Southeast Ecology Team Lead

Jacobs is seeking a Southeast Ecology Team Lead in Hattiesburg, MS, to oversee ecological field studies and lead natural resources projects for transportation, water, and energy infrastructure in the Southeastern US. The role requires expertise in environmental science, project management, and client development. Responsibilities include mentoring staff, preparing proposals, ensuring project compliance, and participating in business development. A Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of experience in environmental consulting are required.
The Southeast Environmental Planning and Permitting (EPP) Department is seeking a Senior level Environmental Scientist to serve as the Ecology Team Lead for our growing business needs. The successful candidate would be experienced in ecological field studies, including stream/wetland delineations and protected species investigations in support of linear transportation and utility projects across the Southeastern US. The ideal candidate would be familiar with regional DOT environmental reporting procedures and state/federal environmental permitting requirements.



As Southeast Ecology Team Lead, you will lead natural resources projects across the southeastern United States, primarily for transportation, water, and energy infrastructure projects. You and your team might also provide ecology support on other projects throughout the United States, including support for planning, engineering, and construction services to federal, civilian, and other government and commercial clients.



Responsibilities would include but are not limited to:




Provide technical expertise and training/mentoring to Ecology staff.


Prepare project scopes, fee proposals, schedules, and budgets for ecology tasks/projects for manager review.


Assign projects and establish project and task priorities for Ecology staff. Coordinate with biologists across Jacobs’ entire EPP Department to complete tasks when needed.


Ensure that ecology project tasks are completed within established deadlines, budgets, and scope of work (develop ETCs, communicate with PMs, and maintain records for scope creep).


Serve as lead QA/QC reviewer of all ecology documentation prepared for the Atlanta office, including ecology documentation prepared by sub-consultants.


Establish and maintain QA/QC procedures for the Ecology group; stay current on evolving technical guidance from agencies and maintain successful client evaluation scores.


Assist in the identification and development of new clients and service sectors for the Ecology group. Participate in sales discussions and internal/external networking groups.


Assist in the development of proposals (RFQ/RFP responses) requiring ecology services.


Assist in the development and preparation of ecology training sessions/modules for presentation to internal departments within Jacobs as well as external clients.


Review and approve time sheets and expense reports of Ecology staff.


Assist in the preparation of project invoices through completion of monthly project progress reports as needed.


Conduct yearly performance appraisals of ecology staff.


Participate in business development and marketing efforts with the goal of growing the Ecology group (participate in CoPs, networking groups, sales calls, and lead facetime with local DOTs).


Identify potential candidates for ecology staff positions through development of job requisitions, review of candidate resumes, and participation in interviews of potential candidates.


Maintain updated knowledge of ecology and environmental permitting regulations and procedures as implemented by Jacobs’ clients.


Assist with ecology-related fieldwork and report preparation efforts as needed.


Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Botany, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a similar discipline with biological emphasis.


10+ years in the environmental consulting industry.


Ability to charter and lead a field project or task team with a focus on client service and internal delivery goals.


Experience with Microsoft Office, Adobe, ArcGIS, and Bluebeam.


Valid Driver’s License.




Ideally, you'll also have:




Master’s Degree in Biology, Botany, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a related field.


Professional Certification or pathway started for certification, such as Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS).


Working knowledge of GIS and mobile data collection applications, such as Google Earth and ArcGIS Field Maps.


Experience implementing biology/ecology-related environmental procedures for a variety of clients, including municipal and state DOTs and USACE, among others.




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