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Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties around the globe and are committed to fostering an inclusive community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. We’re a place to apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work that’s critical to our clients and the communities they support. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Your Opportunity

Stantec is seeking a Senior Aquatic and Water Quality Scientist to join our Environmental Services practice based in the Sacramento, CA region.

Stantec offers flexible work locations, flexible work hours, and a robust compensation and benefits package.

Your role on our professional consulting services team is to be part of an interdisciplinary team identifying and assessing potential water quality and flow-related project impacts on aquatic resources, evaluating avoidance, mitigation, and enhancement measures, contributing to large environmental documents, and evaluating field study results and preparing technical reports. You will work with a multidisciplinary team of accomplished senior scientists, environmental engineers, ecologists, and planners on a variety of complex water-related projects in California and throughout the United States. Projects include water supply and infrastructure projects including the Bay-Delta; dam decommissioning, hydroelectric relicensing and compliance; and river restoration projects. You will be responsible for participating in and leading multi-disciplinary groups to successfully and efficiently execute projects. You will present project activities and results in client and stakeholder meetings, cultivate relationships with client organizations, provide work leadership and training to more junior professional and technical staff, and provide technical guidance to less experienced professionals or technicians assigned to work on water resources and infrastructure projects.

Your Key Responsibilities

- Perform advanced technical tasks, including report writing and impact assessments, on assigned projects under minimal supervision, including reports, presentations, and required applications to regulatory agencies.

- Serve as a principal contributor and lead in developing technical reports and authoring specialized sections related to water quality and quantity and aquatic/fisheries resources for documents required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and both federal and California Environmental Species Act (ESA) regulations.

- Perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of field data collection, data analyses, and documents.

- Develop project scopes of work and budgets for projects.

- Support marketing and business development in positioning for potential projects, writing technical portions of proposals, participating in client interviews, and supporting negotiations for project contracts.

- Collaborate with stakeholders in client meetings and with internal and/or external consultants, sub-contractors, and vendors in preparation and coordination of project work.

- Collaborate with senior technical resource specialists, planners, legal experts, and economists to address complex water-related environmental issues.

- Keep informed of new technical methods/analyses and apply these advanced principles and practices to project activities.

- Support the development and management project budget and staff schedules in conjunction with Project Manager(s).

Desired Capabilities and Credentials

Over 10 years of professional experience, including at least 10 years serving as the primary technical contributor and/or lead in preparing aquatic, fisheries, hydrology, and water quality sections for CEQA, NEPA, and ESA documents related to water resources and infrastructure projects.

Demonstrated expertise integrating water quality and quantity issues into aquatic ecosystem analyses.

Strong background in:

- Northern California watersheds and the California Bay-Delta fisheries

- Central Valley Project/ State Water Project operations and competing water interests

- Water temperature and water quality issues and analyses

- Anadromous fish species

- NEPA, CEQA, and federal and local and state permit processes

- Water quality expertise for Clean Water Act issues, including CWA 303(d), 305(b), 402, and 404.

- Federal regulatory interests in Northern California

- Strong quantitative and analytical skills, impact analysis experience, and report writing demonstrated capabilities, including for biological assessments/biological opinions.

- Familiarity with R and working with GIS products

- Experience/ability to lead mid-level and junior aquatic biologists

- Self-starting, team-oriented professional with excellent written and communication skills that can manage multi-disciplinary teams comprised of internal staff and subcontractors.

- Experience with proposal writing and business development

- Willing and able to travel to project meetings and field site visits

- Ability to work well independently and with a diverse, multi-disciplinary team

- High function in detail-orientation skills.

- Positive and energetic attitude

Education and Experience

- Master's Degree or PhD in aquatic ecology, water resources, or environmental sciences/management/engineering or related science.

- A minimum of 5 years as a primary technical contributor to and/or lead of aquatic/fisheries/hydrology/water quality CEQA/NEPA document sections.

- Experience in the support of delivering high quality work products.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

Indoor (Office Environment) Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting. Majority of time spent using computer/laptop at workstation and related office equipment.

Field (Outdoor Environment) - 20% or less - activities are performed in a variety of outdoor work environments that may change regularly based on project requirements. Work environments may include exposure to varying terrain, heights, bodies of water, environmental (i.e., animals/plants) or biological contact. Work in an environment where the noise and temperature levels may vary. May requiring hiking moderate distances to field sites. Requirement to wear appropriate personal protective equipment as required.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each other’s talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us. Join us and redefine your personal best.

About Stantec - Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.

\#StayInquisitive

\#INDES

Pay Range:

• Locations in CO, HI, IL, MD & Various CA, NJ Areas-$93,800.00 - $140,800.00 Annually

**Pay Transparency:** In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Please note, the final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.

**Benefits Summary:** Regular full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term/long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).

Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.

The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements

**Primary Location:** United States | CA | Sacramento

**Organization:** 1857 EnvSvcs-US West N California-Sacramento CA

**Employee Status:** Regular

**Travel:** Yes

**Schedule:** Full time

**Job Posting:** 22/12/2025 10:12:50

**Req ID:** 1003533

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. At Stantec we are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process then please inform a member of our Talent Acquisition team.