Environmental Scientist

Job Description

Dewberry is currently seeking an Environmental Scientist with 5-8 years of experience to join our Richmond natural resource team. This is an excellent opportunity for an individual who is looking to advance their career as part of a dynamic and growing team of environmental professionals at Dewberry. The candidate we are seeking should have a demonstrated foundation in natural resource fieldwork and familiarity with state, federal, and local environmental permitting. Strong, demonstrated, proficiency performing wetland delineations, stream assessments, Resource Protection Area determinations, endangered species surveys, habitat classifications, and other field related studies is required. This candidate will be expected to perform work associated with acquiring environmental permits, including Virginia’s State Programmatic General Permitting (SPGP), federal 404/401 permitting (including all aspects of wetlands delineation, analysis, and mitigation), Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA) permitting, as well as other federal, state, or local environmental regulation. Additionally, this position will require interaction and coordination with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for rare, threatened, and endangered wildlife. The individual must have the ability to manage and mentor environmental staff and work collaboratively within a larger team setting.

Dewberry is a leading, market-facing professional services firm with more than 60 locations and 2,500 professionals nationwide. What sets us apart from our competitors are our people. At Dewberry, we seek out exceptional talent and strive to deliver the highest quality of services to our clients. Whether you’re an experienced professional or a new graduate, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with the best and brightest and work on innovative and complex projects at the forefront of the industry. Our commitment to excellence stems from our personal integrity and from other defining attributes, which we call “Dewberry at Work,” that have inspired our employees to be successful for more than a half-century.

Responsibilities

• Primary focus is to execute project activities with client and project team and coordinate with regulatory agencies.
• Coordinate field visits with clients and regulatory agencies.
• Evaluate site conditions and identify regulatory approval strategies.
• Conduct soil, hydrology and vegetation inventory, species assessments and surveys and plant identifications.
• Prepare environmental permit applications for Federal, State and Local governments. Complete post permit compliance monitoring.
• Document and summarize results of field investigations and analyses.
• Prepare plans, specifications, maps, exhibits and supporting documentation for client and regulatory approvals.
• Provide client and regulatory agency coordination.
• Support proposal preparation, contract execution, and budget/schedule adherence.
• Perform technical work and develop project execution strategies.

Required Skills & Required Experience

• A Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, Environmental Studies, Forestry, Wildlife Biology, or related field is required. An advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Biology, Botany, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science & Policy, or related field is a plus.
• Capability to execute and coordinate environmental permitting and environmental assessment activities with internal/external clients and regulatory agencies.
• Proficiency with ArcMap/GIS, AutoCAD and/or Microstation is preferred.
• Knowledge of Virginia environmental regulations and permitting, 1987 U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Wetland Delineation Manual and Piedmont/Coastal Plain Supplements, Unified Stream Assessment (USM) Tool for Stream Mitigation Credit determination, Perennial Flow Determinations, and Chesapeake Bay Act Resources and Identification.
• Professional Wetland Scientist/State Surface Water Delineator certifications are preferred.  Sediment and Erosion Control Inspector and/or natural stream restoration design certification (Rosgen) is a plus.

Additional Requirements:

• Regular field work in a variety of seasonal conditions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Local and occasional statewide travel is required.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Dewberry we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for our employees. So if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the position description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may just be the right candidate for this or other opportunities.

*At this time, Dewberry will not sponsor a new applicant for work authorization.

*Dewberry is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

*Only recipients of an offer of employment from Dewberry, will be required to submit to a background screening which may include, but is not limited to, employment verification, educational and other credential verification, driving record check, criminal background check, and an investigative consumer report. These screenings will be conducted by Dewberry’s background vendor of choice and will be conducted in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local law.

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