Managing Consultant, Biologist (Senior Level)

ERM Group is seeking a Senior Managing Consultant Biologist for its Walnut Creek, CA office. The role involves providing biological expertise for large-scale utility projects in Northern California, focusing on environmental compliance and project management. Candidates should have experience with wildlife, plants, and habitats, along with strong leadership and technical writing skills. The position is primarily desk-based but includes occasional fieldwork.
As part of the continued growth and innovation of our dynamic Impact Assessment & Planning service, ERM has an opportunity for an experienced Biologist, looking to join our thriving global consulting firm as a senior biologist in Northern California. Primarily this position will provide biological expertise and leadership for large-scale utility projects in northern California (the location for this position is negotiable, but ideally northern California). We seek an individual to join the ERM’s planning, biological and environmental compliance team for an ongoing contract with a large California utility to support their Vegetation Management operations and maintenance activities.

The ideal candidate will be an environmental professional with a wide breadth of experience of wildlife, plants and habitats in central and northern California. Furthermore, they will have proven leadership, project management, organization and communication skills. The candidate will have excellent technical writing skills and knowledge of environmental regulations and policies such as ESA, CESA and the California Coastal Act. They will also have subject matter expertise in special-status plants and animals.

The biologist must be able to work well with others as part of a collaborative, and dynamic team of environmental professionals. This is primarily a desk-based role, with opportunities for occasional fieldwork.

ERM’S IMPACT ASSESSMENT & PLANNING SERVICE:

ERM’s Impact Assessment & Planning (IAP) team focuses on supporting development of projects in the power, technology, oil and gas, mining, chemical, transport, and infrastructure sectors. Our goal is always the same: assisting our clients in achieving project success, from planning through construction and operation, while minimizing sustainability risks and maximizing project speed and adaptability.

ERM’s IAP service offering has been ERM’s highest growth area globally, growing over 20% per year for the past 5 years. You will become part of a vibrant technical community with more than 1,000 IAP professionals globally, representing the full range of technical disciplines, with sector experience across the board. What ERM’s team is best known for is supporting some of the most challenging development projects in the world. It is this reputation that attracts and retains the highly skilled consultants who comprise ERM’s Impact Assessment & Planning team.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Lead on preparation of CEQA and NEPA documents, ESA Biological Assessments, CDFW 1602 permits, and more.
• Responsible for ensuring project compliance with environmental regulations and permitting requirements.
• Review Biological Resource Assessments.
• Mentor early career scientists and provide technical QA/QC assistance on deliverables.
• Prepare proposals, including development of scopes and cost estimates, and participate in business development with existing clients.
• Adhere to scope/budget/schedule expectations and ensure quality standards on project deliverables and timely delivery of reports.
• Build strong collaborative relationships with clients and other ERM employees.
• Other assigned duties as required.

REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelors in a biological science, ecology, natural science, environmental science, related subject.
• 4+ years in environmental consulting/experience of biota in Northern California.
• Expertise with federal and state regulations including California Coastal Act, CESA, ESA and/or CEQA, and environmental assessments.
• Technical expertise in environmental permitting.
• Technical writing and analysis skills
• Excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills.
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a demanding work environment
• Positive outlook, self-starter, who has a collaborative work ethic.
• Strong commitment to safety, including following established health and safety protocols.

PREFERRED:
• Masters in a biological science, ecology, natural science, environmental science, related subject.
• Prior experience in the power sector.

For the Managing Consultant, Biologist (Senior Level) position, we anticipate the annual base pay of $85,000 – $106,972 USD. An employee’s pay position within this range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs. We also may have instances where employee’s fall outside of the range based on the factors noted above. This job may be eligible for bonus pay (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are NOT bonus eligible).

We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and any other benefits to eligible employees. (Casual employees and regular employees scheduled under 20 hours a week are not benefits eligible).

You can apply for this role through https://www.erm.com/careers/apply/ or through the internal careers portal if you are a current employee.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Who We Are:

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.

At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world-class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom” approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

Please submit your resume and brief cover letter.

ERM does not accept recruiting agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ERM employees or any other company location. ERM is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Thank you for your interest in ERM!

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