Senior Paleontologist

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore for projects across our communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong in 21 offices across California, the Pacific Northwest, and the southeastern United States.

ESA seeks a Senior Paleontologist in Southern CAwith 10+ years of experience performing paleontological monitoring, surveys, testing and fossil salvage, recordation of fossil localities, strati graphic columns, and sensitive formations, curation, and preparing environmental reports, and supporting documentation. Remote options may be explored for the right candidate. Candidates with the capability to commute to and around the Southern California area for field work as needed is strongly preferred.

This is a hybrid position with a strong preference on candidates who can work from any of our Southern California ESA locations.

• You are a highly qualified and experienced Senior Paleontologist with 10+ years of experience in relevant scientific or environmental consulting environments. You can leadmulti-facetedpaleontologicalresource-related evaluations,research, and analysesfor a growing group ofpaleontologistswithin our Cultural Resources Group statewide.
• You have excellent field, writing, time/budget management, and organizational capabilities; agency coordination and client service experience; proficiency in the management of paleontological resources within the context of CEQA, NEPA, and the PRPA. You have experience with leading paleontological surveys and salvage projects; as well as, documentation, evaluation, and treatment of fossil resources; and experience preparing paleontological/geological sections of environmental documents and developing mitigation measures.
• You are a qualified paleontologist who holds a graduate degree in paleontology or a closely related field. You meet or exceed the requirements for a paleontological principal investigator and possess the ability to lead field crews and produce well-written and technically supported documents. You work collaboratively with clients and interdisciplinary teams to deliver projects on time and within budget in a fast-paced work environment.
  
  You have excellent organizational and strong problem-solving skills.
• You demonstrate a clear understanding of project management principles and practices and are responsible for the delivery of high-quality work products. You have the ability and desire to coordinate, supervise and mentor junior staff members, and to organize and assist developing a paleontological practice within the southern California cultural resources group.
• You enjoy fieldwork and can walk long distances carrying a backpack; and are able to lift at least 50 pounds. You are confident working outside, in remote and rural settings, as well as in urban environments. Physical outdoor work may include, but may not be limited to, extensive field work and site visits in all types of weather, traversing uneven ground and sometimes steep terrain in forested environments, fields, arid lands, along stream banks, and in coastal/intertidal areas.
  
  Some night and/or weekend work may be required. You may be exposed to inclement weather and uncomfortable working conditions.

• You will manage and carry out surveys and technical document preparation on a wide range of interesting projects throughout the region and practice and will be part of an interdisciplinary team that includes staff from our Cultural, Biological, Energy, Community Development, Transportation, Water, and Airports practices.
• You will manage and conduct archival research, paleontological resources assessments, development of appropriate contexts, paleontological survey and resource documentation, resource evaluations, and impacts analysis meeting CEQA, NEPA and other requirements.
• You will serve as the primary author of paleontological resource assessment reports to support larger multi-disciplinary environmental documents. You will consistently demonstrate your solid writing skills and attentive listening skills. You will supervise project teams and participate in and/or lead client meetings. You will assist in preparing scopes of work and budgets, including providing technical input, contributing to proposal writing, and engaging with proposal/interview teams.
• You will provide mentorship and support for junior staff, including…