Field Ecologist

OHM Advisors•Detroit, MI

About The Position

Come to work for OHM Advisors, the community advancement firm. With the singular mission of Advancing Communities, our diverse team of 800+ members works collaboratively across multiple service areas including architecture, engineering, planning, surveying, and construction engineering. We are a team of experts with individual specialties working together, driven to make a difference through people-focused problem solving, design, and ideas. In everything we do, we put people first. We create places for communities of people that help solve a problem and drive them forward, advancing the whole community today and well into the future. What You Will Contribute to OHM Advisors As a Field Ecologist within the Ecological Services (ES) team, which is a subgroup to the Environmental and Water Resources Group (EWRG), you will assist with and lead fieldwork and technical work on a wide range of projects across the Midwest. EWRG works on a variety of water, wastewater, and stormwater projects including the modeling of distribution and collection systems, asset management, stream restoration, ecological services, green infrastructure, and a range of facility designs. In addition, ES supports the environmental clearance process for road and bridge projects and passive recreation development. The ES team completes field studies, desktop reviews, and reporting for impacts to State and Federally listed threatened and endangered species, wetland impacts and mitigation, stream and shoreline restoration and design, habitat assessment, floristic quality assessment, tree surveys, urban forestry, aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys, avian surveys, and stormwater mitigation related to projects across OHM’s many disciplines and geographies. A successful candidate for the Field Ecologist position is team-oriented, organized, and has strong interpersonal skills. The candidate takes initiative and is willing to learn more about current regulations and impact mitigation as it relates to our natural resources.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or better in Life Sciences (Ecology, Environmental Science, Botany, Biology, Fisheries, Forestry, Natural Resources) related field or equivalent experience.
5+ years of experience is preferred in one or more of the following areas: Ecological/environmental research. Landscaping, horticulture, or tree service work. Environmental restoration construction/implementation. Ecological surveys or monitoring. Invasive species management. Stewardship or research with state or federal resource agencies (e.g., DNR, USFS, AmeriCorps, USGS, USFWS). Volunteer stewardship with local nature preserves, land conservancies, or related organizations.
SCUBA certification or willingness to obtain certification upon hire.
Strong communication skills, including professional and technical writing.
Familiarity with environmental restoration techniques and Midwest/Northcentral Northeast flora (including field identification).
Proficiency with common hand and power tools.
Critical thinking skills and the ability to make informed decisions in the field.

Responsibilities

Lead necessary fieldwork on variety of tasks including, but not limited to wetland delineation, stream assessment, tree surveys, threatened and endangered species surveys and relocation and floristic quality assessment.
Prepare technical reports and memorandums summarizing fieldwork.
Provide insight pertaining to habitat restoration planting plans and species lists.
Prepare applications and permits pertaining to natural resource work.
Communicate project details to project team members.
Attend and/or conduct client and project meetings.
Attend seminars and/or training.