Staff Biologist

SWCA's growing Chicago team seeks a Staff Biologist to join our natural resources team. As a member of our team, you will actively support a diversified mix of field and office assignments, depending on project schedules and season. Field assignments may include wetland evaluations, endangered species investigations, site assessments, construction oversight, and compliance monitoring. Office assignments may include assisting with data interpretation and tabulations, scientific report writing, and permit preparation.

The successful candidate will possess a broad range of skills including identification of northeastern United States botanical and wildlife species, attention to detail, organizational skills, willingness to learn, effective communication and time management skills.

This position is an hourly, full-time, position with the option to work in a hybrid fashion from the Chicago/Lombard, IL office. This position can be hired at the following levels:

• Assistant Staff Biologist - Typically with at least 1 year of relevant experience and expertise.
• Staff Biologist - Typically with at least 2 years of relevant experience and expertise.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

• Conduct a variety of natural resources field studies including wetland delineations, vegetation and habitat surveys, threatened/endangered species assessments, and wildlife surveys.
• Conduct detailed fieldwork, organize and save field data in digital formats, and write technical reports and permit applications for approvals under the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and other resource planning/permitting, and/or natural resource disciplines.
• Supervise a small crew while conducting environmental fieldwork. This includes:
  • independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery;
  • ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely;
  • serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Wetland Science, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Science, Ecology, or related field.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience supporting or leading natural resources fieldwork focused on threatened/endangered species, wetland delineations, aquatic resources assessments, and compliance monitoring.
• Ability to travel to a location, hike and conduct fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather, while carrying equipment and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds is required.
• Valid driver's license, with a good driving record and access to personal transportation.
• Experience working in an outdoor setting conducing labor intensive tasks while hiking long distances.
• Able to conduct overnight mobilizations for up to 1-2 weeks at a time accounting for approximately 40% travel throughout the active field season.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office products and technical writing.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two (2) or more relevant years of experience.
• Extensive working knowledge of botanical species taxonomy and proficiency in species identification in the field.
• Renewable energy project experience within the Midwest United States.

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

At SWCA, we support our team members in developing their careers to make them leaders in their industry. Our Career Landscape initiative is a process and guide designed to help develop chart rewarding career paths for employees at SWCA. We encourage professional conference attendance, internal and external professional development and training programs, education reimbursement, a Science and Leadership Program, and bonuses for publications meeting certain criteria. All regular status employees are eligible to participate in SWCA medical, dental, vision, employee assistance, wellness, life and disability plans, and are eligible to participate in the SWCA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Chicago-based position can expect an hourly rate of:

• Assistant Staff Biologist $21.53-$27.83/hour
• Staff Biologist $24.15 - $31.50/hour

Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA's Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA's continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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