Staff Level Biologist

Do you thrive in the pursuit of ensuring excellence in environmental consulting services for your clients? SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding their team and looking for dynamic individuals who are following their passion in delivering the highest-quality project work.

Our Albuquerque office offers a unique work environment and specializes in natural resources and planning. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading natural resource field crews in conducting biological surveys in the four corners area. This role will be 100% travel/field based.

The candidate could fill one of our Staff Level roles based on skill and years of relevant experience:

• Assistant Staff Biologist: Typically up to 1 year of experience and expertise
• Staff Biologist: Typically up to 2 years of experience and expertise

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.

• Lead field crews under the supervision of Field Directors and/or Project Managers in the performance of natural resource fieldwork
• Project work may include oil and gas development, transmission/pipelines, transportation, mining, and Federal clients.
• Conduct surveys including baseline wildlife and vegetation studies, habitat assessments, and wetland delineation and ordinary high water mark (OHWM) determinations in support of Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act requirements.
• Accurately collect data and complete field forms, digital photography, and mapping
• Collect GPS data; manage data and download data to and from GPS units
• Coordinate and communicate with project managers, land surveyors, landowners and other SWCA staff as necessary
• Assist with report preparation
• Operate SWCA vehicles, assure they will perform safely, and notify appropriate person if vehicle needs maintenance. Ability to drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle on rugged, backcountry roads
• Adhere to the safety program and look out for the safety of others, promptly communicating and mitigating safety hazards.
• 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.

• Minimum of B.A. or B.S. in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or related field required
• A minimum of 1 year of advanced study or field experience in biology, ecology, natural resource management, or related field required along with some or all of the following additional knowledge/experience:
• Suitable candidates should have experience with accurate data collection procedures, and data entry QA/QC
• Experience conducting avian studies in the southwestern United States, including presence/absence surveys, population and nesting studies
• Ability to obtain federal permits for Lesser Prairie Chicken, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and other listed and candidate species
• Small mammal and/or herpetofauna experience
• Vegetation sampling and habitat assessment experience
• Wetland delineation and permitting experience
• The ability to conduct fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather, rugged terrain, and at high altitudes, is required; the ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds is required
• General knowledge of the fauna and flora of New Mexico / Carlsbad required
• Familiarity with Esri products is a plus - Esri FieldMaps, Survey123, and QuickCapture on tablet devices.
• Ability to research and prepare technical documents
• Applicant must be willing to participate in a drug and alcohol screening as part of the pre-employment process, as some projects require such screenings.
• Applicants must have valid driver's license and be able to meet SWCA's driver requirements.

Preferred

• 2 years of field experience in biology, ecology or natural resource management

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. 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.

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 480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

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

An employee in this Albuquerque office -based position can expect a salary of $21.32-$27.56/hour for Assistant Staff Biologist and $23.92 - $31.20/hour for Staff Biologist role. 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.

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 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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