Authorized Desert Tortoise Biologist - (on-call)

AECOM; San Diego (CA); Remote; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM seeks an experienced Authorized Desert Tortoise Field Biologist for field-based work in southern/central California deserts. This on-call, fully remote role requires periodic travel and local ties to a Southern California office.

Responsibilities include leading tortoise and owl surveys, habitat assessments, and regulatory compliance monitoring across multiple natural resource projects, with collaboration from senior staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology or related field.
• 4 years of relevant desert/environmental survey experience or equivalent.
• Valid driver's license and ability to pass MVR check.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Lead desert tortoise surveys and monitoring, including handling and health assessment.
• Conduct burrowing owl surveys and other wildlife surveys.
• Assist with vegetation mapping, habitat restoration, and permitting.
• Ensure regulatory compliance monitoring and project QA/QC.
• Coordinate field teams and manage field data collection.

Skills

Field biology

Regulatory compliance

Desert tortoise surveys

Wildlife surveys

Team coordination

Data collection

Relocation willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in biology or ecology

Job description

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

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There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

AECOM is seeking an experienced Authorized Desert Tortoise Field Biologist in the southern/central California desert regions. This is a field-based, fully remote, on-call position requiring the ability to be local on field assignments for extended periods but linked to a Southern California-based office.

This position would support numerous natural resource projects with a focus on biological surveys and regulatory compliance monitoring primarily for desert tortoise and/or burrowing owl, with potential to assist with vegetation mapping, wildlife assessments, habitat restoration, and/or permitting implementation with support from junior biologists.

The responsibilities of this position could include a subset of those listed below based on relevant experience:

• Lead protocol and pre-construction desert tortoise surveys and monitoring. Including handling, rehydration, health assessment experience.
• Lead and conduct focused burrowing owl surveys and monitoring, including passive relocation.
• Lead and conduct focused American badger and desert kit fox surveys and monitoring.
• Conduct general wildlife and/or botanical surveys, including vegetation and habitat mapping.
• Identify and record native and non-native fauna and/or flora in the field.
• Conduct other special-status species surveys, following established protocols or guidelines as relevant.
• Conduct avian species nesting surveys and avian mortality monitoring.
• Support project execution, including pre-construction surveys and construction monitoring.
• Assist with environmental compliance monitoring.
• Provide oversight of restoration crew work and restoration vegetation performance monitoring.
• Perform other related duties assigned, such as coordination with team members, scheduling of work, etc.
• Utilize electronic data collection methods in the field; manage, interpret, and analyze data, as needed.
• Conduct monitoring and survey fieldwork as part of a team and independently in inland and desert environments, which can include rugged terrain.
• Work under the supervision of a senior project manager or senior-level team member.
• Ensure assigned tasks stay on schedule and budget.
• Elevate compliance concerns to project or construction managers.
• Provide clarification of resource project requirements to the compliance and construction teams.
• Promote safety culture and adherence to Safe Work Plans.
• Willingness to temporarily relocate to the California Desert region (including Blythe, El Centro, Palm Springs, Barstow, etc.), based on assignment.

Authorized Desert Tortoise Biologist:

To be approved by the USFWS to conduct activities that may result in “take” of the desert tortoise, an authorized biologist should have thorough knowledge of desert tortoise behavior, natural history, and ecology, and demonstrate substantial field experience and training to successfully:

• Locate, identify, and report all forms of desert tortoise sign in accordance with approved protocols.
• Handle and temporarily hold desert tortoises.
• Relocate/translocate desert tortoises prior to implementation of projects.
• Excavate burrows to locate desert tortoises or eggs.
• Reconstruct desert tortoise burrows.
• Unearth and relocate desert tortoise eggs.
• Review and approve individual desert tortoise monitors and their activities based on qualifications of the monitors.
• Directly supervise desert tortoise monitors during clearance surveys and train monitors in all aspects of protecting desert tortoises during implementation of projects.
• Be familiar with project biological assessments and biological opinions or incidental take permits.
• Direct proper implementation of protective measures.
• Record and report incidents of noncompliance in accordance with a biological opinion or permit.
• Halt project activities according to the provisions of the biological opinion or permit.

About AECOM’s Environment Business Line

Join AECOM to be part of an expert global team who is connected through a well-developed, worldwide, internal technical practice network through which you can learn from and brainstorm with the best in the world. AECOM is an industry-leading, world class environmental firm, and we want you to succeed within it. We respect and encourage your own pathway to excellence via our Freedom to Grow initiative.

AECOM is known for our award-winning technical excellence, leading-edge science and innovative project delivery. We provide sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most challenging issues. Our global clients and their projects span a variety of market sectors and geographies and require innovative technical solutions to solve wide-ranging environmental problems.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field (biology, ecology, etc.)
• 4 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience working in desert environments within the range of the desert tortoise with raining and/or experience conducting surveys for listed species local to southern California desert regions, particularly desert tortoise and burrowing owl.
• A valid driver’s license is required, along with the ability to pass a Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) check in accordance with company policy.
• Due to the nature of the work, US Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior consulting experience is preferred, but non-consultant candidates with relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience conducting biological surveys and/or environmental compliance monitoring and biological construction oversight.
• Field experience with special status species of southern California or Nevada, and knowledge of regulatory requirements.
• Substantial field experience and training to safely and successfully conduct desert tortoise surveys and monitoring.
• Substantial field experience to conduct focused burrowing owl surveys
• Experience implementing the terms and conditions of USFWS biological opinions and CDF