Senior Biologist/Project Manager - Harris & Associates

Senior Biologist

For more than 40 years, Harris & Associates has helped to improve communities and create better places to live through smart, safe, more sustainable planning, design and construction solutions. Harris is a 100% employee-owned company focused on solving today's complex challenges in planning, design, and construction. Our offices and project sites span the West Coast in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Washington with a staff of over 250 employee-owners focused on serving clients in the municipal, water, transportation, and education markets.

Harris’ growing Environmental, Engineering, and Consulting Division does industry-leading work in environmental planning and compliance, community planning and housing solutions, engineering design, municipal and district finance, and one water solutions. Harris continues to expand the scope of these services while also building new capabilities in planning, climate change/adaptation, hazard mitigation, resilience, and management consulting. If you are a passionate and motivated professional looking for a collaborative environment at a firm that invests heavily in your growth, you could be a perfect fit for Harris & Associates.

Harris has an opening for a Senior Biologist to join our Environmental Planning and Compliance team in the Biology Group.

The biologist will be responsible for:

• Independently managing a team to prepare large, complex natural resources documents such as Biological Resources Technical Reports and other biological or aquatic resources documents. Operates as primary author or senior reviewer without guidance or assistance.
• Managing projects/tasks that include all aspects of biological analyses and can be creative in thinking to strategize best approaches for clients.
• Provides species expertise and can guide and train junior and mid-level staff.
• Operates as primary point of contact for clients and resource agencies on projects.
• Develops work breakdown structure for control and integrity of work to be performed as and defined by the contract.
• Managing projects with large-scale field efforts and intensive schedules including compliance projects requiring adherence to permit conditions.
• Performs project management duties such as forecasting, tracking, accounting updates, invoicing, progress reports, and scheduling.
• Reviews contracts for understanding of scope, fee, schedule, and deliverables, and all other contractual obligations.
• Monitors and analyzes project costs, commitments, accruals, and changes, and takes corrective action where necessary.
• Operates as primary point of contact for clients and resource agencies on projects.
• Manages the careers and mentorship of junior and mid-level staff

The successful candidate will have a strong work ethic, positive attitude, and proven record of working collaboratively in a team environment.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in biology or ecology
• Minimum 8 years of experience as a biologist in San Diego County/Southern California
• Experience with environmental compliance and compliance monitoring
• Experience with protocol and focused wildlife and plant surveys
• Experience with habitat assessments, vegetation mapping, and general biological reconnaissance surveys
• Possession of a valid USFWS 10(a) permit to conduct wildlife protocol surveys for species in southern California, including, but not limited to two or more of the following: least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus), California gnatcatchers (Polioptila californica californica), southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), large listed branchiopods (i.e., San Diego fairy shrimp), and/or Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino). 
• Experience in leading field survey efforts of all sizes and managing field crew schedules.
• Have a solid understanding of CEQA, NEPA, resource agency permits, and local MSHCPs concepts and requirements.
• Interest in the mentoring and career development of junior and mid-level staff (experience preferred)
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Data management experience, including electronic data collection in field; managing large data sets.
• Ability to work in a high-paced environment where changing client priorities result in the need to determine creative ways to get the job done.
• Candidate must be flexible and willing to support multiple projects.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Experience with regulatory agency permitting processes and agency negotiations
• Experience complex environmental issues and regulation requirements
• Experience with ornithology, and sensitive bird species not listed under Endangered Species Acts
• Experience with native plant species identification including rare plants.
• Proficient use of Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Google Earth, and other related software.
• Experience with GPS units/software, ArcGIS, ArcCollector and sub-meter field data collection.

Work Environment

The Biologist must be capable of working in temperature extremes for long hours and be able to handle strenuous physical activity and conditions (i.e., hiking for hours a day while carrying equipment).

Compensation & Benefits

The annual salary range offered for this position is $100-125K. Actual pay offered will be dependent on the experience and expertise of the incoming candidate. 

We offer competitive salaries and benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. Harris & Associates is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability) and provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.

Harris expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.