Aquatic Biologist

Your Opportunity

Stantec is actively seeking marine and freshwater senior aquatic biologist to support our Environmental Services team of scientists, engineers, planners and other environmental professionals in Northern California.

We are seeking a highly motivated Aquatic Scientist with approximately 10-15 years of experience in freshwater and marine aquatic sciences to join our Environmental Services team. This position will support a diverse portfolio of projects throughout the Western United States, including water resources, transportation, energy, restoration, and municipal infrastructure projects.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership for aquatic resource assessments, environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, environmental documentation, and complex scientific analyses. The position offers opportunities to work closely with multidisciplinary teams while mentoring staff, supporting business development efforts, and contributing to the successful delivery of high-profile projects

Your Key Responsibilities 

Technical Leadership

• Lead and conduct freshwater and marine aquatic resource investigations, fisheries studies, habitat assessments, and environmental analyses.
• Interpret and apply scientific principles to evaluate potential project impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems and fisheries resources.
• Serve as a technical lead on multidisciplinary projects involving aquatic and marine ecology, fisheries biology, water quality, hydrology, habitat restoration, and environmental compliance.
• Provide technical review and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) of reports, analyses, and regulatory documents.

Data Analysis and Modeling Support

• Perform and oversee technical and statistical analyses of biological, habitat, water quality, and fisheries datasets.
• Interpret results from aquatic habitat, temperature, hydrologic, and ecological models to support environmental planning, permitting, and regulatory compliance.
• Integrate field data, monitoring results, modeling outputs, and scientific literature into defensible technical conclusions and recommendations.
• Develop graphics, figures, tables, and data visualizations to support regulatory submittals and technical reports.

Environmental Permitting and Regulatory Compliance

• Assist lead in preparing permit applications and compliance documentation, including;
  • Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certifications
  • Clean Water Act Section 404 Permits
  • California Fish and Game Code Section 1600 Agreements
  • National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) consultations and permitting
  • Endangered Species Act compliance documentation
  • Biological Assessments and Biological Evaluations
• Coordinate directly with regulatory agencies including USACE, NMFS, USFWS, State Water Boards, CDFW, and other resource agencies.
• Develop avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring strategies to support project approvals.

Environmental Documentation

• Assist lead in preparing of aquatic and marine-related resources sections and supporting analyses for: 
  • California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents
  • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents
  • Environmental Assessments (EA)
  • Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
  • Environmental Impact Reports (EIR)
  • Mitigated Negative Declarations (MND)
• Support environmental planning and permitting strategies for complex water, infrastructure and restoration projects.

Field Program Management

• Assist in managing and implementing aquatic field studies and monitoring programs.
• Coordinate field crews, subcontractors, equipment, logistics, health and safety requirements, schedules, and budgets.
• Oversee and/or assist in managing collection of fisheries, habitat, water quality, geomorphic, and biological datasets.
• Ensure technical quality, defensibility, and regulatory compliance of field efforts.

Project Leadership and Mentorship

• Mentor, train, and supervise junior and mid-level staff.
• Provide technical guidance and career development support to team members.
• Contribute to project planning, scope development, scheduling, budgeting, and resource management.
• Collaborate effectively with engineers, planners, environmental scientists, and regulatory specialists.

Business Development

• Support business development initiatives and client relationship management.
• Participate in proposal preparation, interviews, and pursuit strategies.
• Identify opportunities with state, municipal, transportation, water resources, and energy sector clients.
• Contribute to strategic growth of aquatic sciences and environmental services throughout the Western U.S.
   

Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields with dedication, a creative spirit, and a vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties worldwide and are devoted to fostering a community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. Here, you can apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental professionals on work that’s vital to our clients and the communities they serve.

Join a team that’s naturally committed to the environment.