Environmental Scientist II

Wildlands Engineering, Inc. is seeking a motivated individual to join our team! Duties of the Environmental Scientist will include performing stream, riparian buffer, and wetland ecological assessments, geomorphic data collection, wetland delineations, endangered and threatened species surveys, vegetation inventories, and compiling environmental permit applications and technical reports. This position will also support Wildlands’ Buffer and Nutrient Offset Program through the review of baseline and annual monitoring reports, tracking of report schedules, training of other staff, and coordination with regulatory agencies. The Environmental Scientist’s role will involve both field and office work and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced work environment. The Environmental Scientist will also be responsible for monitoring and documenting site conditions and working collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team.

Company Information
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. was founded in 2007 and focuses on stream and wetland restoration, watershed planning and assessment, and water quality management. With offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee; Wildlands Engineering provides water resources engineering, ecosystem restoration, mitigation banking, and consulting services to an array of clients, including local and state government and conservation organizations. Our dedicated, motivated, and highly trained team has experience in all aspects of stream and wetland restoration, watershed planning and assessment, and water quality management. Wildlands Engineering is committed to a watershed and ecosystem approach to ecological restoration and water quality management, and we provide exceptional services to our clients in an uncompromisingly ethical, innovative, and time-sensitive manner.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and provide review of baseline and annual reports for nutrient offset and buffer mitigation projects
• Possess an understanding of the NC Nutrient Offset & Buffer Mitigation Program and provide guidance to project teams where necessary
• Evaluate nutrient offset and buffer mitigation projects for adherence to North Carolina Division of Water Resources performance standards
• Provide field and office training to staff for nutrient offset and buffer mitigation project monitoring tasks and report writing
• Assist with prioritizing nutrient offset and buffer mitigation monitoring tasks and coordinating with staff
• Perform stream and general ecological assessments
• Collect geomorphic data on existing and restored streams
• Perform vegetation surveys
• Process field data and organize data for annual reports
• Conduct jurisdictional delineations
• Permit preparation and agency coordination
• Effectively communicate and coordinate with team members
• Meet multiple deadlines with a willingness to react positively to changes in priorities

Qualifications

• 3 to 10 years of experience related to the key responsibilities and requirements of the job
• Knowledge of NCDWR Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Program
• Field monitoring practices including stream geomorphic surveying, vegetation sampling, and/or identifying hydric soils
• Southeastern native and invasive plant identification skills
• Experience delineating streams and wetlands
• Experience with GPS units, ArcGIS Pro, and/or other ESRI data collection software
• Knowledge of NC SAM, NC WAM, and/or NCDWQ Stream Identification Form

Preferred Qualifications

• Technical writing experience
• Experience with 401 buffer permitting
• Experience working with federal and state resource and regulatory agency personnel and various permitting processes
• Threatened and endangered species survey experience
• Benthic macroinvertebrate collection and analysis experience
• Experience interfacing with landowners and agency officials
• An understanding of ecological processes important to riparian and wetland restoration in the southeastern United States

Physical Demands

• Ability to frequently walk over rough, uneven surfaces
• Ability to sustain periods of strenuous physical exertion
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to work independently in an outdoor setting
• The requirements of the job and the physical demands are performed in outdoor weather conditions with frequent exposure to wet/humid conditions and extreme heat or cold. Other adverse factors may include exposure to ticks and poison ivy.