Technical Services Manager

Sequoia Ecological Consulting•Walnut Creek, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

LEAD A TEAM WORTH LEADING You know the pattern. In most consulting firms, the best biologists get promoted into management, handed a dozen direct reports on top of a full billable load, and told to figure it out. Supervision becomes the thing that happens after 5 p.m. Careers stall. Good people leave. Sequoia Ecological Consulting is doing something different, and we built this role to prove it. We’re hiring a Technical Services Manager whose first job — not side job — is people. You’ll be the one stable, dedicated, capable leader for our technical staff from the Project Manager tier through our newest field biologists: their supervisor, their advocate, and the person who makes sure their careers actually move. This is a leadership role with real authority, real protected time for supervision and development, and the full backing of our Director of Technical Services and Principals. If you’ve spent your consulting career believing that strong teams are built, not found — and you want a firm that will invest in you building one — keep reading. WHY THIS ROLE IS DIFFERENT People leadership is the job. Your performance is measured on team cohesion, retention, development, and delivery — not on how many hours you personally bill. You’ll carry meaningful project work, but with dedicated, protected time for supervision, coaching, and career development You’ll lead a strong bench. Sequoia’s technical staff are talented, credentialed, and hungry to grow — permitted biologists, rising project managers, and sharp early-career scientists who want a leader invested in their next step The structure is built for you to succeed. Technical direction is set by our Director of Technical Services and Principals; ownership boundaries are clearly defined so you can lead without turf battles. You focus on what you do best: developing people and solving delivery problems Development here is real, not a slide deck. You’ll work with Sequoia University, our published Career Architecture, and defined promotion criteria — including Designated Biologist development — so advancement for your team is concrete, transparent, and achievable There’s a path up. This role is a proving ground for future division leadership, with advancement to Director of Technical Services open to those who demonstrate sustained excellence

Requirements

A proven people leader from the environmental consulting industry. Strong technical credentials are welcome and valued, but the deciding qualifications are leadership, management skill, and consulting fluency. This role doesn’t need to be the strongest scientist in the room — it needs to be the strongest leader: the person our technical staff trust with their workload, their development, and their careers.
7+ years of progressive leadership experience, including direct supervision of professional staff — hiring, reviews, coaching, corrective action, and career development
Experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring professional staff, and identifying hiring needs proactively based on workload, growth, and team capacity
Substantial environmental consulting experience, with a working understanding of how consulting teams, project delivery, utilization, and client service actually operate
A demonstrated record of building, developing, and retaining professional teams
Experience implementing leadership development, training, or mentoring programs
Working knowledge of CEQA, NEPA, and the federal and California Endangered Species Acts, sufficient to lead technical professionals credibly
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to have direct, fair, and timely conversations
A bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and industry experience

Nice To Haves

Deep technical expertise in one or more of Sequoia’s practice areas
Designated Biologist status or equivalent agency-recognized qualifications
A master’s degree
Experience with multi-business-line or matrixed project delivery

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary supervisor for technical staff at the Project Manager tier and below, owning staffing decisions, workload balance, and day-to-day personnel matters
Hold regular one-on-ones and be a reliable, present first point of contact for your team’s questions, concerns, and growth
Run performance management that people trust: reviews on schedule, meaningful goals, honest coaching, and recognition that lands
Make advancement real by ensuring staff get the assignments, training, credentials, and mentorship their next role requires
Identify hiring needs proactively — anticipating growth, workload, and attrition before they become gaps — and own recruiting, interviewing, and hiring for your team
Balance assignments so utilization targets are met and field and office schedules fit each person’s role and level
Identify and resolve project-level staffing and delivery issues, escalating division-level and client-facing decisions to the Director
Reinforce the technical standards, quality expectations, and compliance practices set by the Director and Principals, consistently and fairly across the team