Environmental Biologist

Position Summary

Description

In this Environmental Biologist role, you will apply your expertise in fisheries biology, wildlife species and habitat, wetland ecology, and environmental permitting to support Pierce County’s asset maintenance, wetland mitigation program, and capital improvement projects. You will play a lead role in stewarding completed capital projects, ensuring long-term mitigation success and regulatory compliance. This position offers hands-on field involvement, including on-site construction oversight and mitigation inspections, while also providing opportunities to build and maintain strong working relationships with construction teams and contractor representatives.

Through your technical expertise, field observations, and clear reporting, you will directly contribute to protecting and enhancing Pierce County’s wetlands, making a tangible, lasting impact on the County’s natural resources.

Why it's a great opportunity

In this Environmental Biologist role, you will apply your expertise in fisheries biology, wildlife species and habitat, wetland ecology, and environmental permitting to support Pierce County’s asset maintenance, wetland mitigation program, and capital improvement projects. You will play a lead role in stewarding completed capital projects, ensuring long-term mitigation success and regulatory compliance.

Why it's a great department

PPW stewards a healthy and vibrant community by collaboratively planning and investing in our people, infrastructure, systems, and policies. PPW’s team has more than 800 members that collaborate, innovate and inspire in performing essential services to the community. The department is responsible for the County road and levee systems, sewer systems, airports, ferries, building permits, environmental review, sustainability, community planning, and code enforcement - just to name a few!

Learn more about Planning and Public Works here.

How to be successful in the role

Your success will come from building strong working relationships with effective communication of scientific data to County staff, elected officials, consultants, contractors, and internal and external stakeholder groups. You will work with your knowledge of river, riparian, floodplain and watershed ecology, including fisheries biology, hydrology, water quality/water chemistry, plant and habitat areas, and geomorphology. Understanding of key natural resources and endangered species issues currently affecting Pacific Northwest rivers and floodplains will help you further succeed in this role both in the office and field.

Your future in this role

You will have access to professional development through robust online learning and other training opportunities throughout your career to ensure your success. This position has multiple career growth and promotional opportunities in Pierce County to build on a great career while directly impacting the communities in Pierce County.

Core Daily Responsibilities

• Conduct site visits to evaluate the performance of completed capital projects during their regulatory monitoring periods; identify maintenance needs and lead contractor scopes of work to address deficiencies.
• Perform basic project management for consultants and contractors, including managing budgets associated with stewardship of completed capital assets.
• Verify the presence of wetlands and determine wetland boundaries and categories in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Prepare, review, and analyze complex wetland delineation reports, including delineations for problem or disturbed sites such as formal plats, large lots, commercial developments, and forested properties.
• Verify wetland delineations in the field, including complicated delineations conducted on problem or disturbed sites.
• Review and evaluate proposed wetland mitigation plans for adequacy and effectiveness in protecting wetlands from development impacts.
• Provide technical input and direction to consultants preparing wetland delineations, wetland delineation reports, or non-compensatory wetland mitigation documentation.
• Monitor and oversee consultants and contractors performing wetland-related work on behalf…