Associate Biologist

About the Role

Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and a vision for growth. Together we foster an inclusive community of diverse talents to apply passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work critical to our clients and communities. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Stantec is seeking a consulting biologist with a minimum of 5 years of experience to join our Southern California Ecosystems Group operating out of one of our Southern California offices, including Bakersfield, Fresno, Irvine, Los Angeles, Monrovia, Paramount, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Santa Maria, and Ventura. We welcome a talented and collaborative team member with demonstrable experience in Southern California and elsewhere.

As an Associate Biologist with Stantec, you will work in a highly dynamic team environment with other biologists, ecologists, water resource specialists, and land planning and regulatory experts. The position includes opportunities for both field and office work; it may also involve field work during construction of projects and implementation of ecosystem restoration projects. You will be relied upon to lead and mentor field teams on a variety of multi-disciplinary projects for diverse clientele and business sectors, including renewable energy, oil and gas projects, electric and gas transmission projects, transportation projects, community development projects, and projects for other public and private sector clients.

• Lead and mentor project field teams and provide support to project managers on renewable energy, oil and gas, and other development projects.
• Schedule, assist, and/or lead teams for field tasks such as special-status species surveys/inventories, nesting bird surveys, vegetation community assessments & mapping, jurisdictional waters delineations & assessments, and compliance monitoring.
• Provide guidance to junior staff, including training recommendations, coaching, and mentoring.
• Plan, prepare, and review technical reports or portions of larger environmental assessments.
• Work with business development teams to contribute to requests for proposals (RFPs) including scope definition, associated cost, and compiling relevant sections of proposal documents.
• Assist teams in pursuing and contributing to new business opportunities and effective technical proposals.
• May contribute to our corporate profile through active participation in professional associations and committees.
• Under the supervision of senior staff: coordinate with clients and regulators to communicate results of various survey efforts and technical reports.
• Assist with development of permitting strategies, permit application packages, and agency negotiations.
• Have a target 80–85% direct project utilization goal.
• Conduct overnight travel within and outside Southern California.

• Biologist or natural resources management specialist; minimum bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Natural Resources Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of related experience with increasing responsibility in conducting biological resources surveys and preparing technical reports.
• Collaborative team member who works effectively on multi‑disciplinary project and field teams.
• Proficient in health and safety policies and procedures, including client‑specific training.
• Ability to coordinate with project managers to conduct work efficiently within scope, budget, and schedule.
• Demonstrable background, knowledge, and experience with flora, fauna, and vegetative communities of Southern California.
• Experience conducting floristic botanical surveys, reconnaissance wildlife surveys, and species‑specific protocol surveys.
• Experience with or permits for arroyo toad, coastal California gnatcatcher, least Bell’s vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, Mohave ground squirrel, and/or desert tortoise (plus).
• Possession of a California Scientific Collecting Permit, State…