Consulting Ecologist (Intermediate/Senior)

Intermediate/Senior Consulting Ecologist

Job Description

Birks Natural Heritage Consultants, Inc. (Birks NHC) is looking to fill a permanent full-time position for an Intermediate or Senior Ecologist in Ontario (Simcoe County preferred, other Ontario locations may be considered).  The successful candidate will provide project support and management through the completion and coordination of wildlife surveys, vegetation surveys, ecological monitoring, Species at Risk, assessments report writing, and project management for projects throughout Ontario.

The successful candidate will work with the Birks NHC team remotely from their own home office and will have the ability to travel (<400 km) to project sites, meetings, and various workshops.

Duties of the Position Include:

• Scoping, planning, developing, and implementing field programs with a focus on the terrestrial environment component for a variety of natural resources, municipal, land development, and infrastructure development assignments
• Undertaking field work and ecological surveys for a variety of taxa utilizing established protocols
• Contributing to the development of Environmental Impact Studies, Natural Heritage Evaluations, Species at Risk Assessments, permit applications, offsetting/compensation plans, and related deliverables for Birks NHC projects
• Providing technical guidance on the natural environment regulatory framework to our client base including report and proposal preparation
  Liaison with public and private sector clients, enhancement of client relationship and development of new business opportunities

Skills and Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in Ecology, Biology, and/or other Biological Science
• Approximately three plus (3+) years of related work experience
• Working knowledge and in-depth understanding of relevant provincial and federal environmental legislation and policies including the Conservation Authorities Act, Endangered Species Act, Fisheries Act, Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Niagara Escarpment Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and Lake Simcoe Conservation Plan
• Experience working with provincial and federal regulatory agencies such as the Department of Fisheries and Ocean (DFO), Conservation Authorities, and the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP)
• Demonstrated knowledge of vegetation and wildlife survey protocols including Species at Risk surveys
• Demonstrated ability to undertake various wildlife and vegetation surveys including the following:
  – breeding bird surveys in various habitats
  – amphibian calling surveys
  – reptile visual encounter surveys
  – Ecological Land Classification (ELC) and three-season vascular plant surveys
  – Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES) or ability to distinguish between upland and wetland environs
• Strong oral and written communication, report writing and organization skills
• A thorough understanding of project management, including experience developing project scope of work, cost estimates, and client management
• Experience with professional report writing
• Experience using ArcGIS software in developing maps including creating new layers, importing data (i.e., GPX, KML, AutoCAD, .shp), analysing data, and exporting to PDF and other formats
• Demonstrated strengths in developing relationships with clients, government agencies, and Indigenous groups
  The ability to work in a dynamic environment with limited supervision
• Ability to work in a team-oriented environment
• Comfortable with field work in remote locations and/or travel between sites
• Valid Class G driver’s licence with access to own vehicle
• Willingness to perform physically demanding work in various weather conditions

Preferences will be given to candidates with the following Certifications:

• Ecological Land Classification (ELC – Southern Ontario and/or Provincial ELC training)
• Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES)
• Butternut Health Assessment (BHA) certification
• Completion of the Headwater Drainage Feature Assessment Workshop
• Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol
• Valid First Aid Certificate

About Birks NHC

We are a Natural Heritage Consulting company with over 30 years of staff experience providing services in Natural Sciences throughout Ontario. Our staff have a wide range of experience, working on large-scale mining and wind energy projects in Northern Ontario to single family residential developments in the Greenbelt, Greater Golden Horseshoe, and Oak Ridges Moraine.  We maintain a thorough knowledge and experience in completing Environmental Impact Studies, Natural Heritage Evaluations, and Species at Risk Assessments.

The team is focused to provide responsiveness to clients in an effort to ensure a responsible balance between development goals/policy and the natural environment with a common-sense approach.

Approximate Start Date: September 2024

To Apply: If you would like to be considered for this unique career opportunity, please send a CV and cover letter to info@birksnhc.ca in MS Word of PDF format.