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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Consultant

💰 $55,000 - $95,000

EnvironmentEcologyConsultingWildlife

🎯 Role Definition

As a Wildlife Consultant, you will lead ecological field surveys, habitat assessments, and regulatory compliance work to minimize project impacts on wildlife and natural resources. You will advise developers, government agencies, and conservation organizations on species protection, mitigation strategies, and adaptive management. This role combines field expertise, technical reporting, permit coordination, GIS analysis, and stakeholder engagement to achieve environmental outcomes aligned with local and national regulations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Field Biologist / Ecological Field Technician
  • Environmental Technician or Natural Resources Assistant
  • Wildlife Biology internship or Graduate Research Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Wildlife Consultant / Project Ecologist
  • Ecology Team Lead or Technical Lead (Habitat & Species)
  • Principal Ecologist / Environmental Project Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Environmental Permitting Specialist
  • Habitat Restoration Project Manager
  • Conservation Planning Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Plan, design and execute targeted ecological field surveys (avian, mammal, herpetofauna, aquatic, invertebrates) following standardized protocols, seasonality considerations, and species-specific detection methods to generate defensible baseline data.
  • Conduct comprehensive habitat assessments and vegetation community mapping to evaluate habitat quality, connectivity, and potential impacts to sensitive species and ecological functions.
  • Prepare clear, technically robust ecological reports and deliverables — including technical memoranda, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Biological Assessment (BA), and species-specific survey reports — that synthesize field data, literature, and regulatory context for clients and permitting agencies.
  • Lead threatened and endangered species assessments and consultations under relevant legislation (e.g., ESA, provincial/state endangered species acts), drafting biological evaluations and coordinating formal agency consultations when required.
  • Design and implement species-specific mitigation, monitoring, and adaptive management plans (e.g., avoidance buffers, timing restrictions, habitat enhancements, translocation plans) to reduce project impacts and ensure permit compliance.
  • Develop and submit permit applications and supporting documentation for federal, state, and local environmental approvals (e.g., Section 7 consultations, habitat conservation plans, CWA/ESA permits), and manage follow-up communications with regulatory bodies.
  • Perform GIS analyses and spatial modeling to map species occurrences, habitat suitability, impact footprints, and mitigation scenarios; prepare high-quality maps and spatial data products to support decision-making.
  • Oversee data management workflows: collect, QA/QC, store and analyze field and remote-sensing data, and produce reproducible datasets and metadata for clients and project archives.
  • Coordinate and supervise field crews and subcontractors, providing training on survey protocols, safety procedures, species identification, and data recording to ensure consistent, high-quality fieldwork.
  • Conduct pre-construction wildlife surveys and provide construction-phase monitoring and compliance oversight, advising contractors on avoidance measures and on-the-ground adjustments to protect sensitive resources.
  • Perform collision-risk and disturbance assessments (e.g., for wind, transmission, and transportation projects) and develop siting recommendations and operational mitigation measures to minimize wildlife impacts.
  • Evaluate cumulative and landscape-scale impacts by integrating project data with regional plans, land-use patterns, and conservation priorities to recommend strategic mitigation and offsets.
  • Communicate technical findings clearly to non-technical stakeholders — clients, planners, community groups, and regulators — through presentations, public meetings, and stakeholder consultations to build consensus and support project approvals.
  • Design and implement post-construction monitoring programs to evaluate mitigation effectiveness, species population responses, and habitat recovery; analyze monitoring results and recommend adaptive management changes.
  • Advise on best practices for habitat restoration and enhancement, including native planting plans, invasive species control, erosion control, and wetland mitigation techniques to support biodiversity goals.
  • Prepare budgets, scopes of work, and technical proposals for wildlife-related consulting projects; track project progress, invoicing, and deliverables to meet client expectations and contractual obligations.
  • Integrate remote sensing (aerial imagery, LiDAR, satellite data) and emerging technologies (automated recording units, camera traps, eDNA) into survey designs and monitoring frameworks to increase detection probability and data resolution.
  • Conduct risk assessments for human-wildlife conflict scenarios and propose management strategies to reduce hazards and promote coexistence practices for communities and operational sites.
  • Stay current with scientific literature, species status changes, regulatory updates, and best management practices; translate new information into practical guidance and revised survey/mitigation protocols.
  • Lead or contribute to multi-disciplinary teams on large projects, coordinating with civil engineers, hydrologists, planners, and cultural resource specialists to integrate wildlife considerations across project stages.
  • Ensure safety and regulatory compliance during all field activities by developing site-specific safety plans, ensuring appropriate permits, and maintaining training and equipment for field teams.
  • Provide expert witness testimony, technical appendices, or peer reviews for environmental assessments, regulatory hearings, and legal proceedings when wildlife impacts are contested.

