Wildlife Biologist

WRA, Inc. provides professional environmental consulting services in plant, wildlife, and wetland ecology; GIS; environmental planning; regulatory compliance; mitigation and conservation banking; landscape architecture; and engineering. We have been in operation for more than forty years and are in the midst of a gradual shift from a small business to a medium sized business. This means that we simultaneously benefit from having a relationship-oriented company culture while also having invested in systems, processes, and structures to support our collective success. WRA is an employee-owned company, and we are invested in long-term high-quality professional experiences for all of our staff. 

WRA’s Compliance Monitoring Team specializes in project implementation, permitting compliance, monitoring, and reporting. The CM Team provides the last line of defense to ensure protectionary measures for special status species are carried out in accordance with resource agency permits, while simultaneously preserving project timeline and budget. WRA’s Compliance Specialists have created workflows and efficiencies that accomplish take-avoidance objectives while being minimally disruptive to the construction team before, during, and after build-out.  The CM team works with forepersons, laborers, project and construction managers, and regulators to anticipate and avoid potential problems before they happen. 

We are looking to add a Wildlife Biologist/Junior Project Manager that is interested in learning how the science and regulatory policy converge in real-world scenarios. The successful candidate will work alongside the Compliance Monitoring Team Leader to support our current clients, oversee and manage compliance tasks and projects, have opportunities to play an active role in marketing, and interface with all the cogs in WRA’s compliance wheel.  Ideally, and over time, you will help grow the scope and scale of WRA’s compliance monitoring services. 

You will have the option to work in person or on a hybrid remote/in-office schedule. The candidate will be within commuting distance to one of our three Northern California offices (San Rafael, Petaluma, and Emeryville) for office and field site visits. Occasional travel, night work, and seasonally long days in the field will also be required. 

In this role, you will:

• Work with interdisciplinary teams and managers at WRA across markets and services
• Ensure compliance with regulatory permit conditions across USFWS Biological Opinions, CDFW Incidental Take Permits, 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreements, and others
• Perform field-based Biological Compliance Monitoring for a broad range of species throughout California
• Engage with Agency, and construction personnel to solve complex and nuanced natural resource and regulatory problems
• Track project milestones and be responsible for reporting requirements
• Manage task budgets and deliverables
• Author compliance and monitoring related work products
• Perform staffing and scheduling
• Participate in marketing endeavors including preparation of proposals and business development
• Be encouraged to improve system functions, engage in thought leadership and evolve the means and methods of species protection in real-world situations.
• Be rewarded for your contributions in Team and Company growth.

To be successful in this role, you will need: 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in natural resources, biology, ecology or relevant experience
• Curiosity, critical thinking, and excellent judgment
• Documented experience with construction compliance monitoring, ideally previous approvals at the CDFW Designated Biologist level are preferred
• Experience with special-status species in California (Candidates with experience with California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog, (north)western pond turtle, and salt-marsh harvest mouse will be prioritized in the application process) 
• Self discipline and strong orientation or attitude towards leadership 
• The ability to distill complicated technical ideas to a lay audience
• The ability to multitask, communicate, and follow through
• A clean driving record
• To be a team player

WRA has an established internal leveling system for our staff that maps to salary bands that have been informed by market data. Our leveling system is dependent on years of relevant industry experience, education, and the level of responsibility and autonomy at which you’re expected to operate.

The salary range for this position is $66,000 – $90,000 depending on experience. This range represents 2 job levels that WRA is open to considering for this role. In your first conversation with our recruiter, we will discuss leveling and compensation with you to make sure that expectations are aligned. 

Who are we?

WRA’s company vision is “cultivating a sustainable future where people and the environment thrive” and that starts with our staff. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment, and we have developed flexible policies, internal practices, and are investing in programs that prioritize learning and sustainability. We aim to create conditions that allow employees to prioritize their families, lead healthy and balanced lives, and to bring their authentic selves to work every day. We believe that by creating an exceptional workplace, our employees will be able to do their best work and be able to meaningfully contribute to the sustainability of the environment and the communities in which we live.

WRA is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to creating a diverse environment. We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.