Staff-Level Biologist

About the opportunity:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned company of cultural and natural resource scientists and planners. Our professionals specialize in natural and cultural resource management, environmental planning, regulatory compliance, and sustainability services.

We are actively seeking resumes for qualified individuals for a Staff-Level Biologist role to support our projects in Texas, Oklahoma, and surrounding area. This is a 40-hour/week, temporary, non-exempt, hourly position, reporting into our San Antonio office. The Staff-Level Biologist will perform biological field surveys, assist with data collection, data entry, and report writing for a variety of natural resources projects. The selected individual will be part of the Natural Resources team.

Under this job requisition, we may hire for any of the following positions --

• Natural Resources Technician : Typically, up to 6 months of relevant experience and expertise preferred
• Assistant Staff Biologist : Typically, up to 1 year of relevant experience and expertise preferred.

We work to support our client’s needs across multiple service areas including renewable generation, transmission, oil & gas, transportation, land development, and ecological restoration. The position requires the ability to work long hours in harsh conditions and be on the road for several days or weeks at a time.

Application deadline: Please submit all your application materials by April 8, 2026.

What you will accomplish:

• Assist crew leaders with a variety of natural resources field studies including wetland delineations, wildlife habitat assessments, avian surveys, and vegetation surveys.
• Record data on tablets using ESRI applications such as Field Maps, Survey123, and similar formats.
• Use topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS units, ESRI ArcGIS, and other maps and tools to determine exact locations of project areas, habitat types, and associated landforms.
• Photograph and record appropriate habitat, species, and landforms.
• Operate SWCA vehicles. Ability to drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle on rugged, backcountry roads.
• Assist project managers in data organization, interpretation, and report preparation as needed.
• Adhere to SWCA’s safety procedures and standards of scientific and professional ethics.
• For Assistant Staff Biologist position, a key element of your job will be to supervise a small crew while conducting environmental fieldwork. This includes:
• Independently assigning and directing the activities of others on behalf of SWCA, often in remote areas without immediate guidance from senior managers, to ensure quality and on-time delivery.
• Ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities and delegated tasks and being held accountable if crew members under your supervision are not performing their activities correctly, productively, and safely.
• Serving as a conduit of communication between employees and senior managers, including communicating issues to relevant senior managers.
• Receiving and resolving complaints from employees in the field.
• Monitoring team productivity and offering timely performance guidance, including determining when correction action is needed and delivering appropriate feedback.

Experience and qualifications for success:

Required :

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• Minimum of 6 months field experience
• Knowledge of flora and fauna in Texas, with experience in the adjacent states
• Experience conducting wildlife and botanical surveys

Preferred :

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or a related life sciences field
• Working knowledge of wetland and riparian plant species identification, wetland soils, and wetland hydrology indicators
• Experience collecting field data using tablets with ESRI applications such as Field Maps and Survey123

Additional Information :

• Ability to travel to a location, conducting fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather and in rugged terrain.
• Ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Frequent travel, including weekends, will be required for the position with field work sometimes reaching 90% of your time.

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning , we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

We are 100% employee-owned , and we build our success together. 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 . We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

At SWCA, we support our team members in developing their careers to make them leaders in their industry. Our Career Landscape initiative is a process and guide designed to help develop chart rewarding career paths for employees at SWCA. We encourage professional conference attendance, internal and external professional development and training programs, education reimbursement, and bonuses for publications meeting certain criteria. All regular status employees are eligible to participate in SWCA medical, dental, vision, employee assistance, wellness, life and disability plans, and are eligible to participate in the SWCA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected] or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.

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 San Antonio, TX based position can expect an hourly rate of the following: Natural Resources Technician- $19.32/hr. - $25.49/hr.; Assistant Staff Biologist- $21.32/hr. - $27.56/hr. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.

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.

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