California Tiger Salamander Designated Biologist

ESA is seeking a California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense, CTS) Designated Biologist who can demonstrate at least 5 years' experience of construction compliance monitoring experience to join our Biological Resources and Land Management team. The ideal candidate must have documented experience with CTS. Preference given to candidates with CTS experience along with other species such as the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica), Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni), Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii), and general nesting bird and raptor species. The CTS Designated Biologist must be qualified and able to meet the project-specific criteria set by the natural resource agencies (i.e., California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), to support on-site surveys and construction compliance monitoring. This project-based hire will commit to approximately 85% fieldwork in the Madera/Fresno, CA area for the California High Speed Train Project and conduct desk-based tasks comprised of data entry and analysis, and report preparation. We welcome a collaborative team member with a growth mindset who can conduct plant and wildlife surveys and habitat assessments, monitor sensitive biological resources, collect data digitally and analyze results, and deliver quality technical written work products.  

Who You Are 
You are an experienced biologist who has at least 5 years of experience supporting field studies and environmental compliance within California’s San Joaquin Valley. You will have experience conducting surveys and habitat assessments for CTS. General construction compliance monitoring experience is required. Qualification details to meet the required experience criteria to be a CTS Designated Biologist are provided below. As a CTS Designated Biologist candidate, you will be expected to meet as many of the criteria as possible and provide documentation for past approvals from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

You have previously worked on construction sites, worked safely around heavy equipment, and can effectively communicate with construction staff. You must have experience presenting information understandably and speaking clearly and confidently about biological resource and general compliance topics to construction contractors, construction managers, clients, and consultant partners. Further, you can work collaboratively with interdisciplinary groups as an effective communicator who contributes constructively and cooperatively to solve project and team challenges.

You also have experience with habitat mapping and  conducting floral and faunal inventories and assessments within the San Joaquin Valley. Additionally, you are skilled in performing other species surveys, construction compliance monitoring, and preparing supporting documentation for compliance monitoring, including but not limited to daily monitoring reports and pre-construction survey reports. Experience with data collection applications such as Fulcrum, FieldMaps/ArcGIS Online, and/or Survey123 is desirable but not essential.

You enjoy fieldwork and can walk long distances. You are confident working outside, in remote and rural settings, as well as in urban environments. Physical outdoor work may include, but may not be limited to, traversing uneven ground and sometimes steep terrain in vegetated environments, agricultural fields, and arid lands, and in inclement weather and uncomfortable working conditions. You are self-aware, self-motivated, and respectful and empathetic toward others. You accept responsibility for your actions, constructively give and receive feedback and work collaboratively with a team mentality. 

What You Will Do for ESA
As a mid to senior level biologist, you will apply critical thinking and problem solving to select and apply standard techniques, methods and procedures for a wide range of basic to lower complexity biological studies. You will perform biological field studies to support CTS surveys and monitoring efforts in Madera and Fresno Counties. A significant task for you as a CTS Designated Biologist will consist of species follow-up activities, including excavation of burrows to comply with project permit requirements prior to initiation of construction activities. You may also participate in other biological field studies, such as general pre-construction surveys, native flora and fauna surveys, rare plant surveys, vegetation classification and habitat mapping, nesting bird surveys, wetland delineations, endangered species occurrence documentation, and construction compliance monitoring.

• You will also perform compliance monitoring, biological resource surveys, and related reporting activities for the California High Speed Train project, Construction Package 1 (CP1), which is an ongoing large-scale construction project involving work near heavy equipment. You may need to travel across the CP1 project footprint and stop at multiple sites on any given day.
• You will prepare and submit daily monitoring reports and observe work activities to help the client and contractor ensure activities comply with applicable mitigation measures and permit conditions. You will prepare draft documents that are clear, concise, well-written and supported. A writing sample may be requested.
• You will effectively communicate and collaborate with colleagues, clients, and other teaming partners. You may be asked to disseminate and maintain related information and resources, meet with team members to gauge progress toward task completion, and respond to team member questions. You may also be asked to train and/or oversee other staff on higher-level responsibilities that a Designated Biologist conducts independently.
• You will demonstrate equitable and inclusive ways of working with others: treat others with respect, empathy, and dignity.
• You will thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment and are able to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines while working on a team or independently. 
• You will perform projects functions such as development and tracking of scope, schedule, and invoices under Project Manager’s direction. You will primarily perform work with some direction.
• You will deliver project assignments on time and within budget. You will check work for errors, accuracy, and applicability to project needs.
• You enjoy fieldwork and can walk long distances carrying a backpack; and are able to lift at least 40 pounds. You are confident working outside, in remote and rural settings, as well as in urban environments. Physical outdoor work may include, but may not be limited to, work in all types of weather, traversing uneven ground in a variety of environments, along stream banks, and in coastal/intertidal areas. You may be exposed to inclement weather and uncomfortable working conditions. Some night and/or weekend work may be required. Multiple overnight stays in the Fresno area will be required. You will spend the majority of your time located in Madera and Fresno Counties. Field work may require very early morning or late-night end times, as well as long hours. Some night and/or weekend work may be required.
• You will participate in compliance monitoring and reporting activities for on-going construction projects requiring working near heavy equipment. You possess a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and have experience driving 4WD vehicles off-road.

