Biological Resources Project Manager

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

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Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.
At HDR, you will join our growing Southern California Biology Team working on some of the region's most meaningful environmental projects, evaluating project effects to sensitive species, guiding projects to reduce impacts, and shaping ecological outcomes through your expertise.

This role is ideal for a biologist who enjoys leading complex natural resource projects, shaping mitigation strategies, and mentoring a growing team across the SoCal region, all with the support of a collaborative, employeeowned culture.

This position has remote/hybrid flexibility but requires physical location in Southern California.

As Biological Resources Project Manager you would be a part of our Southern California Biological Resources Team and biological technical practice, working closely with other biologists, engineers, and project managers, to support technical work across business groups. HDR specializes in delivering complex large-scale projects in Transportation, Water, and Resources sectors. You would be leading biological technical studies (e.g., biological, aquatic, and mitigation plans). The candidate must have strong CEQA and NEPA technical understanding, experience developing species potential-to-occur tables, experience providing guidance on implementing special-status species survey protocols, and ability to interpret and implement permit conditions related to species avoidance and monitoring. The candidate should have a balanced portfolio of skills that includes proposal pursuit development and awareness of current business sector markets.

Primary Responsibilities:

In the role of Biological Resources Project Manager, we'll count on you to:

Technical Excellence & Field Leadership

• Conduct Advanced Field Studies: Lead specialized surveys for special-status species, including vegetation community mapping (California Manual of Vegetation standards), species-specific habitat assessments, and aquatic resource delineations (mapping ordinary high water mark, evaluating wetland criteria and adjacency, assessing flow duration).
• Compliance Monitoring: Oversee on-site construction compliance, ensuring activities align with USACE, Regional Water Board, and CDFW permit conditions (e.g., Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements and Incidental Take Permits), and compliance with Multiple-Species Habitat Conservation Plans.
• Restoration & Mitigation: Lead the preparation of habitat restoration plans, including mitigation plans, long-term monitoring, and reporting.
• Quality Assurance: Act as the sector lead for quality control, ensuring scientific rigor in all field methods and technical data collection.

Project Management & Regulatory

• Technical Document Management: Direct the preparation of complex biological and natural resource documents across diverse sectors, ensuring all deliverables meet budget and timeline requirements.
• Agency Consultation: Serve as a technical lead for regulatory agency consultations, navigating complex permitting landscapes to support client goals.
• Planning: Coordinate with management to implement corrective measures and process improvements, ensuring technical work is organized and efficient.

Mentorship & Team Development

• Staff Growth: Actively support the professional development of entry-level and mid-level staff by sharing specialized skills and providing learning opportunities.
• Technical Supervision: Provide hands-on mentoring to bridge the gap between technical fieldwork and client-facing requirements, ensuring junior teams have the support needed for complex assignments.
• Market Growth: Assist in the growth of the Southern California Biology Practice by interpreting company policies and supporting the broader Environmental Sciences and Planning program.

Safety & Organizational Culture

• Safety Leadership: Champion a Drive to Zero safety culture; independently develop Job Hazard Analyses JHAs for field operations to ensure the well-being of all personnel.
• Quality Culture: Promote a culture of excellence and accountability within the team, aligning technical performance with the firm's long-term growth objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Must be physically located in the Southern California area.
• Master's degree in related field (i.e. environmental, biological, regulatory).
• A minimum 6 years of experience as a Lead Biologist on projects and technical documents.
• 40-hour wetland delineation course completion or equivalent experience.
• Ability to identify Southern California plants, especially using a dichotomous key.
• Must be able to conduct field survey work deploying up to 5 consecutive days overnight.
• Must have the experience preparing technical documents of high quality scientific and environmental integrity.
• Experience with Microsoft Project and Teams.
• Must have a valid California driver's license.
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our Employee-Owned culture is a must. Our Employee-Owned culture means we hold each other accountable for timelines, budgets, and commitments that support our internal teams and clients alike.