Field Biologist (Level I)

Position Title: Biologist l, Avila and Associates Consulting Engineers

Location: SF Bay Area, CA

Pay Range: Salary $55,000-$70,000

Minimum Relevant Experience: 0-2 years

Benefits:  100% paid by employer Full medical, dental, vision; 401K match

Overview:

Avila and Associates is seeking a Biologist I or Biologist ll to participate in a wide variety of field work, environmental planning, and management activities in the greater Bay Area. Avila and Associates is a small, woman-owned business, primarily working on restoration and mitigation sites for public agencies. The environmental services group is a small, tight-knit team of biologists who work collaboratively to deliver high-quality work that impacts client decisions about how to best manage sensitive resources and habitats. The successful candidate will have the biological, wildlife, botanical, and ecological skill-set required and be excited to work on a dynamic, supportive team where collaborative decision-making is the norm. Offices are located in Pleasanton, Concord, and San Francisco CA; field sites in the greater Bay Area and California

This position will be responsible for and work with a team of other consultants and clients to

• Perform biological monitoring such as nesting bird, bat roost, invasive plant, and rare plant surveys ahead of and during projects
• Oversee crews removing nonnative invasive plants or installing native vegetation
• Perform reconnaissance level botanical surveys and implement monitoring plans
• Contribute to technical reports and memoranda
• Contribute to the documents required to obtain permits and agreements required by local, state and federal regulatory agencies
• Assist in field studies, small projects, or portions of larger projects as part of a group
• Provide quality checks and oversee subcontractor performance on small projects
• Provide support to project leads

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience identifying common native and introduced plants in a wide variety of habitats in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
• Keep detailed and accurate field records. Comfort with ESRI Field Maps, Microsoft Suite, and Google Suite
• Comfort working around heavy machinery such as chainsaws, chippers, excavators, and skidsteers.
• Participate in field activities often under inclement conditions – drizzle, cold, and extreme heat are common.
• Make sounds field decisions. Keeps in contact with supervisor and field team.
• Communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders including the public and regulatory agency staff.
• Work collaboratively with Avila staff and with diverse and multi-disciplinary teams and resolve differences effectively.
• Ability to be a self-starter and work independently.

Biologist I Candidate will have

All of the above and:

• Knowledge of Bay Area special status flora and fauna species. Able to identify common California native and introduced species.
• Support all field surveys and occasionally lead survey days as needed.
• Ability to conduct the worker environmental awareness training to construction and other work crews.
• Comfort leading contract crews in habitat restoration activities. Willingness to learn on the job and grow leadership skills.
• Collect, organize, synthesize, and analyze data in the field or office.
• Perform record and data management, data analyses, QA/QC, and maintain data integrity.
• Supports biological and environmental projects as needed and commensurate with their skills and abilities.
• Possession of baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in a biological science or related field (example degrees include botany, wildlife biology, fisheries biology, marine biology, aquatic biology, limnology, etc.). In some instances, comparable work experience demonstrating understanding of basic scientific and biological principles on-par with a four-year degree may be accepted.

Other Qualifications

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, valid California driver’s license.
• Use of personal vehicle for work will be required.

Environmental & Physical Conditions (for all positions)

Office and field environments; Travel to work sites, typically within California; exposure to inclement weather; work in or with water, or on slippery or uneven surfaces.

Essential functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, walking and standing for prolonged periods of time, and ability to walk and work in rugged dry and wet terrain while carrying light to moderate equipment and material of up to 50 pounds.

This position is based out of our Pleasanton, CA office and on-site at various field sites in California, though most work is in the San Francisco Bay Area. These positions will be required to work at our Concord or Pleasanton office periodically, but will otherwise work from home when not in the field. Work laptop will be provided.

We welcome applicants with specialized skills and experience in the following areas:

Wildlife Experience:

• Possession of a Recovery Permit or 10(a)(1)(A) permit and/or a Scientific Collection Permit for any listed species.
• Agency-approved experience working with the listed species or their habitats (without holding a permit).
• Completion of relevant species-specific workshops or trainings.
• Field survey experience for some or all of the species mentioned below.

Hands-on experience with the following species is highly desirable:

• California red-legged frog (CRLF)
• California tiger salamander (CTS)
• Western pond turtle (WPT)
• Foothill yellow-legged frog (FYLF)
• San Francisco garter snake (SFGS)
• San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat (SFDW)
• Alameda whipsnake
• Marbled murrelet
• Burrowing owl
• Monarch, Silverspot, and Mission blue butterflies
• Western and Crotch’s bumble bees
• Ridgway’s rail
• Salt marsh harvest mouse
• Snowy plover
• Black rail
• Bullfrog removal experience or training (methods may include air rifle, hand capture, dip net, gig, slingshot, etc.).
• Nesting bird surveys, particularly with experience in California or the Bay Area.
• Bat habitat assessments and surveys.

Biological Monitoring

• Experience serving as a biological monitor on construction or restoration projects in sensitive habitats and areas supporting special-status species.
• Ability to develop and deliver environmental compliance training to construction crews.

Plant and Vegetation Survey Experience

Rare Plant / Vegetation Surveys

• Experience conducting surveys using Relevé and rapid assessment methods.
• Strong botanical identification skills, with preference for local California flora expertise.
• Familiarity with CDFW protocol-level rare plant surveys.
• Knowledge of the Manual of California Vegetation and ability to classify vegetation communities accordingly.

Wetland Delineation

• Experience conducting or assisting with wetland delineations.
• Possession of a wetland delineation certificate or demonstrable experience preparing wetland delineation reports.