documents and technical reports.
• Serve as a task lead on field survey efforts.
• Supervise a small crew while conducting environmental fieldwork. This includes:

• independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery;
• ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely;
• serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers;
• receiving and resolving complaints from employees in the field; and
• Monitoring team productivity and offering timely performance guidance, including determining when correction action is needed and delivering appropriate feedback.

• Communicate effectively, professionally, and proactively with diverse project stakeholders, including field crews, contractors, facility staff, and agencies.
• Perform data management, quality assurance, quality control (QA/QC) checks, tracking, synthesis, and analysis to inform reporting and adaptive management.
• Conduct research to support novel problem-solving.

Experience and qualifications for success:

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, Ecology, Restoration Ecology, Rangeland Ecology/Management, Botany, Environmental Science/Studies, Natural Resource Management, Agronomy, or a related life science.
• Two (2) years of relevant experience in the private or public sector (may include research experience).
• Experience completing fieldwork, data analysis, technical reports, and data management.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills, communication and team collaboration abilities, strong writing proficiency, and a demonstrated aptitude relating biological data to broader ecological, restoration, or management issues.
• Able to travel to site and conduct fieldwork for long hours in inclement weather, rugged terrain, and high heat.
• Able to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Hold a valid driver's license.
• Able to operate and maintain off road vehicles (ATV/UTV) and equipment (trailers).
• Must complete certification to be a pesticide applicator within first 60 days of hire and be willing to perform herbicide spot treatments for weeds.
• Applicants must have valid driver’s license and be able to meet SWCA’s driver requirements.

 

 Preferred:

• Master’s degree (e.g. restoration ecology, ecology, soil science, range science), or equivalent work experience.
• Working knowledge of natural resource regulatory laws including Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.
• Demonstrated knowledge or ability to learn plant identification, plant, and soil ecology, weed ecology, statistical analysis, and/or environmental issues and policies in the western United States.
• Experience with GIS software and ESRI products and ability to use technology for data collection.
• Experience with ecological or habitat restoration planning or implementation, environmental mitigation and best management practices, reclamation and decommissioning procedures, rangeland management and/or agronomy.
• Experience with common reclamation and restoration implementation procedures and best practices including required equipment, seed mix development, erosion control and site stabilization, and weed management and control.
• Experience working with nursery contractor, landscape contractor, irrigation specialists, and other contractors used for implementation of large-scale projects, including working around heavy equipment.
• Experience reviewing engineering plans and specifications and interpreting them during on the ground project implementation.
• Experience and interest in vegetation inventories, knowledge of integrated vegetation management strategies including weed management, soil surveys, and restoration/reclamation planning.
• Regulatory knowledge relative to renewable development and transmission projects.
• Willingness and interest to work on solar and transmission facilities during construction and operations.

 

Why Work at SWCA:

 

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services.  Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

 

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

 

At SWCA, we support our team members in developing their careers to make them leaders in their industry. Our Career Landscape initiative is a process and guide designed to help develop chart rewarding career paths for employees at SWCA. We encourage professional conference attendance, internal and external professional development and training programs, education reimbursement, a Science and Leadership Program, and bonuses for publications meeting certain criteria. All regular status employees are eligible to participate in SWCA medical, dental, vision, employee assistance, wellness, life and disability plans, and are eligible to participate in the SWCA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

 

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response. 

 

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

 

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

 

An employee in this Las Vegas, NV-based position can expect an hourly rate of $23.50 - $30.00. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

 

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

 

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