Entry-Level Botanist

Take Your Environmental Career to the Next Level

Are you ready to be challenged, make a difference, and experience professional growth in your career? Kleinfelder’s Environmental team is looking for you! From environmental planning, permitting, remediation, and site characterization to chemical data management and hydrogeology, Kleinfelder offers a variety of services designed to provide technically appropriate and cost-effective solutions.

Step into Your New Role

Kleinfelder is seeking a Botanist with a natural science background to join one of our Northern California office locations.  Working as part of a team, the successful candidate will assist with protocol-level botanical surveys, botanical habitat assessments, vegetation characterization and mapping, wetland ecology, and data documentation. This position is primarily field based (up to 85%) with overnight travel within California (up to 75% of fieldwork depending on your base location). Project work will primarily be related to utilities, and involve field surveys, permit compliance, and project monitoring.

This position offers significant potential for professional development and advancement. Successful candidates may have the opportunity to grow into roles such as Technical Report Preparer, Field Coordinator, Project Coordinator, and Project Assistant, each offering increasing levels of responsibility and skill development. These positions offer a pathway to Project Management roles, Resource Specialist roles (e.g. special status species, wetlands, arborist) or a combination of both. Kleinfelder has an internal training program for staff motivated to pursue project management.

With direction from a senior botanical leader, potential candidates should be able to work effectively in team environments to accomplish botanical survey goals, and as solo operators to accomplish small to mid-sized tasks with adequate instruction.

Candidates with additional experience and qualifications above the minimums described here will be welcomed and considered.

Responsibilities and Competencies: 

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct protocol-level botanical field surveys of various size; conducting invasive weed surveys, mapping, and monitoring; vegetation characterizations and mapping; implementation of rare plant mitigation and monitoring during vegetation management and construction activities; and/or conducting pre-construction surveys
• Accurate data collection; provide concise and clear field reports
• Assist with preparing technical reports
• Maintain clear, respectful, and timely communication with project managers, team members, and construction crews during assigned monitoring tasks
• Utilize electronic data collection techniques, managing field data, and supporting data analysis and interpretation
• Participate in meetings and conference calls as requested.
• Travel to field locations requiring overnight stays
• Safe work practices

Position Requirements:

• 0-3 years of relevant professional work experience, including research or fieldwork environments related to specific plant species or ecosystems.
• Knowledge of plant species in Northern California; experience with site-identification of plants and plant communities in the field; familiarity with the Jepson field guide or similar dichotomous keys
• Excellent communication skills, including in-person, virtual, verbal, and written communication skills
• A valid U.S. Driver’s license, clean driving record, and ability to safely drive to job sites
• Ability to work long field days (10-12 hours) when needed during peak season

• Availability to travel within California

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Botany, Ecology, or related degree
• Additional specialized coursework or training in areas such as ecology, or plant conservation is preferred, but not required.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• 2+ years of relevant professional work experience; professional environmental consulting experience 
• Professional experience with plant species in Northern California
• Proficient with plant identification tools such as dichotomous keys and electronic flora databases such as The Jepson eFlora, CalFlora, CNPS A Manual of California Vegetation Online, etc.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks or projects simultaneously, with experience overseeing project timelines, coordinating team efforts, and ensuring deliverables are met within established timelines.
• Strong technical writing and editing skills
• Experience conducting wetland delineations
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Excel, and Adobe Pro
• Quick, innovative thinking to resolve complications that may arise during fieldwork
• Experience navigating and reviewing results from CNDDB Bios and CNPS Rare Plant Index; preparing tables and analyzing potential for rare plants to occur at specific project locations

Move Forward with Kleinfelder

Kleinfelder has been connecting great people to the best work since 1961. We are engineers, scientists, and construction professionals providing solutions that improve our clients’ transportation, water, energy, and other private infrastructure. As a responsive, cross-disciplinary team of bright, curious, and innovative problem-solvers, we are dedicated to doing the right thing, every day, on every project from over 85 offices in the US, Canada, and Australia. Connecting great people to the best work is our purpose – together, we deliver.

Progress with an Employer that Values You

Kleinfelder is an inclusive organization free from discrimination. We are a stronger organization when we are a diverse workforce and believe that through diversity, equity, and inclusion comes creativity, innovation, and unity. We are proud to offer the following:

Benefits: Kleinfelder offers an excellent compensation and benefits package, including: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) plan, and paid holidays.   The expected salary range for the position is displayed in accordance with the California Pay Transparency Law.  Final agreed upon compensation is based upon individual qualifications and experience. Salary range: $44,000- $74,000.

Career Development: We are committed to investing in the professional development of our staff, offering each employee every opportunity to grow, develop, and take control of their career paths. We support these efforts through reimbursements for continuing education as well as many of the expenses associated with trainings and certifications, and opportunities for career development through our internal Mentoring Program.

Equal Opportunity: Kleinfelder is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans. (Compliant with the new VEVRAA and Section 503 rules)

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES 

Please note that Kleinfelder does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, Kleinfelder will not consider or agree to payment for any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, Kleinfelder explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resume, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Kleinfelder.