On-call Wildlife Biologist (San Diego, Orange, LA Counties)

About Wildlife Innovations Inc.:

Wildlife Innovations, Inc. is a biological consulting firm that specializes in wildlife and predator research and management to support the recovery of threatened and endangered species, promote habitat restoration/maintenance, and reduce human/wildlife conflict. We also provide environmental compliance services for a variety of projects and support injured wildlife rescue programs. We utilize the latest technology to support our objectives, and those of our clients, and have extensive experience working on city, state, and federal lands, including in areas requiring a higher level of operational awareness, such as on military installations, State Parks, busy construction sites, and airports. Wildlife Innovations is certified by the State of California as a Small Business and Micro Business and by the City of San Diego as a SLBE. Our team is trained and certified/permitted to employ a variety of techniques to support conservation, human safety, and environmental compliance in both urban and rural environments.

Job Summary:

We are hiring for three locations, including coastal areas within San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. The on-call Biologist will be responsible for conducting pre-construction, construction, and post-construction monitoring and surveillance, nesting bird surveys (avian only), presence/absence surveys, and habitat assessments for avian and mammalian species. Additionally, the biologist will digitally collect data from the field and use it to author technical reports on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis. Work will be conducted primarily in coastal areas; however, this position may require occasional travel to project sites within other areas of San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. This position will be for approximately 6-12 months (DOE), initiating March 2023 (may be negotiable). Upon satisfactory completion of all duties during this term, and depending on funding, employment with Wildlife Innovations may be extended.

Compliance Obligations:

• Maintain compliance with Federal, State, and Local laws.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct biological surveys, including construction monitoring, nesting bird surveys, habitat assessments for fauna, and/or presence/absence surveys;
• Digitally collect/record data in the field and maintain database(s);
• Prepare detailed weekly, monthly, and/or annual technical reports.
• Utilize knowledge of major state and federal agencies (e.g. CDFW and USFWS) and other regulatory frameworks (e.g., NEPA, CEQA, ESA, ect…) and apply to assigned tasks.
• Work under supervision of senior-level team members to coordinate constraints and scheduling.
• Ensure assigned tasks stay on schedule and budget.
• Some travel may be required.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Zoology, Wildlife Biology/Ecology, Wildlife Science, at an accredited University, or a closely related field required;
• Minimum of two (2) years applicable professional experience;
• California Driver’s License or ability to obtain one once hired;
• Ability to diligently conduct surveys and accurately record detailed field observational data;
• High proficiency in accurately identifying avian species in Southern and Central California, by sight, sound, and track, and down to species, age, and sex (when applicable);
• Professional experience conducting wildlife surveys, collecting/logging detailed data, and preparation of technical reports;
• Extensive Four-wheel drive experience, including operating in steep, muddy, or sandy environments;
• Experience with using and maintaining optics, including binoculars and spotting scopes;
• Extensive experience/proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and SharePoint;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills and ability to meet tight deadlines;
• Ability to operate as a team player;
• A positive attitude;
• Enthusiasm for learning new skills and techniques;
• Strong safety consciousness;
• Patience;
• High level of confidentiality;
• Willingness to travel to various project sites in a single day;
• Ability to conduct surveys for sometimes long and continuous periods of time;
• Willingness to work in inclement weather, including heat, rain, fog, etc.;
• Ability to hike up to 3 miles per day, but more commonly one (1) to two (2) miles; and
• Tolerance for exposure to various noise levels;

Desired Experience, Licenses, and Experience:

• Scientific Collecting Permit or other permits
• Project Management Experience;
• Experience operating in sensitive species habitat;
• MS in Wildlife Science, or a related field, at an accredited University;
• ArcGIS or mapping software certifications/experience;
• Experience in preparing annual reports, proposals, and wildlife mitigation plans;
• Wilderness First Aid (dependent on project); and

Job Type: Part-time/On-call

Compensation: $30-$50/Hour