Natural Resources Specialist II

Montgomery Parks; Wheaton (MD); Vor Ort; USD 65.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Montgomery Parks is seeking a dedicated natural resource professional to help review projects and support environmental restoration. The role involves concept reviews, preparing presentations for the Mandatory Referral process, and engaging with engineers, planners, and the public to minimize ecological impacts.

The successful candidate will assist in field data collection, GIS analysis, and construction oversight, with a focus on streams, wetlands, and riparian habitat restoration across

Qualifikationen

• Bachelor’s degree in natural resources, environmental science, forestry, ecology, wildlife or related field.
• Minimum three years of progressively responsible natural resources or wildlife management experience or related.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to obtain related program certifications as needed.

Aufgaben

• Coordinate Concept Review of external projects to evaluate park resource impacts.
• Attend review meetings with agency staff and stakeholders and prepare reports.
• Provide natural resource expertise for restoration projects and design reviews.
• Support GIS-based tracking, site assessments, and project oversight from design to construction.
• Collaborate with engineers, planners, consultants, and the public to minimize resource impacts.

Kenntnisse

Technical drawings

GIS

Field assessments

Environmental compliance

Communication

Project coordination

Ausbildung

Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management or related field

Tools

GIS software

Jobbeschreibung

Montgomery Parks is currently seeking a dedicated, organized, and skilled natural resource professional to assist in project review and environmental restoration. If you have a passion for environmental work and thrive in a dynamic work environment, then Montgomery Parks is the place you want to be!

The Natural Resource Specialist II will work in the Environmental Review and Restoration Unit of the Park Planning and Stewardship Division at Montgomery Parks. The position involves conducting Concept Review of projects that may impact the natural, recreational, and cultural resources of the Parks Department. They will work with engineers, planners, natural resource staff, consultants, and design teams to ensure that the project is beneficial and feasible; environmental impacts are avoided where possible; and if necessary, develop an appropriate mitigation plan. The successful candidate will assist in preparing presentations outlining Parks’ recommendations to the Montgomery County Planning Board through the Mandatory Referral Process, attend public meetings, and respond to citizen questions regarding the project.

The position also involves supporting environmental restoration projects from design to construction, which includes natural resource assessments, GIS analysis, and construction oversight. The successful candidate will have experience in reviewing design plans, collecting environmental field data, and construction oversight.

Qualified applicants will exhibit strong communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrate an ability to work effectively with a wide variety of agencies, special interest groups, Parks staff, consultants, contractors, and the general public. The successful candidate will have experience in the review of stream restoration, stormwater management creation and retrofit, wetland creation, transportation, utility, and/or other development projects – specifically for natural resource impacts. They will also have extensive knowledge in one or more of the following fields: freshwater ecology, natural resource management, environmental engineering, wetland delineation, forest ecology, land use planning, and/or GIS.

About the Resource Analysis Unit

The Resource Analysis Section serves as Montgomery Parks' primary steward of aquatic resources, overseeing more than 600 miles of streams and their associated floodplains and wetlands across the park system. Through science based management, environmental restoration, regulatory compliance, and long-term monitoring, the section works to protect and enhance water quality, aquatic habitat, and watershed health for current and future generations.

The section is comprised of three specialized branches. The NPDES Permit Program works to regulate, reduce, and eliminate sources of stormwater pollution through a variety of best management practices and minimum control measures. The program administers the Department’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, including the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit and Industrial Stormwater permits, helping ensure compliance with federal and state water quality regulations. The Environmental Review and Restoration Unit identifies and helps implement projects that improve water quality and riparian habitat across parkland. The unit advances environmental restoration initiatives such as riparian forest restoration, stormwater outfall repair, stream restoration, and habitat creation. It also reviews proposed external development and infrastructure projects to ensure protection of park natural, cultural, and recreational resources. The Biological Monitoring Program evaluates the health of Montgomery Parks' streams and watersheds. Using aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish sampling alongside habitat assessments and water quality measurements, the program develops a comprehensive understanding of stream condition, tracks ecological trends over time, and helps guide restoration and management priorities.

Together, these three branches provide an integrated approach to protecting, restoring, and monitoring Montgomery Parks' aquatic resources, ensuring that streams, wetlands, and floodplains continue to provide vital ecological functions and benefits to the community.

Examples of Important Duties

Concept Review

• Coordinate the Concept Review of external projects to evaluate the impacts to Park resources from development plans being proposed to occur on or adjacent to parkland.
• Attend review meetings with agency staff, agency consultants, and other stakeholders.
• Lead internal stakeholder reviews of projects and update directorate on project status.
• Identify project constraints, resource impacts, and opportunities to avoid or minimize impacts.
• Coordinate proposed mitigation for approved natural resource impacts.
• Prepare technical reports, recommendations, maps, graphics, and presentations for the Mandatory Referral process, the Montgomery County Planning Board, department leadership, and other decision-makers.
• Provide natural resource expertise for the identification and planning of stream restoration, stormwater management, wetland creation, riparian restoration, habitat enhancement, and related environmental restoration projects.
• Conduct baseline monitoring and site assessments to evaluate project alternatives, design approaches, and measures to minimize construction impacts to park resources.
• Assist with developing scopes of work, technical requirements, project schedules, and recommendations that support effective restoration and resource protection.
• Provide natural resource expertise for the design, coordination, and implementation of stream restoration, stormwater management, wetland creation, riparian restoration and tree planting, habitat enhancement, and related environmental projects.
• Coordinate environmental restoration work with project managers, designers, regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, park managers, and other stakeholders from initial investigation through project completion.
• Track historical, current, and future environmental projects on parkland through a GIS database

Preferred Qualifications:

• The ability to read and understand technical engineering drawings.
• Experience reviewing design plans for development, stream restoration, stormwater management, wetland creation, transportation infrastructure, utility improvements, or similar projects for natural resource impacts.
• Knowledge of Federal, State, and County environmental laws, policies, permitting requirements, and land use review processes.
• Knowledge of stream restoration, stormwater management, wetland, and/or habitat restoration design and construction methods.
• Experience with GIS applications and environmental project databases, including mapping, spatial analysis, and project tracking.
• Experience conducting natural resource field assessments using established protocols, such as habitat assessments, vegetation monitoring, wetland delineation, groundwater monitoring, and stream sampling.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management, Environmental Science, Forestry, Ecology, Wildlife Management, Fisheries Management or any related field.
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible natural resources or wildlife management experience or related experience.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted, which together total seven (7) years.
• Valid driver’s license in accordance with both State and Commission rules and regulations. Driver’s license must be unencumbered by restrictions, revocations, suspensions, or points that could limit the employee’s ability to drive Commission vehicles or perform driving duties required by the position of assignment.
• Pass Commission medical examination.
• Depending on area of assignment, the ability to acquire related program certification (e.g., pesticide certification, trapping license, boating license).