Professional Biologist / Project Wildlife Biologist Lead

TRC Companies, Inc. • Fort Collins, CO

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

TRC is seeking an Experienced Professional Biologist/Project Wildlife Biologist Lead to join its successful Planning, Permitting, and Licensing practice in Colorado or surrounding states. This position requires an interdisciplinary, technical, and regulatory specialist who will provide technical leadership for public and private sector clients regarding wildlife specific issues. Typical work would include conducting field surveys, completing survey reports, completing and reviewing wildlife sections for federal, state and local permitting for clients. The successful candidate will be entrusted with managing and leading field studies for projects, conducting and reporting studies related to their technical discipline to meet regulatory requirements, and preparing documents supporting permitting processes.
The successful individual will have significant experience working on conducting, leading, and coordinating a full range of biological field surveys and completing the associated reporting. A successful candidate will have demonstrated experience with surveys of regional migratory birds, including eagles and other raptors. Experience with other typical regional wildlife species such as grouse species, bats, small mammals, desert tortoise, and other wildlife if preferred. This individual should demonstrate experience leading and managing field work scopes for projects associated with transportation and/or energy projects and should have the ability to guide the agencies and TRC’s project partners through the environmental processes to meet applicable wildlife laws and regulations to successfully achieve project design goals.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience conducting field surveys involving wildlife habitat delineations, bird identification, avian nest locations, lek counts and/or monitoring, and/or small mammal trapping.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing field efforts and following survey protocols.
• Possesses the ability to guide agencies/clients through the environmental processes required to meet applicable environmental compliance and permitting laws and regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to apply environmental planning skills to execute projects in support of both private sector clients and state and federal regulatory agencies that may include State DOTs, State DEPs, BIA, BLM, DOE, USACE, USDOT, USFS, and USFWS. Knowledge of local, regional, and state/local planning, and zoning processes.
• Demonstrated experience in the management of scopes, schedules, and budgets for a variety of project types with an emphasis on transportation and energy.
• The successful candidate will also be expected to effectively document field data, provide interpretations, and present conclusions in written reports, memos, and emails; therefore, strong technical/scientific report writing is required and writing samples will be requested.
• Excellent analytical reasoning, technical writing, and communication skills and proficiency with the Microsoft Office software suite.
• The ability to maintain a positive attitude during potentially demanding field efforts and client engagements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with other typical regional wildlife species such as grouse species, bats, small mammals, desert tortoise, and other wildlife if preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct biological field surveys which may include habitat, or wildlife and plant species-specific surveys, conduct breeding bird and raptor surveys, greater sage-grouse lek counts, small mammal trapping, and wetland/waterbody delineations (in accordance with USACE requirements).
• Provide environmental planning expertise pertaining to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as implemented by federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Forest Service (USFS), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW), the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of the Interior (DOI), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Western Area/Bonneville Power Administration, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and respective requirements/regulations.
• Engage as a client-facing technical leader with in-depth knowledge pertaining to the planning of renewables, Oil & Gas, transportation, mining, and/or other industrial projects and advancing such projects through the local, state and federal government approval process. Interact directly with the agencies/clients as TRC’s environmental planning subject matter expert.
• Demonstrated experience with State and Local permitting in one or more of the following states AZ, CO, ID, KS, NE, ND, NM, NV, MT, OR, SD, UT, WA, and WY.
• Prepare desktop critical issues analysis reports.
• Prepare technical reports from field surveys such as wetland reports and threatened and endangered species habitat reports.
• Prepare agency consultation letters to agencies such as USFWS and State Wildlife and Fisheries.
• Support marketing and business development efforts and represent TRC at industry functions.
• Support proposal preparation for a range of industries.
• Lead and manage the preparation of project-related environmental documentation (e.g., initial studies, environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, categorical exclusions and exemptions, and negative declarations).
• Mentor and train junior staff that will support the successful candidate in implementing the work.
• This is a leadership role and is expected to require staff management.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance.
• 401k package that includes both traditional and Roth IRA options and Company match.
• Paid time off contingent upon full time or part time status and level of seniority (ranging from 15 to 25 days per year).
• All full-time employees enjoy a minimum of 8 Paid Holidays per year.
• TRC ensures that all employees, including those that work part-time, receive paid sick, family, and disability leave in accordance with the laws of their state of residence.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed