Mid-Level Biologist - San Diego / Encinitas

Encinitas, CA, United States

Who We Are

Dudek is a leading environmental, planning, and engineering firm that help public and private clients plan, design, and build projects that improve communities’ built and natural infrastructure. Founded in 1980, Dudek has grown steadily to more than 800 professionals across the U.S. and received the Top Workplace Award for 2024.

As a 100% employee-owned company, Dudek’s culture rewards smart, productive team members with ownership, professional development, and financial benefits. We seek creative, pragmatic problem-solvers working at the intersection of science, engineering, regulations, and multiple stakeholders’ interest to help clients achieve project goals.

We encourage collaboration, sustainability, and innovation.

At Dudek, we abide by shared values:

Trust: We trust each other to use good judgment.

Respect: We act professionally and treat each other fairly.

Teamwork: We come together, share openly, and apply diverse perspectives.

Fun: We take our work seriously…not ourselves.

Well-Being : We care about each other’s health, safety, and total wellness.

Our culture is the foundation of who we are and how we work. We empower our employee-owners to invest in our local communities and themselves through initiatives that make Dudek a great place to work! Our cultural programs include: DuGreen: Our sustainability initiative, which works to improve our environmental footprint

DuGood: Our philanthropic initiative, which seeks to support the communities in which we live and work through fundraising challenges, office based giving and opportunity to take a paid volunteer day each year.

eDUcate: Our educational outreach program where we aim to foster interest in our work and careers in the environmental and engineering field by participating in educational events in our communities.

DuWell: Our wellness initiative, aimed at providing education on wellness, benefit resources, and preventive care

At Dudek, we recognize that different perspectives, inclusivity, trust and belonging build a stronger culture and add value to our firm. Dudek's Employee Resource (ERGs) operate as diversity champions within Dudek and create a safe space for underrepresented employees and their allies to support, collaborate, network, and brainstorm ways to make Dudek’s work community more inclusive .We currently have ERGs for: Women at Dudek

Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) employees

Disabled employees (all disabilities, seen / unseen)

Learn more about our culture.

About The Job

Dudek is currently seeking a full-time mid-level Biologist to join our biological resources team. The successful candidate will assist our team in conducting a variety of field surveys, including field assessments and impact evaluations for botanical, wildlife, and aquatic resources. This individual may also assist with resource agency permitting. Project work can occur throughout the state of California. Overnight and out-of-region travel may be necessary. This position will necessitate both in-office and field-based work and may be based out of any of the following offices: San Diego or Encinitas. This position may also be considered for hybrid work arrangement depending on the candidate’s home location and proximity to the above offices.

Learn more about the projects you will have the opportunity to shape.

Who You Are

To thrive at Dudek, you should be comfortable with accountability, collaboration, flexibility while being a resourceful and independent thinker. We look for curious, solution-focused people who can adapt quickly to an ever-changing industry. There is no single way to solve a problem, so we encourage innovation.

Duties and Responsibilities (may include some or all of the below): Collect detailed field data, work in remote field locations, hike steep slopes over uneven terrain, and work full days in all types of weather;

Identify California flora to species and subspecies or variety;

Conduct/lead field surveys for rare, threatened, and endangered plants and wildlife;

Conduct/lead vegetation surveys, invasive plant surveys, and habitat assessments;

Conduct long-term rare plant and vegetation monitoring;

Support wildlife-focused survey efforts;

Conduct jurisdictional delineations;

Organize and schedule field surveys;

Prepare reports summarizing methodology, field survey results and recommendations;

Prepare written documentation to support environmental permit applications and CEQA/NEPA biological evaluations;

Assist with resource agency permitting;

Prepare scopes of work and cost estimates for biological resource survey work.

Minimum Requirements Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, botany, environmental science or related natural resources field;

Experience with biological resources impact analyses and mitigation identification/planning;

Understanding of regulatory permitting processes in California for aquatic resources and special-status species;

Attention to detail, ability to work independently and as part of a team;

Strong written and oral communication skills;

Familiarity with and experience using MS Office Suite;

Willingness to travel for work, including over-night stays in hotels;

Must possess a valid driver’s license and have active personal automobile liability insurance by first day of employment.

* As a federal contractor, successful candidates are required to pass the following pre-employment requirements prior to beginning employment: pre - employment drug test and background check.

Preferred Qualifications College coursework and/or a degree with wildlife identification, botanical, natural resources, or conservation, etc emphasis;

Strong interest in developing botanical skills throughout California;

Strong interest in developing wildlife identification and impact evaluation skills throughout California;

Experience surveying for special-status species (plants or wildlife) of California;

Experience with plant identification using dichotomous keys, such as the Jepson Manual, in California;

Experience conducting long-term monitoring for vegetation communities and/or special-status plants;

Experience conducting vegetation mapping;

Experience identifying wildlife and sign in the field;

Experience with field collection applications, such as ESRI Field Maps, Survey123, etc.;

Familiarity with California wetland types and systems;

Basic project management skills (budgeting, scope development, scheduling)

Physical Requirements

Working Conditions: This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc.

This job requires occasional project site visits-based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, moving vehicles and equipment.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met in order to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. This job requires working on a computer, sitting or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting.

This job requires attending meetings, both in person and virtually as well as speaking on the phone with peers, clients, etc. Speaking, hearing and listening are required.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Outdoor activity may involve walking/trekking in uneven terrain over long distances in extreme weather conditions for extended periods of time.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Proposed Salary Range: $70,000 - $100,000 annually*

*Final agreed upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including but not limited to an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location.

Perks of Being a Dudekian

At Dudek we will provide you with a competitive salary in an environment that promotes growth, career development, and a flexible work–life balance. Dudek offers an array of benefits, from medical, dental, and vision coverage, to the discretionary bonuses, based on firmwide, divisional, and individual performance.

We also offer a yearly merit review, an employee stock ownership program, and dog friendly offices! To honor our key value of well-being, Dudek provides a generous vacation package. If you’re tired of an overly bureaucratic decision-making process and want to be part of a work culture that puts its employees first, speak with your recruiter to learn more about the great perks of being a Dudekian.

Dudek is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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