Senior Ecologist

Job Description

AECOM is seeking an experienced Senior Ecologist to join our Southern California Natural Resources Group as a senior‑level leader and mentor with expertise in business development and project management.

This hybrid role can be based in our San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, or San Luis Obispo, CA offices. The position will support numerous natural resource projects in the southern and central California regions, expanding as far as northern California and west covering states such as Nevada and Arizona. Key responsibilities include growing portfolios of large‑scale cutting‑edge environmental projects, managing impact assessments, mitigation planning, regulatory compliance, and permitting efforts including CEQA/NEPA, 404/401, CESA, and ESA, and preparing environmental documents and management plans.

Candidates will coordinate with resource agency staff, lead complex environmental, water, and/or species‑related permitting projects, and participate in public review processes.

• Effectively respond to RFPs and develop winning proposals, including assembling proposal materials and participating in client interviews.
• Manage a team to prepare large, complex natural resources documents such as Biological Technical Reports, Biological Assessments, 2081 Permit Applications, Habitat Conservation Plans, Eagle Conservation Plans, and/or Delineation Reports, Aquatic Resources Permit Applications or other Federal and State Permit Applications, operating as primary author or senior reviewer as appropriate.
• Become an AECOM Certified Project Manager and manage projects/tasks that include all aspects of environmental analysis (e.g., biological, cultural, air quality, traffic, etc.).
• Manage projects with large‑scale field efforts and intensive schedules.
• Manage large‑scale compliance projects requiring adherence to permit conditions.
• Perform project management duties such as forecasting, tracking, accounting updates, invoicing, progress reports, and scheduling.
• Review contracts for scope, fee, schedule, and deliverables, and all other contractual obligations.
• Develop work breakdown structure for control and integrity of work as defined by the contract.
• Monitor and analyze project costs, commitments, accruals, and changes, and take corrective action where necessary.
• Identify trends and deviations in financial performance to the project team with recommended courses of action.
• Operate as primary point of contact for clients and resource agencies on projects.
• Perform client management duties such as recurring status meetings, milestone check‑ins, and day‑to‑day interfacing.
• Focus on supporting the career development of junior staff in the practice.
• Participate in interviews with large or small teams for a variety of clients.
• Contribute to the growth of the department through marketing pursuits including proposal preparation, interviews, and business development.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (biology, ecology, or project management/controls).
• 8 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education in natural resources/project management with expertise in Southern California ecology.
• Valid U.S. Driver’s license.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in a related field (biology, ecology, or project management/controls).
• 15+ years of experience in natural resources/project management.
• Proven track record of bringing in new work, growing projects and clients, and delivering winning proposals.
• Experience with career development of junior and mid‑level biologists.
• Experience with protocol wildlife surveys, habitat assessments, and/or botanical surveys.
• Possession of valid USFWS 10(a) permits to conduct wildlife protocol surveys in Southern and/or Central California.
• Previous experience working on environmental programs in the utility, renewables, federal, and transportation sectors in Southern and/or Central California.
• Data management experience, including electronic data collection in field; managing large data sets.
• Willingness to work with multiple colleagues on a variety of initiatives.
• Successful…