Environmental Permitting Specialist ​/ Wildlife Biologist

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Your impact

Jacobs is seeking an experienced Environmental Permitting Specialist / Wildlife Biologist to join our growing Environmental Planning and Permitting team in Boston, Massachusetts. This hybrid position offers a unique opportunity to combine environmental permitting expertise with technical wildlife biology experience to support a diverse portfolio of transportation, energy, and private development projects throughout Massachusetts and the Northeast.

The successful candidate will divide their time between leading environmental permitting efforts and conducting wildlife biology studies, including threatened and endangered species surveys, wildlife habitat assessments, and agency coordination. This role requires a strong understanding of federal, state, and local environmental regulations, as well as demonstrated field experience evaluating wildlife resources and supporting environmental compliance for complex infrastructure and development projects.

Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams of planners, engineers, ecologists, and environmental scientists, the candidate will help clients navigate regulatory requirements while promoting environmentally responsible project development.

Primary Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage environmental permit applications for transportation, energy, and private development projects.
• Support and lead permitting efforts under federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
• Prepare and coordinate permit applications including but not limited to:
  Clean Water Act Section 10/401/404/408 and related federal authorizations (Section 4(f), Section 106, Section 7, Coastal Zone Management), state environmental policy acts, state level permitting (MA, RI, CT, NY, VT, ME, etc), and local permit applications (MA Conservation Commission filings, local stormwater bylaw compliance).
• Coordinate with regulatory agencies, including:
  • Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
  • Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
  • Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP)
  • Local Conservation Commissions
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
  • National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries/NMFS)
• Support environmental review and permitting under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Rivers Protection Act, and other applicable regulations.
• Prepare technical reports, permit application packages, environmental analyses, and agency correspondence.
• Participate in client meetings, regulatory agency consultations, and public stakeholder discussions.
• Track permit schedules, environmental commitments, and regulatory milestones throughout project development.

Wildlife Biology and Natural Resources

• Conduct field surveys and assessments for threatened, endangered, and special concern wildlife species and their habitats.
• Perform wildlife habitat evaluations, ecological assessments, and natural resource inventories.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret biological data to support permitting and environmental compliance efforts.
• Evaluate project impacts to wildlife populations, critical habitats, and ecological resources.
• Prepare biological assessments, habitat assessments, wildlife technical memoranda, and regulatory documentation.
• Coordinate directly with federal and state wildlife agencies regarding species occurrence, survey protocols, consultation requirements, and mitigation measures.
• Support compliance activities associated with the Endangered Species Act, Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and other applicable wildlife protection regulations.
• Provide technical input on avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and habitat restoration strategies.
• Conduct field work in diverse environments including…