Overview

This is a Journey-level Terrestrial Biologist position that works under the general direction of more senior biologists and/or project managers.  The Journey-Level Terrestrial Biologist is responsible for low-to-moderate complexity projects consistent with technical background.  The Journey-Level Terrestrial Biologist participates on interdisciplinary teams utilizing intermediate-level knowledge of principles related to job responsibilities, utility operations, PG&E’s environmental management goals and objectives, and business processes.  The position is expected to use independent judgment; enhanced verbal and written communication skills and have the ability to work with minimal supervision. The Journey-Level Terrestrial Biologist possesses an intermediate-level knowledge and understanding of local standards, ordinances, state, and federal laws that pertain to technical job responsibilities and can demonstrate successful management of multiple small to moderate sized Company projects.

In this role, people and other resources are managed indirectly as part of a project team.  The Journey-Level Terrestrial Biologist is responsible for the development and implementation of assigned projects, and may spend a portion of time participating in or directing technical work in the field.    The position requires a working knowledge of industry practices, standards, and equipment; Responsibilities may include Privileged and Confidential work.

Assignments typically require standard solutions,but may include an increased level of innovation on a periodic basis.  Under limited general direction, independently plans work to meet assigned objectives; progress is reviewed periodically for technical accuracy and adequacy in process and upon completion.

This position will be located in Sacramento, CA.  Travel is estimated to be about 15% of the time throughout PG&E’s service territory.

This is an ESC represented exempt classification currently subject to collective bargaining.

Department Overview

Land and Environmental is focused on protecting and managing PG&E’s land rights and rights-of-way (ROW), environmental permitting, and compliance with environmental laws by engaging our employees to better understand our internal clients’ businesses and how they interact with the regulatory landscape. Aligning our operations and team with the client organizations we support with: planning, execution and overall service delivery.

The Land and Environmental Management, Short Cycle team is responsible for providing environmental compliance support for the ongoing maintenance and operation of the Company’s approximate 160,000 miles of electric distribution and transmission lines..  We establish goals related to safety, customer service, affordability, land management and environmental compliance that require a collaborative, cross-functional effort of employees across the company. Together, we will become the leading corporate services organization and the leading utility in U.S.

Job Responsibilities

Some direction and supervision is required.  The need for supervision is expected to decrease with increased time in-grade.  Job duties will include but are not limited to:

Safety:

Performs all work in accordance with PG&E safety goals and practices

Completes all required safety training

Promotes safety awareness

Conducts work in accordance with all safety procedures

Project Planning and Workload Management:

Actively plan, estimate and manage the biological work for specific projects

Provides timely input to project schedules identifying known or likely requirements for seasonal bio-fieldwork and seasonal work constraints due to environmental issues

Plans and schedules all surveys, monitoring and compliance work to meet regulatory requirements

Ensures that Project workload (including in-house and contract labor) is tracked and that targets (both schedule and budget) are met.

Ensure the proper coordination, staff utilization and satisfactory completion of all assigned work

Project Communication:

Accurately and effectively explains compliance requirements, strategies to meet compliance requirements and compliance risk associated with project work.

Ensures that consistent cost and schedule updates are provided to project leads for each project supported

Ensure that business partners are aware of potential cost over /under runs and any project deliverable schedule delays are identified as early in the project planning and implementation process as possible

Relationship Management:

Works closely with senior staff and other technical disciplines and independently to develop appropriate permitting/licensing and mitigation strategies

Represent the company in agency/stakeholder interactions and negotiations to best meet the goals and objectives of PG&E while maintaining compliance with all state and federal guidelines and laws

Develops and/or reviews agency or public meeting presentations for projects you are assigned and ensure that the presentation is factually accurate and based on sound scientific principles

Assists in project communications and negotiations with regulatory agencies and other stakeholders on sensitive biological issues

Technical Project Management:

As a member of a multidisciplinary project team, develops scope, schedule, and budget as the technical lead for the biological work component

Develops and recommends avoidance and minimization measures to protect water and biological resources during project construction

Applies PG&E’s Habitat Conservation Plans and other programmatic permits to maintenance and operations work

Assists in development of strategic permitting and licensing guidance for business partners and contractors

Develops project biological study plans and evaluate for cost effectiveness

Manages and provides technical oversight to contractors

Helps develop technical responses to agency/NGO comments or requests for data

Technical Quality Assurance:

Ensures that all technical work (contractor or self-generated) meets the current standards required by regulatory agencies

Supports technical consistency across lines of business, unit, and multiple projects

Cost/ Schedule Management:

Manages cost commitments within the project budget

Provides technical and administrative oversight for contracted work

Ensures that all schedule and deliverable commitments are met on or before the planned due date

Contractor Selection:

Develops technical scope of work and requests for proposals

Conducts proposal evaluations and selects successful bidder

Supports company strategic sourcing and diversity supplier initiatives

Qualifications

Minimum:

• BS/BA degree in Natural Resources, Botany, Biology, Ecology, or related sciences with direct application to current job responsibilities.
• 4 years of relevant industry or resource agency experience
• Must possess a valid California Driver’s License

Desired:

• Possesses intermediate-level knowledge of principles related to job responsibilities
• Possesses an intermediate-level knowledge and understanding of local standards and ordinances, as well as state, and federal laws that pertain to terrestrial biological resources
• Possesses an intermediate-level knowledge and understanding of local standards and ordinances, as well as state, and federal laws that pertain to terrestrial resources
• Effectively manages small to medium sized projects or tasks (scope, schedule and budget).  Effectively manages multiple assignments concurrently.  Prepares reports and provides recommendations to business partners based on an analytical approach.
• Demonstrated process and procedures improvement
• Problem solving and uses independent judgment in applying appropriate principles and techniques in a broad range of situations to arrive at optimum solutions from the standpoint of practicality and cost-effectiveness
• Monitors and identifies potential variances from assigned budgets
• Previous experience with one or more special status species commonly encountered in PG&E’s service territory.