Biologist III (2484) - Natural Resources & Lands Management Division - Millbrae, CA - SFPUC (162100)

CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1
Millbrae, CA

Company Description
  • Application Opening: 04/13/2026
  • Application Filing Deadline: 04/20/2026
  • Annual Salary: $144,638 to $175,838
  • Recruitment ID:  RTF0162099-01158969 (TEX-2484-162100)

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Exempt (TEX): This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees working in seven counties with a combined annual operating budget of over $900 million.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at https://www.sfpuc.org/.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site at https://www.sfpuc.org/about-us/careers-sfpuc

About the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division

The Natural Resources and Lands Management (NRLM) Division within the Water Enterprise of the SFPUC is responsible for the management of approximately 61,000 acres of Bay Area watershed lands under SFPUC ownership as well as 150 miles of utility right-of-way. NRLM Division is responsible for managing, protecting, restoring, and monitoring the ecological resources on these lands and environmental compliance for the operations and maintenance of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System which serves 2.7 million customers. We are committed to responsible natural resources management that protects and restores viable populations of native species and maintains the integrity of the ecosystems that support them for current and future generations. We strive to become a leader in science-based and collaborative environmental stewardship in order to continue providing high-quality and reliable water supplies to our customers. 

Job Description

Project Name: Peninsula Bioregional Habitat Restoration (BHR) Phase 1, Including Predator Management and Oak Mitigation

This project will support the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division role in implementing aspects of Phase 1 of the San Francisco Public Utilities Bioregional Habitat Restoration program, which include:

  • Developing and implementing a program to benefit special-status species, specifically California red-legged frog (CRLF) and San Francisco garter snake (SFGS), through habitat management and removal of non-native predators at the BHR mitigation sites and other permit required locations on the Peninsula Watershed;
  • Providing technical expertise and recommendations towards development of a Long-Term Management Plan (LTMP) for the Phase 1 BHR sites;
  • Developing and implementing a restoration program for oak woodlands to meet state regulatory requirements

Position Summary

Under general supervision, the Senior Biologist (Biologist III) plans, designs, develops, manages, and coordinates biological and ecological monitoring for restoration and mitigation projects, environmental compliance, and stewardship programs on San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) watershed lands. The Biologist III works independently and with other staff to evaluate environmental conditions associated with utility operations and maintain compliance with regulations and policies in support of the mission of the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division (NRLMD). The Biologist III oversees consultants and contractors; gives technical direction to staff biologists, interns, and volunteers; manages contracts and directs consultants; and may exercise supervision during the absence of the Supervising Biologist.

Responsibilities include developing and implementing a program to benefit special-status species, specifically CRLF and SFGS, through habitat management and removal of non-native predators at the Peninsula BHR mitigation sites and other locations on the Peninsula watershed. Responsibilities also include providing specialized technical expertise and making recommendations towards development of a Long-Term Management Plan (LTMP) for the Phase 1 Peninsula BHR sites and developing and implementing a restoration program for establishment and enhancement of oak woodlands to meet state regulatory requirements.

Nature of Work

This position may require working in the field in watersheds, streams, and rivers, and on boats in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs; working with mechanical and/or electrical equipment; handling hazardous materials; and driving or hiking to remote locations on unimproved dirt or mountainous roads and trails. May also require working in inclement weather and hazardous wildland conditions, with little or no advanced notice for fieldwork. May be required to work overtime shifts, weekends, and holidays.

 

Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  1. Oversee and manage biological monitoring programs and biological studies.     
  2. Make recommendations and participate in the development of habitat management plans or restoration projects for the conservation of rare, threatened, and endangered species, specifically the CRLF and SFGS       
  3. In conjunction with Supervising Biologist, plan, organize, and prioritize biology projects and programs.
  4. Identify knowledge gaps and data needs and develop studies and new monitoring programs. Evaluate existing monitoring programs in response to new regulatory requirements, new scientific findings, or to resource management needs and make recommendations.          
  5. Plan and implement restoration projects and resource management activities.       
  6. Develop partnerships and peer review opportunities with research institutions and other agencies to improve current scientific understanding, outcomes of resource management decisions, and the scientific credibility of SFPUC work products.       
  7. Provide biological expertise and technical support to SFPUC managers and staff to inform water system operations, watershed management, stewardship, planning, and regulatory compliance.         
  8. Provide in-house biological expertise during negotiations with regulatory agencies or other external stakeholders.
  9. Write and review scopes of work and contract specifications, review budgets, direct work, and evaluate and approve deliverables.
  10. In conjunction with the Supervising Biologist, identify environmental problems associated with facility and watershed operations. Propose solutions, including initiation of special studies, to resolve those problems and to achieve compliance with regulations or meet stewardship objectives. Develop best practices for operations and projects that minimize impacts to the environment.
  11. Research scientific literature relevant to SFPUC terrestrial resource management and restoration; manage and analyze data; prepare technical memos, reports, presentations, and papers. Communicate complex scientific information effectively, verbally, and in writing to diverse audiences.
  12. Manage and monitor staff progress and direct consultant and contractor teams during planning; data collection, data analysis, and presentation; or resource management activities. Set team goals and priorities, assign tasks, and monitor work products.
  13. Train personnel and consultants in effective field sampling, survey methodology, taxonomy and identification, field and lab standard operating procedures, and use of technical and specialized equipment.

 

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday; 40 hrs/week

Work Location: 1000 El Camino Real Millbrae, CA 94030

 

Qualifications

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification. Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the job announcement.

1. Possession of baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in environmental biology, marine biology, aquatic biology, wildlife biology, fisheries biology, limnology, aquatic toxicology microbiology, biochemistry, or a related environmental science; AND

2. Six (6) years of verifiable environmental experience in field or laboratory biology; AND

3. Possession of a valid driver's license.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

 

Desirable Qualifications:


The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring. 

  • Education in the areas of biology, terrestrial biology, wildlife biology, herpetology, or related biological specialties
  • Experience planning, developing, and managing projects or programs related to terrestrial biology, wildlife biology and management, herpetology, ecology, botany, and restoration
  • Experience managing projects to benefit special-status wildlife species, including CRLF and SFGS, through habitat management and removal of non-native predators such as bullfrogs
  • Experience providing biological and ecological technical expertise to inform long term planning, watershed management, stewardship, restoration, planning, and/or environmental regulatory compliance
  • Experience working on water supply system environmental regulatory compliance issues including federal and state endangered species acts and acquiring approval from state and federal agencies to handle and collect endangered and common wildlife species

 

Verification of Education and Experience:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

For applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees or education from Non-Accredited Schools, please visit How to Verify Education Requirements | SF.gov

Additional Information

 

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

  • Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up to date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Job Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the job analyst at ymirabueno@sfwater.org.

 

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

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