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- Assistant Biologist II (Field Biologist)
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Assistant Biologist II (Field Biologist)
Valley Water
Salary: $8,805.33 - $11,264.93 Monthly
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 01413-E
Location: CA, CA
Department: Watersheds Operations and Maintenance
Closing: 1/24/2022 11:59 PM Pacific
Description
Operation and Maintenance Environmental Support Unit (Position Code 1076 & 1077)
COVID-19 vaccination requirement:
*To protect our most valuable assets, our employees, as well as the communities we serve, Valley Water requires all new hired Valley Water personnel to be fully vaccinated (for COVID -19) or to be formally excused from the requirement through the **reasonable accommodation process (for details, see bottom of job posting)
Valley Water Telework Program: Eligibility for telework will depend on the type of work performed, operational needs, and the ability for the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties while teleworking. Employment with Valley Water requires employees to work within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in San Jose, California by their start date.
This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite.
Overview:
Are you a college graduate with a degree in biology, ecology, botany, zoology, or a related discipline in the life sciences? Do you have at least one year of professional experience conducting field studies in California? If so, check out this entry level position at Valley Water.
Valley Water's Field Biologist (Assistant Biologist II) is an entry-level position in the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Environmental Support Unit. They perform field surveys, environmental compliance, and ecological data collection associated with the many projects and programs that are managed or supported by the Unit.
Valley Water is the primary water resource agency for Santa Clara County, supplying wholesale water, providing flood protection, and serving as environmental steward for clean, safe creeks and healthy ecosystems. Valley Water serves approximately two million people in 15 cities: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mt. View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale, and the towns of Los Altos Hills and Los Gatos, and manages 10 dams and surface water reservoirs, three water treatment plants, a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, 400 acres of groundwater recharge ponds, and 275 miles of streams as well as managing the imported water system.
The Field Biologist position within the O&M Environmental Services Unit provides biological services support for routine operations and maintenance activities within the county-wide Stream Maintenance Program and within the Water Utility Enterprise (WUE) including Dam Maintenance, Raw Water Operations, and Pipeline Maintenance Programs. They are responsible for conducting biological field surveys, preparation of field reports and biological clearance memorandums, ecological data collection, mitigation and monitoring, and assisting with permitting for routine projects and programs that are managed or supported by the Unit. The position is responsible for timely preparation of biological reports, preparation of the biological section of Valley Habitat Plan buyout packages and assigned sections of annual reports required under the various permits. The position will ensure biological consistency with other Valley Water projects and programs and other applicable internal procedures. The position will work closely with a team of environmental staff.
Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Field surveys/pre-construction surveys in support of maintenance work.
- Fisheries fieldwork such as seining, trapping, anadromous fish spawning surveys, passage and habitat assessments, electrofishing (backpack and boat).
- Wildlife and botany fieldwork such as nesting bird surveys, amphibian night surveys, vegetation transect inventory and mapping, habitat assessments, special-status species surveys, and biological construction monitoring.
- Planning, design and construction biological support for maintenance projects.
- Mitigation project monitoring and implementation,
- Data entry/analysis and equipment maintenance/management.
- Preparation of field reports, compliance reports, and permit compliance packages.
Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria listed below.
Ideal Experience:
- At least three years of fieldwork experience in fisheries, wildlife, or botany.
- Experience working with the local flora and fauna of Santa Clara County.
- GIS, database, and technical report writing experience.
A Master's degree in biology, ecology, botany, zoology, or a related discipline in a life sciences field from an accredited college or university may substitute for one year of the required experience.
Ideal Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to follow directions.
- Ability to take initiative and work independently when needed.
- Time management skills.
- Reliability and diligence.
- Technical report writing skills.
- Ability to communicate clearly (oral and written).
- Multi-disciplinary teamwork capabilities.
- Identification and natural history of local fish, wildlife, and flora including special-status species.
- Various fisheries and wildlife monitoring and analysis techniques (electrofishing, modeling, point counts, habitat typing, etc...)
- State and Federal environmental laws, permitting, and CEQA.
- GIS, data entry and analysis, database management.
- Common desktop applications and software.
Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in biology, ecology, botany, zoology, or a related discipline in a life sciences field.
Required License or Certificate
Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver's license. Individuals who do not meet the driver's license requirement due to a disability will be considered for a reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis. Selected candidate will be required to successfully pass a medical examination.
To review the Classification Specification, please click here (Download PDF reader)
Selection Process
(1) The selection process may include one or more of the following: application review, application assessment, performance exercise, written exercise and/or interview.
(2) The Employment Application, Qualifying Information Questions and/or Supplemental Questions will be evaluated based on the ideal candidate criteria listed above. Resumes are highly recommended.
NOTE: Position and start date is subject to availability of funds. Valley Water retains the right to repost this position as deemed necessary.
Consideration may be given to existing applicant pools within the same classification.
COVID-19 vaccination requirement:
* Fully vaccinated means (1) it has been at least two weeks since a person has completed the entire recommended series of a COVID-19 vaccine, and (2) the person has provided proof of vaccination in a form consistent with the requirements for verification of vaccine status in the State of California's July 26, 2021 Public Health Officer Order.
**Limited Exemptions to Vaccination Requirement
An individual who has been provided a job offer may request a reasonable accommodation to the vaccination requirement if they:
1. Have a contraindication recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the vaccine's manufacturer to every approved COVID-19 vaccine. A contraindication means a condition that makes vaccination inadvisable;
2. Have a disability and are requesting an exception as a reasonable accommodation based upon this disability; or,
3. Object to COVID-19 vaccination based on their sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.
Valley Water's Equal Opportunity Non-Discrimination Policy is available for review upon request.
Valley Water will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please advise Human Resources in advance of any special needs by calling 408-630-2260.
Please be aware that once submitted all application materials become the property of Valley Water and will not be returned. Human Resources staff are not authorized to make copies of application materials for applicants.
To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/scvwd/jobs/3373063/assistant-biologist-ii-field-biologist
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