Species-Specific Qualifications:
The Designated Biologist must fulfill the following criteria and be able to demonstrate the qualifications in their resume.

1. Completed The Wildlife Society Western Section’s training course Wildlife Biologist Construction Awareness Training (WildC.A.T.] or similar construction safety training OR completed a minimum of 40 hours of supervised construction monitoring/shadowing an experienced construction monitor.
2. Delineation, installation, or maintenance of wildlife exclusion fence, environmentally sensitive areas, no work buffers, or wildlife exclusion zones.
3. Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP) training presentation given and/or developed at least once.
4. Implemented Avoidance & Minimization Measures/Conservation Measures for biological resources on at least one other project other than the California High Speed Train project.
5. Observed at least one CTS adult, meta morph, and larvae in the wild, at a zoo, or as museum specimens. These observations must be correlated with a project or an accredited organization. 
6. Resume demonstrates ability to differentiate CTS from other salamander and lizard species that may inhabit the area (e.g. course work/training/experience).
7. A minimum of 20 hours of experience identifying and delineating San Joaquin Valley vegetation/landcover types.
8. Completed one of the following:

• University training in wildlife biology, ecology, resource management, or related natural science, and extensive experience with CTS life history, species identification, and upland and aquatic habitat use. "Extensive experience" is no less than 160 hours of field experience that includes 1) implementing agency approved survey techniques and/or implementing avoidance and minimization measures, and 2) the number of CTS independently identified in occupied or potentially occupied habitat; OR
• Equivalent extensive experience, as described above, with a minimum of six months or 500 hours of field experience as an agency-approved biologist, or working under the supervision of a biologist with university training, or working with agency approval on permitted projects.

9.  Current certification under The Wildlife Society’s Associate Wildlife Biologist® or Certified Wildlife Biologist® certification program will be credited as 1/4 and 1/3, respectively, of the minimum recommended experience hours in A and B, above.    
10. Conducted permitted CTS aquatic and upland surveys with or under the supervision of an experienced biologist (to be confirmed with the respective lead Project Biologist) who can verify each of the following:

• Knowledge of amphibians and CTS life cycle;
• Ability to identify CTS adults, eggs, larvae, and metamorphs, and distinguish those from sympatric species;
• Has a minimum of 20 hours of field experience conducting CTS aquatic surveys during at least two survey events in different watersheds (two sites that are not hydrologically connected) with no more than four hours of negative surveys counting towards this requirement.
• Has conducted surveys in suitable CTS upland habitat for potential underground refugia and has identified and hand excavated a minimum of 10 potential CTS burrows or other potential CTS underground refugia.

11. Additional CTS field experience demonstrated by: 

A.    Familiarity with and understanding of the Declining Amphibian Task Force (decontamination) protocols for conducting field work at amphibian breeding sites or in other aquatic habitats.
B.    Observation of CTS adults, metamorphs, and larvae in at least two watersheds (two sites that are not hydrologically connected). These observations must be correlated with a project or an accredited organization. 
C.    Handling and relocation of CTS adults and handling of CTS larvae, independently, or under the supervision of an experienced CTS Biologist.
D.    Delineation, installation, and maintenance of at least one non-gaping/non-climbable CTS wildlife exclusion fencing around CTS breeding habitat or CTS drift fence.
E.    Experience establishing and maintaining Environmentally Sensitive Areas using fencing, stakes, flags, or rope.
F.    Training and overseeing the work of less experienced monitors or current certification under The Wildlife Society’s Certified Wildlife Biologist® certification program.
G.    Handling and relocation of CTS eggs on a permitted project with or under the supervision of an experienced CTS biologist (CTS egg relocation is preferred experience, but not required). 

What’s Special About Our Biology Team

Our Biology Team includes biologists, restoration ecologists, permitting specialists, conservation biologists, and environmental scientists that provide expertise for many municipalities throughout California. Our work matters because it helps communities shape a positive future for their citizens in balance with conserving our state’s sensitive natural resources. 

We value creative thinking, teamwork, and multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary engagement and integration. To read about some of the exciting projects we have recently completed, check out this link: https://esassoc.com/projects/ 

What’s Special About ESA

Joining ESA means becoming part of a close-knit 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.

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 provide specific programs whether 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.

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)