Environmental Science Senior I - (Natural Resource Management / Biology)

SoCalGas, the nation’s largest gas distribution utility, is dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and affordable energy to over 21 million Southern California customers. Through innovation, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to the needs of our communities we proudly uphold our mindset of “Glad to be of Service” and provide exceptional customer service today and ready to meet California’s energy needs with innovative solutions for tomorrow.

As an employee of SoCalGas, you will support our core values to do the right thing, champion people, and shape the future. You will play a pivotal role in the energy transition initiatives, supporting our mission: Safe, reliable, and affordable energy delivery today. Ready for tomorrow. We are committed to attracting top talent and fostering a diverse workforce that reflects the vibrant communities we serve.

As an employee of SoCalGas, you’ll enjoy a competitive compensation plan, upward mobility opportunities and the ability to find a true work life balance. Discover the rewards of joining SoCalGas by exploring our website: Our Mission; Sustainability, In the Community, and Employee Benefits. Join SoCalGas today and become a vital part of a team that is driving innovation, championing community needs, and shaping the future of energy in California.

Primary Purpose

Solves moderate to complex environmental problems and leads small projects. Integrates multiple data sources, recommends mitigations, and improves program performance with limited supervision. The Environmental Senior I (Natural Resources) is a key member of the Cultural and Natural Resources (CNR) Team, a collaborative group of scientists in the Environmental Services Department at SoCalGas. The team’s primary role is to support company projects through cultural and natural resource reviews, permitting, and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. Teamwork and cross‑functional collaboration are central to the CNR team’s approach, working closely with project managers, planners, engineers, and agency partners to identify requirements early and keep projects on track. The team also leads regulatory tracking, delivers cultural and natural resource training, and helps set the tone for responsible environmental stewardship across the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities

- Manages wildlife and aquatic permitting, including Incidental Take Permits, Habitat Conservation Plans, Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, and Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 401 approvals, and directs supporting technical studies.

- Conducts and oversees natural resource field support, including construction monitoring, and advises staff and contractors on mitigation requirements, resource protection, and compliance obligations.

- Collaborates with consultants, agencies, project teams, construction crews, and management, providing guidance on resource protection, mitigation measures, and compliance expectations.

- Maintains, monitors and updates environmental programs to ensure compliance with current regulations and budget control.

- Guides lines of businesses on regulatory, scientific, technical, and/or other professional principles. Recommends and implements corrective/preventive procedures to improve compliance performance.

- Alerts site employee's and management to environmental issues to promote environmental awareness.

- Monitors project-specific metrics continuously and provides regular updates to clients and environmental leadership team.

- Reviews environmental compliance reports; creates and maintains databases; tracks existing regulatory reporting requirements; and coordinates responses to compliance violations.

- Provides oversite for desk-based research, fieldwork, and/or laboratory work, including measurements, data interpretation, and computer modeling.

- Ensures technical reports and presentations explain research, findings, and recommendations to address, prevent, control, or restore larger-scale environmental challenges and complex problems.

- Performs other duties as assigned.

Education

- Required: Typically requires a 4 year degree in a relevant field, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

- Preferred: Degree in Biology, Environmental Sciences, or closely related field is preferred.

Experience

- Required: Typically requires 5 years of related experience.

- Preferred: Prefer candidate with a strong network of agency contacts, experience in a fast-paced corporate environment, project management, and coordinating diverse stakeholders, plus experience with wildlife permitting (ITP/HCP) and aquatic permitting (401/404).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

- Required: Environmental Impact Assessment - The assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action.

- Required: Environmental Monitoring - The systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data related to the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the environment, such as air quality, water quality, soil contamination, and biodiversity to understand and manage environmental impacts.

- Required: Environmental Awareness - Understanding natural environment protection and the activities that can cause harm to the environment.

- Required: Regulatory Compliance - Ensuring an organization's adherence to laws, regulations, guidelines and specifications relevant to its business processes.

- Required: Data Analysis - Measuring and managing organization data, identifying methodological best practices and conducting statistical analyses.

- Required: Project/Program Management - The process of leading the work of a team to achieve goals and meet success criteria at a specified time.

- Required: Environmental Risk Management - Identifying, assessing, and managing risks and uncertainties associated with environmental factors. It includes analyzing potential hazards, evaluating their likelihood and potential consequences, implementing risk control measures, and monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of risk management strategies.

- Required: Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Strategy - Identifies, reduces and removes potential hazards to a physical and working environment, develops best practices for accident prevention, accident response etc., and fosters a positive health, safety and wellness culture.

- Required: Environmental Reporting - Communicating information about an organization's environmental performance and impacts.

- Required: Scientific Research - Following systematic procedures in order to identify all aspects related to a scientific topic or problem, and ultimately solve that problem.

- Preferred: Comprehensive understanding of natural resource laws, regulations (such as 401/404/1600), and permitting requirements in Southern California is preferred.

- Preferred: Interpersonal awareness, enabling productive collaboration with stakeholders including consultants, agency staff, project and construction teams, and management is preferred.

Licenses

- Preferred: Wetland Delineation Certificate through the Wetland Training Institute or similar organization is preferred.

Benefits

SoCalGas offers a comprehensive benefits program to help support employees both personally and professionally. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

- Competitive pay & Annual Bonus program

- Medical, dental, and vision packages (plus free Mental Health resources/sessions)

- 401K company match & Company provided Pension Plan

- Work/Life Balance including generous PTO

- Wellness Programs/Classes

- Tuition/Education Reimbursement

- Career Development Tools & Resources through SoCalGas University

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