Senior Fisheries Biologist

ESA seeks a highly motivated Senior Fish Biologist to join our Pacific Northwest Biological Resources and Land Management team. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of salmon ecology experience, including a combination of fish sampling and reporting, Endangered Species Act Biological Assessment writing and permitting, agency coordination, business development, and working collaboratively on multi-disciplinary teams focused on habitat restoration planning and design. Additional experience with FERC relicensing is a plus. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with a variety of municipal, tribal, and non-governmental organizations and private clients. This senior-level position focuses on collaboration, ensuring outstanding client service, managing projects, and overseeing work, ensuring the production of quality work products, and being part of a team with a passion to do great work and have fun together. 

Who You Are 

• Preferably have a master’s degree or PhD with major coursework in fish biology, aquatic ecology, environmental science, chemistry, natural resources management, water quality/limnology, climatology, and/or similar natural resource-related disciplines from an accredited institution. 
• Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in leading or directing projects and the development of high-quality environmental analyses. 
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills. 
• Experience with client relations management and business development.
• Experience with contributing to proposal writing and preparation of proposal budgets. 
• Experienced project manager, including developing and managing scopes of work, project budgets, and schedules. 
• Experienced working on numerous project types, such as: fish habitat assessment; fish passage; fish habitat restoration; dam removal; Federal Endangered Species Act consultations; various fisheries studies. 
• You are known for preparing documents that are clear, concise, well-written, and supported, and for your ability to present information understandably and speak persuasively about complex topics to colleagues, clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders, and the general public. 
• Have a strong understanding of regulatory permitting and the ability to lead the preparation of complex environmental permit applications and provide strategic permitting expertise to clients. 
• You work collaboratively with clients and interdisciplinary teams to deliver your projects on time and within budget and have developed and tracked scope, schedules, and budgets. 
• Thrive in a fast-paced, exciting, and challenging environment and be able to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines while working on a team or independently. 

 What You Will Do for ESA 

As a senior-level Fisheries Biologist, you will serve as a technical specialist or lead projects ranging from salmon studies, including fish passage assessments, to multi-faceted natural resources-related projects in collaboration with scientists, engineers, landscape architects, and other specialists. You will serve as a technical specialist, preparing and managing environmental analyses, leading permitting coordination and agency negotiations, and coordinating with key team members, including senior staff, subconsultants, and clients. You will occasionally lead field surveys, and author/co-author technical reports. You will prepare biological assessments for Endangered Species Act consultations and be responsible for the preparation of environmental permitting applications. You will produce technical work and written products that are clear, concise, and well supported. You will consistently demonstrate your solid writing skills, and attentive listening skills, and participate in and/or lead client meetings. You will present at, or provide support at, community workshops and public hearings effectively presenting complex technical information clearly and concisely.

You will serve as Project Manager. You will demonstrate a clear understanding of project management principles and practices. In this capacity you may also serve as Project Manager and be responsible for managing scope, schedule, and budget. You will also take the initiative and resolve issues to assure client needs are met effectively, lead and advise on all aspects of project implementation, including the development of permitting strategies, provide QA/QC of work processes and deliverables, and lead teams completing technical studies that support permitting efforts.

You enjoy business development and have experience acquiring work through your existing network. You will lead business development efforts including preparing proposals, identifying opportunities, developing capture strategies, and engaging with proposal/interview teams. These efforts will include having the responsibility for preparing scopes of work and budgets. You will work collaboratively with other leaders focused on Business Development.

You will be committed to treating people respectfully and equitably. You will work collaboratively with teams and clients, and you will consistently demonstrate attentive listening skills. You will communicate constructively and work cooperatively to solve project and team challenges.

You will provide mentorship and support for junior staff, including reviewing their work for accuracy and clarity and providing constructive feedback and career development guidance while working on projects together.

What’s Special About ESA 

Joining ESA means becoming part of a team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places. We are an inclusive employee-driven firm that continuously raises the industry standard through technical excellence and innovation.

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you AND your family); annual allocations of company share through our ESOP; a 401(k) plan with company match; and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few.

We also offer specific programs to support you when you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee-owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.

What’s Special About Our Northwest Biological Resources and Land Management Team

Our Biological Resources and Land Management Team includes Fisheries Biologists, Wetland Scientists, Wildlife Biologists, Environmental Scientists, and Conservation/Climate Planning Specialists who provide expertise for many public agencies, tribes, non-profit organizations, and private developers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Our work matters because it helps communities shape a positive future for their citizens. We value integrity, creative thinking, teamwork, clear communication, and multi-disciplinary engagement and integration.

Who We Are 

We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients. 

In accordance with ESA’s duty and responsibility to provide and maintain a safe workplace that is free of known hazards and to minimize the exposure to potential hazards, any employee who works from an ESA office or conducts any other in-person ESA work-related activity is required to submit their proof of vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and accommodation in states which this applies. 

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D)