Senior Aquatic Scientist
Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties around the globe and are committed to fostering an inclusive community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. We’re a place to apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work that’s critical to our clients and the communities they support. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.
Your Opportunity
Stantec is seeking an Aquatic Scientist to join our Environmental Services practice based in the Sacramento, CA region.
Stantec offers flexible work locations (including working from home), flexible work hours, and a robust compensation and benefits package.
As an Aquatic Scientist, your role on our professional consulting services team is to be part of an interdisciplinary team evaluating field study results and preparing technical reports, identifying and assessing potential project impacts on aquatic resources, and contributing to large environmental documents. You will work with a multidisciplinary team of accomplished senior environmental fisheries and aquatic biologists, environmental engineers, ecologists, and planners on a variety of complex water-related projects in California. Projects include dam decommissioning projects in the Sierra Nevada wilderness and coastal Northern California; water supply and infrastructure projects; hydroelectric relicensing and compliance projects; river restoration projects; and landscape-scale forest resiliency projects. You will be responsible for participating in and leading multi-disciplinary groups to successfully and efficiently execute projects. You will present project activities and results in client and stakeholder meetings, cultivate relationships with client organizations, provide work leadership and training to more junior professional and technical staff, and provide technical guidance to less experienced professionals or technicians assigned to work on water resources and infrastructure projects.
Your Key Responsibilities
- Perform more advanced technical tasks, including report writing and impact assessments, on assigned projects under minimal supervision, including reports, presentations, and required applications to regulatory agencies.
- Key contributor/lead for the preparation of technical reports and technical sections of NEPA/CEQA documents.
- Perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of field data collection, data analysis, and documents.
- Develop project scope of works and budgets for projects.
- Support marketing and business development in positioning for potential projects, writing technical portions of proposals, participating in client interviews, and supporting negotiations for project contracts.
- Collaborate with stakeholders in client meetings and with internal and/or external consultants, sub-contractors, and vendors in preparation and coordination of project work.
- Collaborate with senior technical resource specialists, planners, legal experts, and economists to address complex environmental issues.
- Keep informed of new technical methods/analyses and apply these advanced principles and practices to project activities. and.
- Support the development and management project budget and staff schedules in conjunction with Project Manager(s).
Capabilities and Credentials
- 10+ years of overall experience, with at least 5-8 years of experience as a primary technical contributor to and/or lead of aquatic/fisheries/hydrology/water quality CEQA/NEPA document sections for water resources and infrastructure projects
Strong quantitative and analytical skills, , impact analysis experience, and report writing demonstrated capabilities - Knowledge of:
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- Northern California watersheds and the California Bay-Delta
- Anadromous fish species
- Water temperature and water quality
- NEPA, CEQA, and federal and local and state permit processes
- Northern California watersheds and the California Bay-Delta
- Ability to interpret and implement biological monitoring plans and data
- Experience/ability to lead mid-level and junior aquatic biologists
- Are self-starting, team-oriented professional with excellent written and communication skills that can manage multi-disciplinary teams comprised of internal staff and subcontractors.
- Experience with proposal writing and business development
- Willing and able to travel to project meetings and field site visits
- Ability to work well independently and with a diverse, multi-disciplinary team
- High function in detail-orientation skills.
- Positive and energetic attitude
Education and Experience
- Master's Degree or PhD in fish biology, aquatic ecology, water resources, or environmental sciences/management/engineering or related science.
- 10+ years of overall experience, with a minimum of 5 years as a primary technical contributor to and/or lead of aquatic/fisheries/hydrology/water quality CEQA/NEPA document sections.
- Experience in the support of delivering high quality work products.
Work Environment and Physical Demands
Indoor (Office Environment) Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting. Majority of time spent using computer/laptop at workstation and related office equipment.
Field (Outdoor Environment) - 25% or less - activities are performed in a variety of outdoor work environments that may change regularly based on project requirements. Work environments may include exposure to varying terrain, heights, bodies of water, environmental (i.e., animals/plants) or biological contact. Work in an environment where the noise and temperature levels may vary. May requiring hiking moderate distances to field sites. Requirement to wear appropriate personal protective equipment as required.
This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.