Job Description

Job Description and Duties

The California Coastal Commission is seeking an experienced Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) to join its Technical Services Unit (Ecology Group). The Commission is a small State agency that is charged with protecting coastal resources and managing coastal development in California. The Commission’s mission is to implement the Coastal Act and to protect, restore, and enhance coastal and marine resources for the continuing benefit of current and future generations. The Ecology Group supports Commission staff with review and analysis of proposed development regarding potential adverse impacts on coastal resources and conformance with Coastal Act natural resource policies, including those certified in Local Coastal Plans (LCPs) and similar plans.

The Commission values diversity at all levels of the organization and is committed to fostering an environment in which employees from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and personal experiences are welcomed and can thrive.  We believe the diversity of our employees and their unique ideas inspire innovative solutions to further our mission of protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations.

Duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Coordinating with the Commission’s technical staff (in ecology, water quality, geology, engineering and mapping), transportation staff, coastal analysts, legal staff, enforcement staff, energy and ocean resources and federal consistency staff, and management, on a wide variety of planning and regulatory projects;
• Leading the advance mitigation program for habitat, particularly with respect to Caltrans transportation planning. A key role of this position is to ensure that the Commission’s commitments are met under the Caltrans and Commission Interagency Agreements, State Advanced Mitigation Initiative MOU, and the Master Process Agreement for Planning and Developing Advance Mitigation throughout California for Caltrans’ Advanced Mitigation Program. Tasks include reviewing and commenting on State and Regional Advanced Mitigation Needs Assessments, participating in the development of potential mitigation banking and in-lieu fee proposals, and assisting with the review, preparation and presentation of related staff reports before the Commission.
• Contributing to the improvement and facilitation of biology-related consultations with other state and federal agency staff, including from Caltrans, CA State Parks, CA Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife, NOAA and others to support cross-agency collaboration and consistency and to assure that proposed development includes positive environmental outcomes and adequate compensation for habitat, wetland, and other coastal resource impacts in a manner that meets the State’s conservation priorities consistent with the Coastal Act;
• Reviewing and analyzing technical documents (biological reports, environmental impact reports, habitat mitigation/restoration and monitoring plans, etc.) associated with proposed development projects and performing independent analysis against natural resource policies in the Coastal Act and other planning documents including certified Local Coastal Programs, Long Range Development Plans, Public Works Plans, and Port Master Plans;
• Conducting site visits to evaluate on-the-ground ecological conditions;
• Writing technical memoranda to support and accompany Commission staff reports;
• Assisting development of natural resource permit condition recommendations and reviewing the corroborating natural resource policy sections of legal findings;
• Providing early input into compensatory mitigation or restoration project requirements, goals, and proposed work as well as opportunities for advance mitigation and mitigation banking;
• Reviewing and analyzing mitigation/restoration and monitoring plans for regulatory compliance, with an eye toward guiding adaptive management;
• Serving as an internal ecological consultant to Commission staff.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 12/31/2024

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

CA Coastal Commission

N/A

Attn: Human Resources

455 Market St. Suite 300

San Francisco , CA 94105

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

CA Coastal Commission

N/A

Human Resources

455 Market St. Suite 300

San Francisco , CA 94105

08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Degree and/or School Transcripts
• Other -

  Cover letter identifying interest in and qualifications for the job

• Other -

  A brief writing sample (5 pages or less)

• Other - 2 Professional References 

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Department Website:

Hiring Unit Contact:
Jonna Engel
(805) 585-1800
jonna.engel@coastal.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Melanie Wong
(415) 904-5433
melanie.wong@coastal.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Local area,

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