Environmental Scientist (Permitting) III
RES is accepting applications for a Regulatory Specialist III with at least 7 years of ecological permitting experience, including 4 years or more of those years serving as a lead permit developer for mitigation and/or coastal restoration projects for our Lafayette, Louisiana office.
The mission: RES is operating in a unique and young industry, and you will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape it with your work! Armed with the knowledge of the existing local, state, and federal environmental permitting processes, you will support the negotiation process with the agencies on the required deliverables for existing projects.
What your day-to-day might look like?
Around 50% of the time you will be working on technical documents. You will serve as the final reviewer and lead author for all permitting documents for the Regulatory Team; therefore, you must have a firm understanding of which permits are needed based on the project’s specific goal(s). You will need to be able to work independently and as part of a team to address any permitting needs. You will lead and at times work with our team consisting of project managers, ecologists, designers, and construction managers to draft and compile technical documents and reports for submittal to agency representatives. In addition, you will assist with developing proposals and any client requested documentation. Be ready to showcase your technical writing skills during the interview!
Around 30% of your time you will be collecting data. You will be processing and interpreting geomorphological, hydrological, and ecological data as well as ecosystem restoration design plans to support your deliverables. Data collection will consist of both field and office.
At the office, you will be accessing local, state, and federal databases to extract specific information and then interpreting and communicating the results of the obtained data. You will review field data and recommendations provided by the Ecological Team and ensure any recommendations comply with Regulatory requirements. At times, you will independently complete desktop assessments on prospective projects.
In the field, you will be assisting the ecology team with some data collection, as well as participating in agency site visits for project development, approval, and monitoring. You must be able to independently conduct a site, risk, and compliance assessments for new projects.
Around 20% of your time will consist of supervisory tasks. You will work with various teams within RES to ensure all requirements for our contractual agreements are completed, on time and on budget. This is supervisory position and as such you will have Regulatory Specialists reporting to you and as such will advise, train, and assist them as needed. You will provide weekly status updates on all active permitting tasks, update project management sheets, assist with budget development for permitting related tasks and must remain current on Regulatory Guideline changes.
Qualifications
We would love to speak with you if you have many of the following:
- Direct experience working with local, federal and state resource and regulatory agency personnel and various permitting processes
- BA/BS in an environmental science field such as, but not limited to, ecology, wetland science, aquatic biology, botany, wildlife biology, fisheries, soils, hydrology, environmental policy, environmental sciences, etc.
- 7+ years of experience in ecological permitting
- 3+ of wetland mitigation permitting experience
- Direct field experience with monitoring and drafting corresponding reports
- Lead author on technical writing for wetland related projects
- Familiar with wetland vegetation, geomorphology and hydrology
- Familiar with ecological reports and jurisdictional determinations
- Experience training and managing junior staff
- Knowledge of environmental policy and regulations including those under the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404/401 and Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) requirements and supporting documentation
- Ability to interpret stream and wetland restoration design plans
What will make you stand out?
- MS in an applicable environmental science field
- Specialized certifications such as PWD, PWS, or permits for endangered species collection
- Prescribed burner certificate
- FAA drone license
- Project management experience
- You have experience with:
- Geomorphology data collection and processing.
- Conducting ecological assessments.
- Performing wetland delineations, stream determinations, vegetation surveys and/or hydrological monitoring.
- ArcMap and Hoboware
- Experience with Trimble GPS units, ArcGIS, and/or other ESRI data collection software.
Who is RES: We are the nation’s largest and most experienced provider of ecological restoration and water resource solutions. To date, we have restored over 525 stream miles and 62,000 wetland acres, in addition to conserving and preserving 15,000 acres of endangered species habitats. RES operations include planting over 20,000,000 restorative trees and reducing over 280 tons of polluting nutrients. RES ecological solutions enable a balance of economic development and ecological sustainability.
Our culture: Working for RES means having a career that truly makes an impact and a job that helps make nature and communities better. Our people share a deep interest and passion for sustainability and ecological restoration. As an ever-growing company, we cultivate entrepreneurship, flexibility, and collaboration while taking a bold approach to project development. We foster a team environment while enriching individual growth.