Assistant Project Wetland Scientist

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) is seeking an Assistant Project Wetland Scientist to be based out of our Portland, Oregon office. The selected candidate will be supporting projects in the Portland area and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Our highly collaborative team of about 30 specialists in natural and cultural resources management, environmental planning, permitting, compliance, and geographic information systems is based in a beautifully converted warehouse in northwest Portland with free street parking. Most of our staff are hybrid, splitting time between working at home and in the office. Those that are not hybrid are distributed and work from home full time. We offer flexibility in work hours and our motto is “as long as you are getting the work done, you set your hours.”  This has been our successful work model for over 10 years.

The Assistant Project Wetland Scientist position requires an educational and experienced background in biology, natural resource management, botany, water resources, or a related field. This position will be a mix of field and office work, depending on project type and season.

This position requires fieldwork where the climate, weather and terrain can be demanding. It is anticipated that moderate travel, including overnight stays, may be required. Field work will be primarily in the Pacific Northwest but may include travel to states in other ecoregions. Project reporting and other office tasks will require working on a computer for extended periods. For office tasks, we offer a hybrid approach and support a flexible schedule and working from home. For local work, approximately 75% of your time will be office tasks.

Our Vision (the North Star), Core Values, and Purpose:  Help drive SWCA to be 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 collaborate across all our offices, programs, and disciplines. We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. It is imperative for the successful candidate to fit SWCA's unique culture. Do you appreciate sustainability and environmental awareness? Is giving back to your community a priority? SWCA is a team of scientists, planners, technical experts, and corporate services professionals that are committed to our culture.

What you will accomplish

Conduct a variety of natural resources field studies including wetland delineations, vegetation and habitat surveys, threatened/endangered species assessments, and avian/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, National Environmental Policy Act, and other resource planning/permitting, and/or natural resource disciplines.  Assist in the writing and development of written deliverable related to project work.

Experience and qualifications for success

Required

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Water Resources, Botany, Environmental Science, Fish and Wildlife Science, Natural Resource Management, related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant natural resources experience in the private or public sector, including at least 1-year experience conducting natural resources field work focused on wetland delineations and aquatic resources assessment.
• Knowledge of wetland and other aquatic botanical species taxonomy and ability to identify species in the field.
• Ability to travel to a location, walk and conduct fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather, rugged terrain, often at high altitudes, and ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability safely drive a 4WD vehicle on backcountry roads.
• Knowledge of Oregon and Washington wetland permitting processes.
• Clean Water Act Regulatory experience and familiarity with the Nationwide Permitting system

Preferred

• Desire to provide excellent client service in a fast-paced work environment
• Previous experience with wetland surveys strongly preferred.
• Experience conducting desktop research for preliminary wetlands evaluations and compiling field data into aquatic resource inventory reports strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with GPS devices and digital data collection, and/or mapping software such as ArcGIS preferred.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and high attention to detail.
• The ability and willingness to learn new survey and monitoring techniques and protocols.
• Familiarity with the Oregon rapid wetland assessment protocol.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. 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.

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 accommodations@swca.com 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

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Seniority Level

Associate

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