Mid-level Botanist

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AECOM is seeking a talented mid-level botanist (Botanist II) with experience in protocol-level botanical surveys, botanical habitat assessments, vegetation characterization and mapping, and/ or wetland ecology. This hybrid position is based in AECOM’s Oakland office and would support a variety of clients on projects throughout northern California.

The Natural and Cultural Resources Department employs more than 45 staff, including botanists, climate ecologists, permitting specialists, wildlife biologists, and cultural resource specialists. The Department is dynamic, energetic, and one where hard work is rewarded. Project work at this office is primarily related to utilities, transportation, infrastructure, and restoration, and involves field surveys, restoration planning, environmental permitting, NEPA/CEQA compliance, and project monitoring. Field work is often local, but occasionally may include overnight travel to other locations, such as the Central Coast, Sierra Nevada foothills or other states. 

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Protocol-level rare plant surveys; rare plant census counts; quantitative vegetation monitoring; botanical assessments; non-native invasive plant mapping and management; implementation of rare plant mitigation and monitoring; and/or vegetation classification and mapping independently and as part of a team.
• Preparation of technical reports, including botanical survey reports, daily field reports, habitat assessments, vegetation classifications, monitoring reports, and/or sections thereof.
• Successfully balance field work and office responsibilities.
• Implement electronic data collection methods and manage field data.
• Work under supervision of a project manager or senior-level team member.
• Travel to field locations with occasional out-of-town overnight stays.

Other responsibilities may include:

• Preparation of conservation plans; habitat management plans; environmental permitting documents; environmental impact reports and statements; and mitigation and monitoring plans, including recommendations for avoidance and minimization of impacts to botanical and biological resources.
• Natural resource surveys wildlife, hydrology, geomorphology, and/or habitat assessments
• Conducting pre-construction surveys of project sites.
• Providing environmental trainings to construction crews.
• Monitoring of construction sites for compliance with resource agency permits.
• Monitoring tree and weed management crews during vegetation removal in sensitive habitats.

About AECOM’s Environment Business Line
Join AECOM to be part of an expert global team who is connected through a well-developed, worldwide, internal technical practice network through which you can learn from and brainstorm with the best in the world. AECOM is an industry-leading, world class environmental firm, and we want you to succeed within it.  We respect and encourage your own pathway to excellence via our Freedom to Grow initiative.

AECOM is known for our award-winning technical excellence, leading-edge science and innovative project delivery. We provide sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most challenging issues. Our global clients and their projects are diverse and interesting. They span market sectors and geographies and require innovative technical solutions to solve wide-ranging environmental problems within diverse community profiles.

AECOM’s Sustainable Legacies program describes our approach to the environment, social equity and governance (ESG.) We embed sustainability throughout our business and help clients embed sustainable practices into their work. We help clients reduce their impact on the environment, achieve compliance and reduce risks.

Must Have Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in botany, ecology, or other closely related discipline.
• 2 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education with botanical field work, which may include protocol-level special-status plant surveys, habitat assessments, wetland delineations, vegetation classification, non-native invasive plant surveys, or other relevant field assignments.
• Valid driver license required and must be able to safely drive to job sites.
• Capability to work long field days (10-12 hours) involving hiking in rough terrain, on occasion and as needed.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Knowledge of and experience with San Francisco Bay Area, Sierra Nevada foothills, and/or Central Coast flora, including use of local floras and dichotomous keys.
• Possess knowledge of botanical and wetland regulations and best practices.
• Experience collecting plant voucher specimens for submittal to an herbarium.
• Experience reviewing CNDDB records and preparing tables analyzing the potential for rare plants to occur at specific sites.
• Experience with restoration planning, seed collection, land and resource management plans, grazing management plans, non-native invasive plant management plans, mitigation and monitoring reports, annual monitoring reports, or habitat conservation plans.
• Proficiency with Northern California flora; ability to site-identify plants and plant communities in the field (terrestrial and aquatic habitats).
• Possess fluency with plant identification tools including The Jepson eFlora and other dichotomous keys, local floras, the Manual of California Vegetation, and electronic resources (e.g. CalFlora, Jepson eFlora).
• Strong technical writing skills to prepare high-quality documents and other technical reports.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to communicate professionally in person, virtually, and through email to maintain positive relationships with managers, colleagues, subcontractors, and clients.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced work environment where changing client priorities result in the need to determine creative ways to get the job done.
• Candidate must be flexible and willing to support multiple projects as needed.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Ability to create and maintain tracking spreadsheets and documents.
• CNPS Field or Consulting Botanist Certification.
• Prior consulting experience preferred, but non-consultant candidates with relevant experience will be considered.
• Data and statistical analysis experience.
• Knowledge of wetland ecology and/or wetland delineation experience.
• Prior experience in environmental permitting.

• Due to the nature of the work, US Citizenship is required.

About AECOM

AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary benefits, perks, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan.

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.