Shoreline Scientist (EAII or AESI-II)

  • Location: Richmond, CA

  • Program: Resilient Landscapes

  • Type: Full-time

  • Experience Level: Entry Level

  • Salary: $76,500 - $80,000 for Environmental Analyst and $80,000 - $87,750 for Associate Environmental Scientist. See details below. 

  • Posted: 1/16/24

  • First review of applications: 1/30/24 

  • Application Closing Date: 2/6/24

 

The San Francisco Estuary Institute is looking for a Physical/Natural Scientist

The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) provides scientific support to communities, local government, and agencies to plan and implement resilient, ecologically-functional shorelines. We make scientific information accessible for decision-makers by bringing wetlands and estuarine ecology, geomorphology, sediment science, and landscape design to discussions on Bay shore planning. We write influential regional documents that inform stakeholders, such as the Adaptation Atlas and Sediment for Survival. We partner with local governments, community organizations, resource agencies, flood control districts, NGOs, wastewater districts, transportation agencies, land trusts, and others to develop strategies for shoreline adaptation with multiple benefits.

 

SFEI seeks a talented entry- or mid-level physical or natural scientist to join our team in the Resilient Landscapes Program. 

 

The position offers an opportunity to work with an outstanding multidisciplinary team of scientists on innovative nature-based projects that help improve the resiliency of communities and wildlife to land use change and various aspects of climate change. We are looking for someone who can start immediately.

Position Description

The position consists of working on applied science projects in shoreline and bayland environments around San Francisco Bay including tidal ecosystem restoration, integrated planning with wastewater and transportation agencies, shoreline resilience mapping, regional monitoring, and climate-change adaptation planning in the Bay Area.  

Bay Area location preferred, but will consider remote location.

Primary position responsibilities will include:

  • Investigating historical, contemporary, and future fluvial and tidal hydraulic and sediment processes.

  • Advancing landscape-scale conservation and adaptation planning using a quantitative approach.

  • Collaborating to synthesize information from interdisciplinary teams, including community-based organizations, technical advisors, and agency partners.

If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this, or one of our other roles.

Qualifications

We seek highly creative and technically-strong candidates with expertise in the ecology of tidal wetland ecosystems (or related fields) and knowledge of San Francisco Bay. 

Required Experience:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field (e.g., geomorphology, ecology, hydrology, environmental science, environmental planning, landscape architecture, geology, geography, etc.). 

  • For candidates with a bachelor’s degree, a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience is required. 

Required Skills:

  • Strong scientific and technical background, quantitative skills, a background in GIS, and the ability to synthesize information for diverse audiences.

  • Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey findings clearly in writing and presentations.

  • Demonstrated experience in concurrently managing multiple projects and tasks, maintaining organizational efficiency, and balancing priorities and deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

  • Knowledge of San Francisco Bay tidal ecosystems or dynamics.

  • Project management experience, including the ability to lead projects and manage budgets, schedules, and deliverables.

  • Experience in community-based planning and facilitating discussions with diverse stakeholder groups.

In addition, the candidate should have expertise or experience in some of the following areas:

  • Sea-level rise vulnerability and adaptation

  • Geomorphic and hydrologic/hydraulic processes

  • Relationships between hydrogeomorphic and ecological dynamics in riverine and tidal ecosystems

  • Groundwater processes

  • Numerical modeling (e.g., hydrologic, hydraulic, water quality, groundwater flow)

  • Geospatial or geostatistical analyses

  • Wastewater management

  • Landscape change and historical ecology

  • Wetland monitoring and assessment

  • Ecosystem services (e.g., flood protection, heat island effect reduction, or human health benefits)

  • Landscape-scale conservation and restoration

  • Graphic design using Adobe tools or similar desktop publishing software

  • Data visualization using Adobe tools (Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop), AutoCAD, Rhino, or similar software

Salary & Benefits Highlights

  • This will be an Environmental Analyst or Associate Environmental Scientist position. The anticipated salary range is $76,500 - $80,000 for Environmental Analyst and $80,000 - $87,750 for Associate Environmental Scientist  (Bay Area salary ranges are listed; note that salary ranges for other locations are 10-15% lower depending on location). Salary ranges take into account many factors for making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, education, internal equity, and organizational needs. We generally do not offer salaries at or near the top of the range. 

  • Matching contributions to retirement plan (immediate vesting) (403B)

  • Medical Insurance: health, vision, dental with employer and employee contributions

  • 12 paid holidays

  • Vacation days starting at 3 weeks

  • Hybrid workplace

About the Resilient Landscapes Program

SFEI’s Resilient Landscapes Program develops innovative ecosystem restoration and management strategies to re-establish and sustain essential ecosystem functions and services. These strategies are helping integrate natural and human infrastructure to create systems that are more adaptive to climate change and other stressors. We are an interdisciplinary program of approximately 30 scientists (geomorphologists, hydrologists, ecologists), landscape architects, and GIS specialists – we work closely together and collaborate with staff in SFEI's other programs: Clean Water and Environmental Informatics.

About SFEI

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which has a 25-year track record of providing robust and innovative science to decision-makers, policy-makers, practitioners, and community members to measurably improve the health and resiliency of Bay-Delta ecosystems. As a boundary organization, SFEI operates at the interface between science and policy, recognized nationally for our ability to build consensus to support effective environmental decision-making and policy. Our mission is to deliver visionary science that empowers people to revitalize nature in our communities. 

 

SFEI employs an interdisciplinary staff of more than 70. Our operations and IT staff are the backbone of our organization and keep everything running smoothly. SFEI has three major programs: Clean Water, Environmental Informatics, and Resilient Landscapes. Our program staff represent numerous scientific and technological fields, including chemistry, modeling, ecology, wildlife biology, landscape planning, historical ecology, geomorphology, geospatial analysis, and web development. 

 

For more information on our mission, values, programs, and staff, visit the San Francisco Estuary Institute website.  

Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action Employer

At SFEI, we celebrate the diversity of our staff and the places we serve, and recognize the value and strength of diversity. We are committed to growing together and creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. In 2022, SFEI developed and adopted mission and vision statements for DEIJ within and beyond our organization. We also created an action plan which is currently underway. We strongly encourage applications from women-identified people, people of color, and people with other identities commonly under-represented in environmental science. We invite you to share what you like about your professional experience as well as about yourself personally. 

 

San Francisco Estuary Institute is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, family or parental status, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Accommodations Statement

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website or application portal as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact us at 510-746-7355 or admin@sfei.org.

 

Please note that SFEI cannot sponsor an employment visa (e.g., H-1B) to fill this position.

In the spirit of a fair hiring process, no phone calls or emails please.

This position has been filled.