Senior Biologist & Permitting Specialist

Jacobs; Bellevue (WA); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and welfare benefits

401(k) plan

Employee stock purchase program

Unlimited PPTO

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Senior Biologist & Permitting Specialist to lead regulatory studies and environmental permitting for infrastructure projects in Washington State and the broader Pacific Northwest. The role spans fieldwork, office tasks, and client coordination within a multidisciplinary team.

You will guide wetland ecology and ESA permitting efforts, coordinate with agencies, and mentor junior staff while contributing to proposals and business development. Hybrid work arrangements apply.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science or related scientific discipline or technical field.
• 15+ years of environmental consulting or agency experience emphasizing aquatic resources, ESA compliance, fish surveys or permitting.
• Knowledge of WA state and federal permitting programs (CWA, USACE 404/401); experience in OR/ID desirable.
• Ability to lead aquatic resource surveys with knowledge of PNW vegetation, soils and stream types.
• Experience using handheld GPS equipment.
• Experience leading meetings with stakeholders.
• Project management or environmental task lead experience.
• Mentoring junior staff and building teams; strong collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel for project assignments.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to assemble regulatory studies, reports and permits at local, state and federal levels.
• Lead fieldwork efforts for aquatic resources and vegetation surveys in WA and across PNW.
• Assist with preparation of documents for Endangered Species Act compliance.
• Support NEPA-related environmental reports and assessments; EIS where applicable.
• Contribute to proposals, client relations and business development.
• Prepare scopes of work and estimate effort for tasks.
• Serve as permitting project manager or lead on projects.
• Maintain communications with clients, agencies and subcontractors.
• Mentor junior staff and support staff career growth.

Skills

Wetland surveys

Regulatory compliance

Team mentoring

Project management

Stakeholder meetings

Strong communication

Education

BS or MS in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science

Tools

Handheld GPS

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Jacobs is seeking a Senior Biologist & Permitting Specialist to join our dynamic and supportive team who can provide leadership and support for public and private sector infrastructure projects in Washington State as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest region. At Jacobs, we see our job as more than environmental consulting - we are helping our clients secure our world’s natural resources. We want you to bring your passion and expertise to our dynamic interdisciplinary team of biologists, environmental planners, cultural resources experts, geomorphologists, stream restoration engineers, and beyond. Together, our team helps deliver some of the most exciting and transformative infrastructure projects in the region, from fish passage projects to wetland and stream restoration, energy and water and transportation infrastructure improvements, sustainability initiatives and more.

This key position serves as a technical resource specialist in the field of wetland ecology, mitigation, biology, regulatory compliance, ESA compliance, and other federal, state, and local permitting. Work will include advising and/or managing complex tasks for projects across the PNW, leading teams of specialists, and performing both office and field work. Duties may include project/task management, field work, interagency/interdisciplinary coordination, business development, and opportunities to build a team and mentor staff. All Jacobs employees are afforded career growth opportunities in the direction you choose.

Key Responsibilities Of This Position Include

• Collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams of biologists, engineers, scientists, planners, and other professionals to assemble regulatory compliant environmental studies, reports, and permits. This includes permitting at the local, state (i.e., JARPA, Oregon Removal/Fill Joint Application, and mitigation plans), and federal permits and authorizations.
• Leading fieldwork efforts (aquatic resource, habitat, and vegetation surveys) in WA State and supporting projects in other PNW states, including AK, OR, ID, ND, SD, and MT following state and federal protocols.
• Assisting with preparation of environmental documents for compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act,
• Familiarity with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) including developing or advising on environmental resource reports, Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).
• Supporting proposal preparation, client maintenance, and business development activities.
• Preparing scopes of work and estimating level of effort for task completion.
• Experience with permitting project manager and/or task lead on projects.
• Maintaining excellent communication with clients, regulatory agencies and local government officials, employees, subcontractors.
• Providing management support and fostering the career growth of junior-level environmental staff.

Here’s what you’ll need

• BS or MS in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science or related scientific discipline or technical field.
• 15+ years of environmental consulting or agency experience emphasizing your understanding of aquatic resource delineations, endangered species act compliance, fish surveys and recovery, and/or permitting experience.
• Knowledge of WA state and federal permitting programs such as the Clean Water Act and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 404/401 wetland permitting process. Experience in other states, including OR and ID is desirable.
• Ability to lead aquatic resource surveys, requiring strong knowledge of PNW vegetation, soils, wetland community types, and stream characteristics.
• Experience utilizing handheld GPS equipment and software is highly desired.
• Experience preparing for and participating in meetings with stakeholders.
• Project management or environmental task lead experience
• Demonstrated experience working successfully in a team environment, interest in mentoring junior staff and team building.
• Ability to succeed in a consulting environment, handling multiple project assignments, meeting strict deadlines, and traveling to client facilities as needed.

Ideally, You’ll Also Have

• Ability to work outdoors in adverse conditions across the western states; must be available for occasional travel.
• WSDOT Biological Senior Author Certification
• NEPA/SEPA experience
• Certification as a Professional Wetland Scientist from the Society of Wetland Scientists
• Demonstrated stakeholder (i.e., client, regulatory official, community, and subcontractor) relationship skills
• Ability to travel as needed for project assignment

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $127,700.00 to $223,500.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on September 22, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.