Wildlife Biologist at WRA, Inc. San Francisco, CA

Wildlife Biologist - WRA Inc, San Francisco, CA

We are looking for a Wildlife Biologist to join our team and tackle complex ecological challenges across California.

At WRA, you'll play a key role in supporting a wide range of projects — from ecological restoration and open space management to water and wastewater infrastructure and climate resiliency initiatives. While our work spans the state, this role will primarily focus on projects in the San Francisco Bay and Estuary. Your work will take you from the coastal salt marshes of the Bay and Pacific Coast, to the grasslands and vernal pools of the Central Valley, and into the Sierra Nevada mountains.

As a mid-level professional, we’re looking for someone who is motivated, intellectually curious, and eager to learn from our team of experienced biologists. We are especially interested in candidates with experience working with special-status species and a passion for encountering some of the rarest wildlife in the continental United States — while continuing to grow both technically and as a project manager.

You will lead and conduct fieldwork, perform data analysis, and prepare technical reports to support regulatory compliance for restoration, development, and infrastructure efforts. The ideal candidate brings experience with field assessments, permitting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), as well as impacts and mitigation evaluations for CEQA and other regulatory approvals.

To be considered for this role, candidates must reside within approximately 45 minutes of our San Rafael, Emeryville, and Petaluma offices. This proximity ensures you can actively contribute to our collaborative team environment and be available for local field site visits as needed.

• Manage preparation of biological technical reports, restoration/mitigation monitoring reports and species-specific survey reports with oversight and guidance from senior team members
• Conduct CEQA analyses focused on biological resources, including existing condition evaluations, impact assessments, and mitigation recommendations, for IS/MNDs and EIRs
• Make ecological management recommendations based on results of ecological surveys and monitoring data
• Conduct and lead field surveys for various species and engage with other WRA staff to lead multi-disciplinary field efforts
• Collaborate with other technical staff (e.g., biologists, wetland delineators, arborists, GIS specialists) and sub-consultants (e.g., archaeologists, historians) in the completion of technical studies (desktop or field-based)
• Work with engineers to review their designs to help avoid and minimize impacts to regulated species, protected aquatic resources and other sensitive areas
• Prepare environmental permit applications and technical documents to support inter-agency consultations (e.g., Section 7 of the Federal Endangered Species Act)
• Prepare letters, reports, and/or memorandums, which may include detailing results of surveys or assessments
• Apply your understanding of the regulatory permitting environment in California to projects
• Evaluate project sites for jurisdictional streams and wetlands as well as habitat for special-status species
• Collaborate closely with WRA's senior regulatory permitting specialists and CEQA/NEPA planners to develop environmental scopes of work and budgets
• Build and apply skills needed to interact directly with clients and regulatory agencies to manage projects

• A bachelor's or master’s degree in Ecology, Biology, or other Natural Resources-related field
• 3 years of consulting experience, including direct experience in the identification and ecology of Northern or Southern California wildlife and habitats
• Technical knowledge of California's wildlife species, habitats, and applicable state and federal regulations
• Experience substantially assisting project managers, and a desire to be mentored in managing WRA's environmental work
• Direct experience working multiple projects and tasks; able to determine project and task urgency in a practical way
• Direct experience with aquatic…