Assistant Project Ecologist

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking an Assistant Project Ecologist to join our Natural Resources team in Tampa, FL.

The ideal candidate will have experience in wildlife ecology, environmental permitting, and habitat assessments, particularly within Florida and the southeastern United States. This role involves fieldwork, regulatory coordination, and technical reporting to support ecological projects, including species surveys, wetland delineations, and permitting efforts.

 

This is an hourly, full-time opportunity offering hybrid work arrangements. Occasional travel for fieldwork may be required across different ecoregions in the Southeast, and overnight stays should be anticipated as part of this fieldwork. Candidates should be within driving distance of Tampa, FL.

 

You will collaborate with project managers, clients, and multidisciplinary teams to support project execution and ensure successful delivery of environmental outcomes.

 

This role offers the opportunity to expand project responsibility, strengthen technical expertise, and take ownership of key project components.

What you will accomplish

• Directs and participates in the collection, management, and summarization of field data and other best available information. Expected to ensure that information collected and applied to projects is accurate, complete, and verifiable. 
• Directs and performs simple descriptive data analysis and collaborates with GIS and Statistical teams on more complex tasks to analyze significance, identify trends, and make predictions applicable to project questions. Directs and performs monitoring or management actions in the field to implement project requirements or regulatory terms and conditions. Creates and maintains records of completed activities and conditions for the project record. 
• Coordinates and prepares sections of technical resource reports, including setting, objectives, methods, findings, and conclusions. Collaborates with Technical Editors to ensure quality of written deliverables. 
• Provides technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff on resource science, methods and practices, regulatory requirements, and project or client insights. 
• Assists with identifying strategies for avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating project impacts and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Assists in drafting of planning and compliance documents for regulatory reviews and approval. 
• Communicates directly with teaming partners, experts, clients, landowners, and agency staff to present or solicit technical information. Memorializes communications for project records and shares important insights, action items, or issues with project teams and supervisors. 
• Engages in opportunities to increase understanding of and keep current on matters of science, regulation, and industry related to project work. 
• Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications. 
• Performs related work as assigned.

Experience and qualifications for success

Required Qualifications:

• Two years of relevant, progressively responsible experience. Four years of related experience is preferred; or any equivalent combination of experience, performance, training, and/or education.
• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Ecology, Natural Resources, or a related field.

Experience and Qualifications for Success

• Experience developing and implementing wildlife or habitat management plans and budgets
• Experience with prescribed fire, invasive/nonnative species control, and habitat restoration techniques
• Proficiency in conducting wildlife surveys, including for endangered or imperiled species
• Experience with ArcGIS and wildlife or land management databases
• Experience supervising and training staff, interns, or volunteers
• Expertise in avian ecology, particularly with shorebirds or state/federally listed species

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

 

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

 

An employee in this Tampa, FL-based position can expect an hourly pay rate of $27.30 to $35.62/hour. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

 

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

 

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

 

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

 

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email [email protected] or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.