Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Are you looking to be a part of a dynamic team of conservation-minded scientists working to protect fish and wildlife resources in the redwood and Douglas fir forests, oak woodlands, chaparral, and grasslands of the San Francisco Bay Area? The Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildfire Resiliency Program is seeking a motivated professional to work as a Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist reviewing and evaluating vegetation management and fuel reduction projects, and Timber Emergencies and Exemptions by analyzing consequences of proposed activities, attending site visits and inspections, preparing written reports and recommendations for the conservation of fish and wildlife resources, assessing the application of law, regulation and policy, conducting listed and sensitive species consultations, and preparing any related Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements and Incidental Take Permits.

The incumbent works in close collaboration with other Environmental Scientists and Senior Environmental Scientists, and with other state agencies. Under the direction of a Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisory) the incumbent represents the region and acts as the staff lead and provides consultative advice when working with applicants, local, state and federal agencies, stakeholders, and the gener al public. Public contacts made in the course of this work are sensitive and involve a wide variety of special interest groups.

Performance of specified activities will require an in-depth knowledge of administrative procedures, Department policies, applicable environmental laws and regulations, and ecological principles to protect fish and wildlife resources. Strong written and oral communication skills are necessary. Problem-solving, organizational skills and a positive attitude towards teamwork are essential. Fieldwork in rugged terrain is required.

Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions ranging from 2% to 4.62% in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) hours. Please note that the salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect these reductions associated with the 2025 Personal Leave Program.

Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program:

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This position may be eligible for a telework opportunity in accordance with departmental policies and operational needs. Beginning July 1, 2026, employees will be required to work in-person at least four (4) days per week in alignment with Executive Order N-22-25. Additional in-office days may be required based on operational needs.

Link to Class Title Exam: Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist)/ Exam Bulletin

This position is a 12-month Limited Term (LT) and may be extended up to 24 months or become permanent.

During this 12-month Limited Term assignment, you will receive full health, dental, and vision benefits! You will also earn State Service and accrue monthly leave credits.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

The position requires the use of a computer for several hours each day, the completion of office tasks that require sitting, standing, and walking to other locations; attendance at meetings and participation in conference calls. The position may require frequent travel throughout the State including overnight travel, early mornings, and late nights (up to 20%). Must be able to work unusual and/or long hours; spend multiple days in the field assessing habitat conditions in inclement weather; walk in and through rough terrain; and hike over uneven, steep, wet, and rough terrain with no vehicle access. Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to safely drive a motor vehicle (with and without four-wheel drive) off highway and over rough terrain. Must operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV); and office equipment (computers, copies/scanners, telephones, iPads, global positioning system [GPS] units, etc.). The position requires the use of personal protective equipment, including protective footwear, hardhat, gloves, helmet, and eye protection. The position may require the incumbent to wear a uniform identifying the employee as Department staff.

This position is located at the CDFW, Bay Delta Region field office in Santa Rosa, California. The position may be eligible for a telework option per the requirements set by CDFW and the State of California.

Special Requirements

Special Personal Characteristics: Demonstrated ability to act independently and a high degree of personal initiative; dependability and integrity is expected. Ability to maintain a positive attitude and consistent quality of work during times when workload is heavy and under pressure; demonstrate confidence in abilities and decisions; and maintain professional demeanor at all times. Open to feedback on performance, is able to adapt to changing challenges, and demonstrates empathy and understanding of stakeholders’ interests.

Skill to: Work cooperatively with and direct others. Good analytical, interpersonal, public presentation, communication, and writing skills; adept use of interest-based negotiation; and routine use of computer programs including text processing, spreadsheets, databases, and on-line sourcing of information. Possess an understanding of techniques and methodologies related to collecting, organizing, compiling, reporting and disseminating biological and environmental data. Effective writing skills, including grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and composition. To fulfill the duties of this position, the incumbent is required to have strong written and oral communication skills.

Interpersonal Skills: Work both independently and as part of a team; communicate politely, tactfully, and firmly as necessary with members of the public; demonstrate excellent listening skills and effective negotiation skills; and work effectively in a diverse work environment. Ability to follow direction from superiors; work cooperatively with other Department program staff, and federal, state, and non-governmental organization partners; communicate effectively with superiors and coworkers.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Work experience in forestry, wildlife, fisheries, environmental policy, or other type of biological science. Experience in wildfire resiliency, vegetation management, environmental permitting and/or implementing environmental laws and regulations.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Supplemental Questionnaire

A Supplemental Questionnaire is required . Please see below for Supplemental Questions. Failure to include the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in an incomplete application submission.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

In order to be considered for this position, you must provide responses to the supplemental questionnaire below with your State application. Please keep your collective answers to no more than two pages, single-spaced, using 12-point font. Responses to each question will be evaluated for completeness in answering all components of the question. Applicants whose response to the prompt(s) does not follow these instructions may be eliminated from further consideration.

1) As indicated in the duty statement, the successful candidate should have a good working knowledge of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements (LSAA), the California Forest Practice Rules, as well as Fish and Game Code in general. Please share your experience applying these regulations or other state or federal processes similar to these laws and regulations in a real-world regulatory setting where the decisions had consequences.

2) Please provide an example of a situation when you had to analyze highly complex information, interpret written materials, and compare and contrast to real-life conditions for the purposes of making a recommendation. What kind of thought process did you go through and what steps did you take to ensure your analysis was accurate and reliable? Was the recommendation accepted, and if not, why, and what was your response?

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Supplemental Application -

  A Supplemental Questionnaire is required . Please see below for Supplemental Questions. Failure to include the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in an incomplete application submission.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Temporary work, Work experience placement, Work at office, Local area, Remote work, Night shift, Early shift

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