The Western Regional Office of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU) has an opening for a Mitigation and Regulatory Compliance Specialist to round out our mission driven and close-knit Environmental Compliance Team. The successful candidate will provide essential permitting and environmental compliance support to DU conservation teams across the western states and will be instrumental in standing up a new In-Lieu Fee (ILF) Program within the San Francisco Bay watershed. The position will be based out of the Western Regional Office in Rancho Cordova, CA, and preferentially staffed from DU’s Bay Area Field Station in Vallejo, CA.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Mitigation Specialist

The ILF Program will be integral to and build from DU’s existing conservation program in the San Francisco Bay area, and will leverage ecologically significant projects to provide compensatory mitigation for estuarine and freshwater wetland impacts permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ILF Program-related job responsibilities will include:

• Administration of the ILF Program, including coordination with the Interagency Review Team (IRT), management of credit sales data and implementation requirements, and oversight of financial accounts and management plans.

• Collaboration with DU conservation staff to identify and develop projects well suited for integration into the ILF Program, and to facilitate development of appropriate contractual agreements for ILF projects.

• Collaboration with DU conservation staff to develop site-specific Mitigation Plans, including performance standards, appropriate site protection mechanisms, and long-term management strategies tied to ILF Program requirements.

• Carrying out other mitigation-related tasks, including administration of DU fee for services agreements, representing the Western Region at meetings and conferences related to regional and national mitigation topics, and tracking changes in state and federal mitigation policy and regulation.

Regulatory Compliance Specialist

The Environmental Compliance Team provides permitting and compliance support to critically important restoration and enhancement projects across the west coast, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Regulatory compliance-related job responsibilities will initially focus on project work in California, and will include:

• Development of environmental compliance strategies for aquatic restoration projects in California that reflect a broad and comprehensive understanding of applicable federal, state, and local natural resource regulations. Familiarity with streamlined natural resource permit processes available to voluntary restoration projects in California is beneficial.

• Assembling federal and state permit applications packages to support project implementation.

• Preparing (or overseeing preparation of) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and/or California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental documents.

• Providing compliance support during project construction, including on-the-ground interpretation of permit terms and conditions and real-time coordination with regulatory and resource agencies.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ducks Unlimited is seeking a talented and self-motivated Mitigation and Regulatory Compliance Specialist to join our team of conservation minded biologists and engineers restoring and enhancing aquatic habitats across California. The successful candidate will have strong organizational and inter-personal skills, a positive attitude and commitment to ecological restoration, and the ability to work well both independently and as part of a team. Strong candidates will have demonstrated experience in mitigation banking or ILF Program administration and, preferentially, aquatic restoration project permitting experience in California.

Education and Experience – The successful candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in an environmental planning or natural resources related field. An advanced degree is desirable.

Applicants must have at least five years of relevant experience, with demonstrated success in advancing mitigation projects, either as part of a wetland mitigation bank or ILF Program. Demonstrated success in oversight of one or more phases of mitigation project delivery, such as site identification, vetting for restoration potential, mitigation plan development, acquisition, permitting, monitoring, and/or adaptive management, is required. Familiarity and experience permitting multi-disciplinary wetland or tidal restoration projects in California is preferred.

Communication Skills – The successful candidate must be able to communicate ILF Program requirements and permit requirements to teams of varying backgrounds, including the IRT, DU staff, project partners, landowners, and regulators. Clear and succinct verbal and written communication skills are essential. Applicants may be required to provide a writing sample demonstrative of their understanding and application of wetland mitigation programs and natural resource regulations.

Technical Skills – The successful candidate must be proficient in the use of MS Office software, comfortable working online, and comfortable using a personal computer. Job responsibilities may require field work in adverse weather and landscape conditions and may require overnight travel. Familiarity with ArcPro, GPS equipment, and all-terrain vehicles is beneficial. The ability to complete plant and/or wildlife surveys, wetland delineations, or CEQA compliance documents is also beneficial, but not required.

SALARY: $80,000.00- $110,000.00 annually. Salary commensurate with education and experience.

BENEFITS PACKAGE: DU offers an exceptional benefit package that includes comprehensive group medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance, including spouse and dependent coverage; three weeks paid vacation; paid sick leave and 10 paid holidays; 401(k) plan (including partial employer match); and tuition reimbursement.

For more information regarding this please see posted “Jobs” at www.ducks.org, or contact:

Maria Camacho, Executive Assistant

mcamacho@ducks.org  
 Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
 Western Regional Office
 3074 Gold Canal Drive
 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

APPLICATION DEADLINE:   Applications will be accepted until a qualified applicant is identified.

DUCKS UNLIMITED, INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

It is the policy of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to afford equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 or over), disability (physical, mental or visual), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), military and veteran status, immigration status, or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.