The Senior Ecosystem Specialist performs a variety of professional-level environmental permitting, planning, and construction compliance functions; acts as wetlands, streams, fisheries, wildlife, and critical areas subject matter expert to planning and environmental permitting staff, with an emphasis on stream and fisheries; assists to ensure environmental regulatory compliance of Sound Transit’s capital projects through all stages including project development, final design, construction, and operations; assists in developing the ecosystem mitigation concept(s) using ecological restoration techniques; assists with ensuring permit compliance during construction, develops scopes of work and schedules; manages a variety of consultant work products, and works closely with a variety staff members and consultants to complete projects or tasks.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.
• Supports and oversees ecosystem related portions of the environmental review for Sound Transit projects to ensure that the Agency complies with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. • Supports large projects by taking lead or supporting role on selected issues including natural resource delineations and impact analyses and the development of mitigation strategies. • Helps develop natural resource mitigation strategies for assigned Sound Transit projects; coordinates with permit leads to review mitigation opportunities and needs for projects; collaborates with environmental staff during natural resource mitigation site selection and develops scope, schedule, and budget for final natural resource mitigation design package. Acts as lead reviewer for natural resource mitigation design and construction. • Field verifies wetland and stream delineations conducted by others for accuracy. • Ensures the Agency meets its environmental commitments and permit conditions during project construction by conducting routine site visits, reviewing project submittals, attending project progress meetings, coordination and interaction with Resource Agency and Tribal staff, and other duties. • Reviews and ensures that project contract specifications and drawings include the appropriate environmental commitments, permit conditions and accepted restoration ecology practices. • Makes routine visits to construction sites to ensure the project meets permit conditions and is using best management practices, with additional emphasis on mitigation site construction. • Manages consultants completing long-term wetland and stream monitoring for permit compliance. • Manages consultants performing on-site landscape and ecosystem mitigation maintenance activities. • Engages with Sound Transit’s Environmental Sustainability Management System (ESMS), which may entail participation in technical working groups; researches and assists in managing various ESMS initiatives; develops and helps to achieve annual sustainability targets and helps to educate staff about the ESMS. • Provide support to the Division/Department on matters as directed; serves as staff on a variety committees as assigned; prepares and presents staff reports and other necessary correspondence; facilitates and participates in professional group meetings; maintains awareness of new trends and developments in the fields related to ecosystem and permitting; incorporates new developments as appropriate; ensures processes, policies, and practices are interpreted and applied consistently and effectively; ensures accountability and compliance with all current and applicable state and federal laws, Agency policies and procedures, rules and regulations. • It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees. • It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices. • Other duties as assigned.
Physical Demands / Work Environment: • Work is performed in a standard office environment, active heavy civil construction sites, and field sites that have heavy brush and uneven footing. • Subject to standing, walking, bending, reaching, stooping, and lifting of objects up to 25 pounds; may occasionally be exposed to dangerous machinery when working in the field and visiting construction sites. • The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.
Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in environmental studies, environmental science, land use, ecology, biology, or closely related field and 6 years of experience with wetland and stream identification, environmental permitting, report writing and review, and project management, preferably in the transit industry and/or in public sector agencies; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Required Licenses or Certifications: Valid State driver’s license.
Required Knowledge of: • Environmental and land use laws and regulations and practices related to environmental compliance. • State and federal environmental laws, regulations, code interpretation, industry practices, policies, permitting requirements, and procedures as they relate to environmental compliance issues. • Environmental permitting, wetland delineation, stream habitat assessment, ordinary high water mark delineation, wildlife habitat assessment, mitigation design and implementation, and culvert evaluation in the Pacific Northwest. • Conducting and verifying wetland and stream delineations • Current trends and professional literature in the area of environmental planning, primarily related to natural resources (wetlands, streams, buffers, wildlife and fisheries habitat, natural resource permitting, and mitigation design) • Project management techniques and principles. • Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation. • English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Required Skill in: • Utilizing computer applications such as MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. • Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other Agency department staff, management team, vendors, outside agencies, tribes, community groups, and the general public. • Applying project management techniques and principles. • Interpreting and applying local, state, and federal environmental laws, regulations, and industry practices, policies and procedures as they relate to environmental ecosystem issues. • Analyzing and synthesizing complex information and data in a concise manner and make recommendations on strategies to resolve environmental issues. • Responding to inquiries in effective oral and written communication. • Contract management and oversight of scope, quality, schedule, and costs. • Multi-tasking competing priorities. • Reading and interpreting civil engineering drawings and specifications. • Responding to inquiries and in effective oral and written communication.
Internal Number: SENIO01691
About Sound Transit
Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit service throughout the urban region of Seattle. Sound Transit is currently experiencing major growth and is in the process of planning and building the most ambitious transit expansion in the country. Named by Kiplinger’s as one of the “10 Best Cities to live in the Next Decade”, Seattle is a vibrant city surrounded by unmatched natural beauty, economic opportunity, cultural events and educational excellence. It is home to a diverse and growing population with hundreds of thousands of commuters riding Sound Transit services daily.We contribute toward this growth by providing the community with quality service that will generate a better quality of life for commuters and Seattle as a whole. This is an exceptional opportunity with a progressive organization that offers growth potential both professionally and personally. We offer an attractive compensation package to include competitive benefits and a chance to have a positive impact on the environment as well as becoming a key contributor toward Seattle’s quality of life. Join Sound Transit and be a part of its culture which is built around inclusion and respect where everyone is treated fairly and every voice is heard.
