Wildlife Project Manager

WRA’s an employee-owned environmental consultancy. We are a tenacious team of planners, engineers, and scientists, and we aim to leave the lands we love better than we found them. 

Our clients and partners hire us because we’re skilled at navigating through challenging projects involving wildlands, parks, community spaces, and infrastructure. We bring over four decades of expertise, long-standing relationships, and connections to our local communities to make sure that projects are pursued in responsible ways where both people and the environment thrive. 

As an organization, we believe that independence and interdependence are not mutually exclusive. We invest in systems, processes, and employee programs to support our staff’s collective engagement and success. At the same time, we encourage our employees to operate with an ownership mindset, taking responsibility for outcomes and being true to our commitments. 

We are hiring a seasoned Wildlife Project Manager to solve complex problems for our clients with a core emphasis on wildlife ecology in California. At WRA, you will be at the forefront of managing a variety of projects including ecological restoration, open space, water and wastewater infrastructure, and resiliency in areas throughout California, but primarily focused on the San Francisco Bay and Estuary. You will be responsible for managing and conducting fieldwork, data analysis, and technical report preparation in support of regulatory compliance for restoration, development, and infrastructure projects. Ideal applicants will have experience interfacing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in obtaining incidental take authorizations for listed species, evaluating potential impacts and developing mitigation for CEQA and regulatory permit applications. This role is based in the San Francisco Bay to Sacramento corridor. Lastly, an important role for this position is serving as a mentor to our staff as they develop their technical expertise and leadership skills.

Are you excited to build on your technical experience while further developing your project management and client advisory skills? Do you want to grow your career as a professional consultant with a company full of individuals at the top of their field, who are passionate about cultivating a sustainable future? If so, come join our team!

In this role, you will:

• Manage preparation of biological technical reports, restoration/mitigation monitoring reports, and botanical/rare plant survey reports
• Help support and guide clients to outcomes that balance ecological and human needs
• Design and lead field surveys for various species and engage with other WRA staff to lead multi-disciplinary field efforts
• Conduct CEQA analyses focused on biological resources, including existing condition evaluations, impact assessments, and mitigation recommendations, for IS/MNDs and EIRs
• Develop creative strategies and recommendations for avoiding or mitigating project effects on wildlife and aquatic resources
• Make ecological management recommendations based on results of field surveys
• Complete and oversee implementation of Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Plans and Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plans
• Apply your understanding of the regulatory permitting environment in California to projects

To be successful in this role, you will need: 

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Ecology, Biology, or other Natural Resources-related field
• 5 years of consulting experience, including conducting field surveys in California
• Direct experience managing multiple projects and tasks; able to determine project and task urgency in a practical way
• Direct experience with regulatory permitting
• Direct experience coordinating field surveys at remote and challenging-to-access field sites
• Technical knowledge of California’s wildlife species, habitats, and applicable state and federal regulations
• Experience in CEQA/NEPA wildlife review and analysis, restoration project land management, and compliance with state and federal requirements during and after project construction
• Prior experience managing and mentoring junior staff
• A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation (while WRA has fleet vehicles that can be reserved for field use, during busy field seasons a truck may not be available)
• The ability to walk, hike, and work outside for long periods of time

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 $81,500 – $117,000 which 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 to cultivate a sustainable future where people and the environment thrive, and that effort starts first 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.