Assistant Scientist/Planner

BKF•Santa Barbara, CA

11h•$30 - $40•Hybrid

About The Position

BKF is a multi-service infrastructure consulting firm providing civil engineering, construction management, environmental, planning, and surveying services across California, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. With offices throughout California and the Portland area, BKF has served transportation, water resources, land development, government, and federal clients for over 110 years. At BKF, you’ll find a unique opportunity to grow your career with intention. Our culture values professional autonomy, innovation, and meaningful collaboration across offices. We are proud to be recognized with the Great Place to Work certification for the second year in a row. BKF is hiring an as-needed part-time Assistant Scientist/Planner to provide permitting, technical writing, and environmental compliance support to various projects throughout California. The ideal candidate will support existing projects through desktop contributions and fieldwork when needed. The position involves client-facing interactions and contributions to a diverse portfolio of projects. This position has the option of being remote (with the ability to be in a BKF office when necessary), or hybrid (sharing time between one of the California offices and home).

Requirements

Experience and technical knowledge managing environmental compliance related documents for a variety of projects and clients, including land development, municipal/local/regional government, transportation, water, energy, general plans, housing, and/or higher education.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Urban Planning, Environmental Science, or a related field.
Minimum of 3 years of experience in environmental science or planning field.
Must have proven ability and experience working with diverse staff from different disciplines.
An articulate and persuasive communicator, both one-on-one and in front of large groups.
A high energy, passionate, forward-thinking, results-oriented team player
Collaborative and highly skillful at building and maintaining effective working relationships throughout the organization.
Ability to effectively manage projects and communicate with clients.
Ability to handle critical conversations with internal staff, managers, and leaders.
Valid California Class C driver's license and an acceptable driver’s record are required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Working with company leadership to achieve performance goals for the Natural Resources Practice team to grow market share in California.
Supporting environmental compliance as a project manager or contributor, overseeing permit document preparation and related technical studies, and conducting environmental constraints and peer review of CEQA/NEPA documents.
Conducting environmental site assessments in the field, ranging from wetland delineations to biological resource assessments.
Coordinating complex environmental projects and/or multi-agency/multi-jurisdictional planning and permitting efforts.
Ability to strategize the environmental compliance needs of a given project.
Assisting in the process of planning and coordinating projects and developing scope of work and work plans including preparing environmental compliance documents, planning assessments, environmental research and assessment, data analysis functions, timelines, budget, and invoicing.
Serving as a technical consultant and advisor to elected officials, citizen groups, and other stakeholders related to planning policies/standards, issues, processes, procedures, zoning/rezoning issues, ordinance changes, and environmental regulations.
Coordinating the work of consultants/contractors and other professionals who are assigned to specific projects.
Support GIS mapping needs