Environmental Project Manager/Biologist - Metro Denver

This position is only open to Colorado state residents.

New employees to the State will be paid biweekly. There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year. 

About the Position

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has a vacancy for a Biologist/Environmental Project Manager in our Metro Denver location.  This position will provide biological services to the Region 1 Environmental team in all project phases from planning, design, delivery, construction, and post-construction. This position will provide specialized guidance in the areas of threatened and endangered species, wildlife, and wetlands. This position will perform in-house assessments, surveys, wetland determinations and delineations, and mitigation and monitoring development plans. This position will prepare and review Wetland Finding Reports, Biological Assessments, Migratory Bird Treaty Act compliance, and wildlife crossing determinations and post-construction monitoring. This position will work with with direction and guidance under the Region 1 Senior Biologist and Environmental Program Manager.
 
This position will serve as a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) project manager on various projects. This position ensures all applicable clearances, permits, and ordinances are incorporated into project plans in coordination with other CDOT personnel. This position will provide support for projects including categorical exclusions (CatEx), Planning and Environmental Linkages (PELs), and Environmental Assessments (EAs), including participating in scope development, implementing environmental program initiatives, understanding changes to policies, and implementing procedures to deliver the best projects possible within the environmental mission statement.
 
This position will also serve as a technical resource to other CDOT staff on environmental issues and will support Region 1 project delivery demands and environmental mission in various environmental resource areas.

Your duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conduct habitat assessments, impact analysis, surveys, and implement mitigation practices appropriate to the resource.
• Provide recommendations to project personnel to avoid and minimize impact on habitat, wildlife, wetlands, and other natural resources.
• Conduct wetland surveys, including on-site delineations and functional assessments; develop mitigation plans; provide construction oversight.
• Conduct post construction monitoring for wildlife crossings and other wildlife mitigation features and prepare technical reports to summarize the data.

• Organize and analyze data from motion triggered wildlife monitoring cameras utilizing appropriate software so the results can be compiled in technical memorandums or reports.

• Identify sensitive wetland or other aquatic sites and acquire relevant permits.
• Monitor mitigation sites and coordinate any remedial action.
• Use topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS units, and other maps and tools to determine exact locations of project areas, habitat types, and associated landforms.
• Conduct noxious weed surveys and recommend appropriate control measures.
• Under the guidance, manage a variety of Categorical Exclusion (CatEx) projects from pre-construction/planning/scoping phases, through project design, and on to mitigation and monitoring requirements post-construction.
• Determine which clearances and permits are needed to comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Provide advice to project personnel on how best to keep the project on-time and on-budget given environmental concerns.
• Use mobile GIS mapping applications to collect field data relevant to biological resources.
• Prepare technically sound data reports.
• Review, create, and analyze digital mapping information using GIS in support of the biological resources program.
• Serve on committees; attend and present training.
• Other job duties as assigned.

Work Environment: 

• Your schedule will primarily be 8:00 am – 5:00 pm work hours, Monday-Friday

• Opportunity to work a hybrid schedule after training is completed

• Approximately 25% spent in the field, 75% spent in the office

• Travel required during work hours throughout Metro Denver and the Front Range

• Occasional overnight travel 1-3 times a year throughout Colorado

• Required to work in proximity to heavy traffic

• Required to perform field visits to collect data, oversee onsite mitigation, install and maintain remote-triggered cameras, and attend meetings at project sites, which requires work in a variety of weather conditions and terrain, as well as in active construction sites