Wetland and Permitting Specialist

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm that has been operating for 50 years across 21 offices in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast. ESA plans, designs, permits, mitigates, and restores projects for communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands.

ESA seeks a highly motivated Wetland Scientist and Permitting Specialist to join our Pacific Northwest Biological Resources and Land Management team. The ideal candidate has 8+ years of experience in wetland science and permitting in Washington and Oregon, but 5+ years of experience will also be considered. This is a salaried, full‑time exempt role that requires hybrid work (1‑2 days per week) from one of our Northwest offices in Seattle, Portland, or Bend, with some travel for in‑person collaboration, project visits, and field work.

• A scientist and permitting specialist with at least 5 years of experience in the Northwest collecting, analyzing, and presenting ecological data and environmental documentation to support projects and obtain regulatory permits and approvals.
• Experience developing and leading wetland and aquatic resources studies, with some experience in one or more of the biological disciplines ESA projects require, including botany, fisheries biology, wildlife ecology, and habitat restoration ecology. Certifications and training in one or more of these disciplines are a plus.
• Served as the primary or contributing author on a variety of environmental documents such as Wetland and Stream Reports, critical area reports, Biological Assessments for Endangered Species Act consultations, habitat mitigation plans, strategic plans for watershed management, fish passage barrier assessments, and permit applications including Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Applications and Joint Permit Applications.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, known for preparing clear, concise, well‑written, and well‑supported documents.
• Led field survey efforts and data collection for environmental projects and can work with multiple teams and complex schedules.
• Drafted scopes of work for senior‑level review on small to complex projects, identifying necessary tasks, preparing task descriptions, and estimating the associated level of effort.
• Hold a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in biology or a related environmental or ecological field.
• Can safely operate, load, and transport equipment and gear, and navigate across fences, creeks, and other obstacles. Experience with digital field data collection tools such as GPS, ArcGIS Collector/Field Maps, Fulcrum, Survey 123 is desired but not required.
• Collaborates effectively with clients and interdisciplinary teams to deliver high quality work products according to scopes, schedules, and budgets.
• Ready to work hybrid primarily in one of our Northwest offices in Seattle, Portland, or Bend with some days working remotely.

• Serve as field lead or crew member performing field surveys and act as primary author of environmental documents including technical memoranda, biological assessments/habitat evaluations, scientific discipline reports, habitat mitigation plans, and impact evaluations to support resource‑related permit applications, including Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.
• Apply technical skills and permitting knowledge to natural resources projects, serving as a technical specialist, participating in environmental analyses, and coordinating with key team members, including senior and junior staff, subconsultants, and clients. Lead the preparation and implementation of biological field studies such as wetland delineations, vegetation classification and habitat mapping, stream habitat assessment, fish passage barrier assessment, nesting bird surveys, endangered species occurrence, and water quality sampling.
• Act as Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, or Task Lead depending on project complexity. Demonstrate a clear understanding of project management principles, manage work to scope, budget, and schedule, communicate proactively to navigate scope challenges,…