American Burying Beetle Biologist

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned company of cultural and natural resource scientists and planners. Our professionals specialize in natural and cultural resource management, environmental planning, regulatory compliance, and sustainability services.

We are actively seeking resumes for qualified individuals for a Temporary Staff Level American Burying Beetle Biologist role to support our projects in Oklahoma and surrounding area. This is a full time, hourly position. The Staff Level Biologist will perform biological field surveys, assist with data collection, and data entry for a variety of natural resources projects. The selected individual will be part of the Natural Resources team.

Under this job requisition, we may hire for any of the following positions:

• Natural Resources Technician: Typically, up to 6 months of relevant survey experience
• Assistant Staff Biologist: Typically, up to 1 year of experience and expertise
• Staff Biologist Typically, up to 2 years of experience and expertise

We work to support our client’s needs across multiple service areas including renewable generation, transmission, oil & gas, transportation, land development, and ecological restoration. The position requires the ability to work long hours in harsh conditions and be on the road for several days or weeks at a time.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

What you will accomplish

• Participate in American burying beetle presence/absence surveys.
• Record data on tablets using ESRI applications such as Field Maps, Survey123, and similar formats.
• Use topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS units, ESRI ArcGIS, and other maps and tools to determine exact locations of project areas, habitat types, and associated landforms.
• Photograph and record appropriate habitat, species, and landforms.
• Operate SWCA vehicles. Ability to drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle on rugged, backcountry roads.
• Assist project managers in data organization, interpretation, and report preparation as needed.
• Adhere to SWCA’s safety procedures and standards of scientific and professional ethics.
• For assistant staff and staff Biologist positions, a key element of your job will be to supervise a small crew while conducting environmental fieldwork. This includes:
• Independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery.
• Ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely.
• Serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers.
• Receiving and resolving complaints from employees in the field.
• Monitoring team productivity and offering timely performance guidance, including determining when correction action is needed and delivering appropriate feedback.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Valid Section 10(a)(1)(A) Recovery Permit for American burying beetle.
• Experience conducting American burying beetle presence/absence surveys.
• Ability to identify other similar Nicrophorus species in the region.
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or a related life sciences field, preferred.
• Minimum of one year field experience.
• Experience collecting field data using tablets with ESRI applications such as Field Maps and Survey123, preferred.

Additional Information:

• Ability to travel to a location, conducting fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather and in rugged terrain.
• Ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Frequent travel, including weekends, will be required for the position with field work sometimes reaching 90% of your time. 

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

At SWCA, we support our team members in developing their careers to make them leaders in their industry. Our Career Landscape initiative is a process and guide designed to help develop chart rewarding career paths for employees at SWCA. We encourage professional conference attendance, internal and external professional development and training programs, education reimbursement, a Science and Leadership Program, and bonuses for publications meeting certain criteria. All regular status employees are eligible to participate in SWCA medical, dental, vision, employee assistance, wellness, life and disability plans, and are eligible to participate in the SWCA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

 If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email [email protected] or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

EOE – women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency. An employee in this Arlington, TX based position can expect an hourly rate of the following: Natural Resources Technician- $18.50- $24.50/hr.; Assistant Staff Biologist- $20.50- $26.50/hr.; Staff Biologist- $23.00- $30.00/hr. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.