Secondary Functions

  • Support client development of biodiversity net gain strategies, conservation banking proposals, and habitat offset programs that align with regulatory and voluntary market requirements.
  • Assist in grant writing and funding applications for conservation initiatives, monitoring programs, and restoration projects to secure external funding for biodiversity outcomes.
  • Maintain organized project documentation, records, and GIS databases to support audits, funding reports, and long-term monitoring commitments.
  • Mentor junior staff and interns through on-the-job training, technical review, and career development guidance to build internal capacity in wildlife science and regulatory practice.
  • Contribute to internal business development initiatives by preparing case studies, marketing materials, and thought leadership content (blogs, white papers) that highlight firm expertise in wildlife consulting.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient in designing and conducting species-specific field surveys (breeding bird counts, bat acoustic surveys, reptile/amphibian transects, aquatic electrofishing, camera trap protocols).
  • Strong knowledge of local, state/provincial, and federal wildlife regulations, permitting processes, and species protection statutes (e.g., Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act).
  • Advanced GIS skills (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) for habitat mapping, spatial analysis, and creation of publication-quality maps.
  • Experience with remote sensing workflows (LiDAR, aerial imagery, satellite data) and integrating these datasets into ecological assessments.
  • Competence with statistical analysis and ecological modeling tools (R, Python, occupancy modeling, species distribution models) to analyze survey and monitoring data.
  • Familiarity with modern detection technologies: automated recording units (ARUs), ultrasonic bat detectors, camera traps, eDNA sampling and lab coordination.
  • Proven technical writing skills for preparation of regulatory reports, environmental impact statements, and biological assessments that meet agency standards.
  • Project management capabilities including scope definition, budgeting, scheduling, subcontractor oversight, and quality control for multi-phase ecological projects.
  • Proficiency in data management best practices: data entry protocols, metadata creation, database maintenance, and GIS geodatabase management.
  • Experience developing mitigation, monitoring, and adaptive management plans with measurable success criteria and clear monitoring protocols.

Soft Skills

  • Strong verbal communication and presentation skills for conveying complex ecological information to diverse audiences (clients, regulators, public).
  • Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills; ability to build rapport with landowners, agencies, and community groups.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude for designing practical mitigation and adaptive solutions under regulatory constraints.
  • Attention to detail and high standards for technical accuracy in field methods, data analysis, and report writing.
  • Leadership and team management skills to effectively supervise field teams and coordinate interdisciplinary project delivery.
  • Time management and organizational skills to balance multiple projects, seasonal survey windows, and tight regulatory deadlines.
  • Resilience and adaptability for work in variable field conditions, remote locations, and project-driven timelines.
  • Ethical judgment and professional integrity when handling sensitive species information and regulatory relationships.
  • Continuous learning orientation to integrate new science, tools, and policy changes into practice.
  • Client-service mindset with commercial awareness to align ecological recommendations with project budgets and timelines.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology, Natural Resource Management, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree or higher in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or equivalent applied research experience.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Wildlife Biology
  • Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Environmental Science
  • Natural Resource Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–8+ years of professional wildlife consulting or relevant field-based ecological experience (entry to senior levels vary by scope).

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressively responsible consulting experience for mid-level to senior roles.
  • Demonstrated track record of managing regulatory permitting processes, producing high-quality ecological assessments, and leading field teams.
  • Proven experience with regional species of concern, local permitting authorities, and cross-disciplinary project coordination.
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