Senior Botanist/Wetland Ecologist/Permitting Manager

Integral Consulting Inc.; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Integral Consulting Inc. is seeking a senior-level botanist and/or wetlands ecologist to lead our botany group in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The role combines fieldwork, technical expertise, project management, and client coordination across biological resource and environmental permitting projects. You will work in-office, remote, or hybrid settings based on location and organizational needs, and contribute to reports, permit packages, and habitat restoration plans while mentoring staff and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent with relevant ecological consulting experience
• Strong background in botany and plant ecology
• Experience with CEQA/NEPA and regulatory permitting
• Knowledge of wetland delineation and habitat restoration concepts

Responsibilities

• Lead botany group projects and manage fieldwork
• Prepare biological resource reports and permit packages
• Coordinate with clients and regulatory agencies
• Mentor junior staff and manage budgets and schedules
• Develop monitoring and restoration plans

Skills

Botany/plant ecology

Technical writing

Field ecology

GIS

GPS operation

Regulatory permitting

Regulatory agency knowledge

Communication

Project leadership

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

Master’s degree in botany/ecology

Tools

ArcMap

Google Earth

GIS software

Job description

Description

You are a seasoned botanist and/or wetland ecologist with experience leading biological resource, regulatory mapping, and environmental permitting projects from planning through completion. You enjoy balancing fieldwork with technical report preparation, project management, and client coordination.

Your experience includes conducting or managing at least several of the following: plant community mapping; rare plant surveys; wetland assessments and delineations; assessment of impacted resources in relation to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Clean Water Act, or other such acts; prescribing appropriate mitigation for protected resources; and habitat restoration planning. You have contributed to or led mitigation monitoring programs for wetlands, riparian habitats, rare plant populations, preserves, or other managed natural resources, and understand the regulatory frameworks that guide these efforts. You have a solid foundation in plant ecology, which may include specialization in taxonomy, population ecology, pollination studies, soil science, plant physiology or pathology, and/or community ecology.

You are skilled at preparing biological resource reports and other technical report sections, and may have significant experience with regulatory application packages, mitigation and monitoring plans, and/or habitat restoration plans. You have experience coordinating with clients to advance projects through the permitting process and develop practical solutions to environmental challenges. Ideally you also have direct experience with regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and/or state wildlife agencies.

As a senior professional, you are comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously, overseeing budgets and schedules, mentoring, directing, and supervising junior staff, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality technical work. Collaborating with colleagues with diverse expertise is exciting for you, and you are also comfortable working independently. A lifelong learner, you want to keep growing intellectually and professionally. Collaborating with colleagues with diverse expertise is exciting for you, and you are also comfortable working independently. Quality management and integrity are among your strongest principles.

About Integral

Integral Consulting Inc. is a science and engineering firm delivering sound technical solutions to meet today’s challenges in the health, environmental, and natural resource arenas. We are a values-driven collaborative team that is as passionate about company culture as we are about the work we do for our clients. Since our founding in 2002, we have operated with a demonstrated commitment to the well‑being, diversity, and professional development of our staff and an equal commitment to strong partnerships with our clients and teaming partners. We are a company where people come to solve today’s toughest environmental challenges through innovative ideas, exceptional teamwork, and dedication to accuracy and technical quality.

When joining the company, new employees become part of a well‑respected team of ecologists with unparalleled expertise with the region’s species, habitats, regulatory environment, and habitat plans. As a member of the botany group, you’ll have opportunities to lead projects and be part of multidisciplinary project teams with wildlife and restoration ecologists as well as landscape architects. The botany group also leads regulatory permitting projects, acquiring permits for impacts to sensitive and regulated habitats.

About the Job

We are currently seeking a senior-level botanist and/or wetlands ecologist to join and help lead our botany group in our San Francisco Bay Area office (Los Gatos, Santa Clara County). This full-time managerial role combines fieldwork, technical expertise, project management, and client coordination across a variety of biological resource and environmental permitting projects.

Our scientists spend time both in the field and in the office (Los Gatos office and home offices). When in the field, you might work on plant community mapping, conduct focused or protocol rare plant surveys, perform wetland assessments and delineations, assess impacted ecosystems, and identify opportunities for restoration. You may also implement monitoring plans for mitigation sites and preserves, including riparian and wetland mitigation, monitoring, and long-term management plans. When not doing field work, you will contribute to and write biological resource reports; prepare regulatory agency permit packages, prepare or assist in the preparation of mitigation, monitoring, and management plans; and assist in the preparation of habitat restoration plans. In addition to the tasks above, project managers and senior staff will coordinate with clients and regulatory agencies, steward acquisition of regulatory permits, and manage project staff and budgets.

This position may offer in-office, remote, or hybrid opportunities based on the candidate’s location and the needs of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Providing botany expertise to large-scale conservation projects, including in the Santa Cruz Mountains, San Franciso Bay marshes, and the Coyote Valley.
• Performing rare plant work in serpentine habitats, grasslands, oak woodlands, riparian corridors, and the marshlands of the San Francisco Bay. Rare plant surveys opportunities may also occur further afield, such as in deserts or montane ecosystems.
• Assisting with complex ecological restoration projects along the San Francisco Bay shoreline and throughout the region
• Contributing to open space, park, trail, and campus habitat planning
• Minimizing ecological impact of redevelopment projects and creating new habitats to support native species
• Assisting with the preparation of invasive species management plans
• Supporting renewable energy projects

Requirements

Qualifications

Candidates should hold a master’s degree or equivalent when combined with sufficient directly relevant experience, and must have prior experience in ecological consulting or a closely related field

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong scientific background with emphasis in botany and/or plant ecology
• Exceptional and demonstrated technical writing ability
• Experience in some or most of the following areas: California flora and plant identification, quantitative field surveys, plant community/association mapping, wetland delineation, environmental impact analysis, regulatory permit preparation, GPS operation, and general GIS, Google Earth, and/or ArcMap familiarity
• Completion of, or interest in taking, a 40-hour wetland delineation course or equivalent experience
• Understanding of CEQA/National Environmental Policy Act and regulatory agency permitting
• Experience and/or ability to conduct formal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineations and regulated habitats mapping for Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and California Coastal Commission
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• A desire to grow both intellectually and professionally
• Strong organizational abilities
• Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers

Compensation

Compensation is commensurate with experience and internal equity, within the listed range. An employee’s total compensation package includes annual salary; company-subsidized (employee and family) medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) participation with a company match of 1% to 4% of annual compensation; company-paid life and short- and long-term disability insurance; paid sick leave (10 days), paid vacation (12-15 days; determined by title at hire), and paid holidays (9 days) per year; and the potential for an annual discretionary bonus based on company performance. Paid time off will be prorated to reflect part‑time scheduled hours, if applicable.

Integral Consulting Inc. is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer who provides equal opportunity in all of our employment practices to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, military, veteran, or Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act-protected veteran status, gender identity or gender expression, genetic information (including testing or characteristics), or any other category protected by federal, state, and local laws. We believe that a diverse and inclusive environment drives innovation and excellence, and we are dedicated to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we live in and serve. If you require reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail].

We are excited to connect with individuals who share our mission and values, and those who bring diverse contributions to our team. We value unique perspectives and skills, and encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet every requirement.

All offers of employment are contingent on candidates successfully passing an employment history screening, degree verification, and a federal, state, and county criminal background and Watch List screening. Candidates will receive a written notice of this requirement. All screenings will be done in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws.