Ecologist Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Your Opportunity
We are currently growing our Environmental Services Power Utility team. Stantec's Northern California team is currently seeking a Project Manager with Senior Biology/Ecology experience to join our Environmental Services Practice working within our power utility sector. The successful candidate will work in a team environment and will be responsible for managing tasks and/or projects, leading the development of technical documents, and managing biological surveys/studies, and/or coordination with environmental permitting for our utility clients. They will also be responsible for assisting and/or leading with proposals as well as presentations to clients and agencies. Stantec offers flexible work locations (including working from home), flexible work hours and a robust compensation and benefits package.
Your Key Responsibilities
As a Project Manager and Senior Biologist/Ecologist, you will provide biological knowledge to support environmental review needs for public and private projects on utility programs. You will manage and lead multi-disciplinary project/program teams. Task duties may include managing environmental permitting efforts, providing quality control on biological reviews and reports, managing technical study support for siting and licensing of other energy production and transmission projects, environmental impact analysis support, and CEQA/NEPA support, and coordination/management for environmental projects.

• Manage multi-discipline program or project schedules, deliverables, budgets, staff, and the project record, and bring program/project schedules, budgets, and scopes of work to successful completion.
• Develop effective and efficient work-flow processes and program/project appropriate communication plans.
• Provide planning and permitting support for electrical transmission siting and licensing projects.
• Leading the preparation and review of technical documents such as due diligence studies, discretionary environmental permitting, State and federal acts, biological technical studies, regulatory compliance services related projects to clients within the environmental services energy sector.
• Help develop and mentor a team of high performers through coaching and training staff to expand understanding of business development, delivery on technical biological reports, environmental permitting, and project delivery/management.
• Developing proposals (scope and budgets) for environmental services tasks, independently or as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Interacting and communicating effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, clients, and agencies. This includes being an active member within a team of our Environmental Services Power Utility team based out of the San Franciso Greater Bay Area and Sacramento Valley Region, and across our North California geography.
• Ability to travel across Northern California to conduct project site visits, mentor staff, and/or attend meetings. This role may be expected to travel overnight for multiple nights, approximately up to 10-20% of the time.

Your Capabilities and Credenti als

• Familiarity with utility environmental review process and permitting assessment process, and a general understanding of local municipal planning within the Northern California region are preferred.
• Past project management experience with a preference for experience in the natural resources planning and permitting within California.
• Minimum 5 years of experience performing environmental planning and permitting work for California Independent Operated Utilities (IOUs).
• Experience with Habitat Conservation Plans, Natural Resource Management Strategies, Environmental Constraints Assessments.
• Ability to validate and accurately analyze information and make sound decisions within a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage risks and safety appropriately, manage information, and provide exceptional service to internal and external clients.
• Effectiveness in resource planning and results delivery, and ability to identify opportunities and build relationships with clients.
• Ability to prioritize and balance workloads to achieve goals while keeping up with a highly mobile and changing environment.

Education and Experience

• Basic: BA/BS degree in Biology or Ecology, Environmental Science, or Environmental Land Use Planning, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies or a related field Bachelor of Science Degree with 7-10 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in the field of natural resources consulting is preferred but not required.
• CEQA/NEPA, CPUC experience a plus.
• Preferred: Master's degree in Ecology or Environmental Land Use Planning, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies or a related field.

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.
This position will be in a typical office environment or a flexible (partial home, partial office) work environment working with computers and working at a stationary desk for long periods of time. Our Environmental Services team generally works remotely and meets frequently; however, an office desk is available if preferred. Because of this, the successful candidate will be expected to reside within a reasonable commuting distance to one of our Northern California offices.
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Pay Range:
• Locations in CO, HI, IL, MD & Various CA, NJ Areas-$117,800.00 - $176,800.00 Annually
• Locations in WA, DC & Various CA, MA areas-$126,400.00 - $189,600.00 Annually
• Locations in NYC & CA (Bay Area) & NJ (RP)-$134,900.00 - $202,500.00 Annually
Pay Transparency: In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Please note, the final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.
Benefits Summary: Regular full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term/long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).
Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.
The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements
Primary Location: United States | CA | Sacramento
Other Locations: United States | CA | Walnut Creek
Organization: 1857 EnvSvcs-US West N California-Sacramento CA
Employee Status: Regular
Business Justification: New Position
Travel: Yes
Schedule: Full time
Job Posting: 04/05/2026 10:05:32
Req ID: 1005704
Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. At Stantec we are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process then please inform a member of our Talent Acquisition team.