City and County of San Francisco
Botanical Biologist III (2484) - Natural Resources & Lands Management Division,
City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199
Botanical Biologist III (2484) - Natural Resources & Lands Management Division, SFPUC (160195)
Join to apply for the Botanical Biologist III (2484) role at City and County of San Francisco.
Application Opening: 10/17/2025
Application Filing Deadline: 10/24/2025
Annual Salary: $142,506 to $173,238
Recruitment ID: RTF0160193-01158735 (TEX-2484-160195)
Project Name Bioregional Habitat Restoration (BHR) Program Phase 2, including Fountain Thistle
Position Summary Under general supervision, the Senior Biologist (Biologist III) plans, designs, develops, and manages biological and ecological monitoring, protection, enhancement, establishment, and re-establishment of special-status botanical resources as required by federal and state permits and other policies on SFPUC watershed lands. The Biologist III works independently and with other staff to evaluate environmental conditions associated with utility operations and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and policies in support of the SFPUC mission.
Essential duties and responsibilities
Oversee and manage botanical biological monitoring, protection, enhancement, establishment, and re-establishment programs and studies for endangered plant species, specifically fountain thistle and other species that occur on the Peninsula Watershed.
Provide biological expertise and technical support to SFPUC managers and staff to inform water system operations, watershed management, stewardship, planning, and regulatory compliance, including the placement of conservation easements.
In conjunction with Supervising Biologist, plan, organize, and prioritize biology projects and programs.
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.
Make recommendations and participate in the development of habitat management plans or restoration projects for the conservation of rare, threatened, and endangered species.
Plan and implement restoration projects and resource management activities.
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.
Provide in-house biological expertise during negotiations with regulatory agencies or other external stakeholders.
Write and review scopes of work and contract specifications, review budgets, direct work, and evaluate and approve deliverables.
In conjunction with the Supervising Biologist, identify environmental problems associated with facility, watershed, and right-of-way 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.
Research scientific literature relevant to SFPUC resource management; manage and analyze data; prepare technical memos, reports, presentations, and papers. Communicate complex scientific information effectively, verbally, and in writing to diverse audiences.
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.
Train personnel and consultants in effective field sampling, survey methodology, and taxonomy and identification.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule Monday – Friday; 40 hrs/week
Work Location SFPUC Headquarters (525 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102), with field work focused on SFPUC lands in San Mateo County and occasional field work on SFPUC lands in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties.
Qualifications
Possession of a 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
Six (6) years of verifiable environmental experience in field or laboratory biology; AND
Possession of a valid driver's license.
Desirable Qualifications
Education in the areas of biology, plant biology, terrestrial biology, or related biological specialties.
Experience monitoring, enhancing, and establishing sites for endangered plant species including fountain thistle and/or species with similar life history traits.
Experience with the process of placing conservation easements on sites that include endangered plants and/or wildlife adjacent to and/overlapping with utility corridors and watershed infrastructure.
Experience providing biological and ecological technical expertise to inform land management, 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.
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
Additional Information
Information About The Hiring Process
Conviction History
Employee Benefits Overview
Equal Employment Opportunity
Disaster Service Worker
ADA Accommodation
Right to Work
Copies of Application Documents
Diversity Statement
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.
Job Analyst Information If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the job analyst at ymirabueno@sfwater.org.
Equal Employment Opportunity 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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Application Opening: 10/17/2025
Application Filing Deadline: 10/24/2025
Annual Salary: $142,506 to $173,238
Recruitment ID: RTF0160193-01158735 (TEX-2484-160195)
Project Name Bioregional Habitat Restoration (BHR) Program Phase 2, including Fountain Thistle
Position Summary Under general supervision, the Senior Biologist (Biologist III) plans, designs, develops, and manages biological and ecological monitoring, protection, enhancement, establishment, and re-establishment of special-status botanical resources as required by federal and state permits and other policies on SFPUC watershed lands. The Biologist III works independently and with other staff to evaluate environmental conditions associated with utility operations and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and policies in support of the SFPUC mission.
Essential duties and responsibilities
Oversee and manage botanical biological monitoring, protection, enhancement, establishment, and re-establishment programs and studies for endangered plant species, specifically fountain thistle and other species that occur on the Peninsula Watershed.
Provide biological expertise and technical support to SFPUC managers and staff to inform water system operations, watershed management, stewardship, planning, and regulatory compliance, including the placement of conservation easements.
In conjunction with Supervising Biologist, plan, organize, and prioritize biology projects and programs.
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.
Make recommendations and participate in the development of habitat management plans or restoration projects for the conservation of rare, threatened, and endangered species.
Plan and implement restoration projects and resource management activities.
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.
Provide in-house biological expertise during negotiations with regulatory agencies or other external stakeholders.
Write and review scopes of work and contract specifications, review budgets, direct work, and evaluate and approve deliverables.
In conjunction with the Supervising Biologist, identify environmental problems associated with facility, watershed, and right-of-way 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.
Research scientific literature relevant to SFPUC resource management; manage and analyze data; prepare technical memos, reports, presentations, and papers. Communicate complex scientific information effectively, verbally, and in writing to diverse audiences.
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.
Train personnel and consultants in effective field sampling, survey methodology, and taxonomy and identification.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule Monday – Friday; 40 hrs/week
Work Location SFPUC Headquarters (525 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102), with field work focused on SFPUC lands in San Mateo County and occasional field work on SFPUC lands in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties.
Qualifications
Possession of a 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
Six (6) years of verifiable environmental experience in field or laboratory biology; AND
Possession of a valid driver's license.
Desirable Qualifications
Education in the areas of biology, plant biology, terrestrial biology, or related biological specialties.
Experience monitoring, enhancing, and establishing sites for endangered plant species including fountain thistle and/or species with similar life history traits.
Experience with the process of placing conservation easements on sites that include endangered plants and/or wildlife adjacent to and/overlapping with utility corridors and watershed infrastructure.
Experience providing biological and ecological technical expertise to inform land management, 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.
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
Additional Information
Information About The Hiring Process
Conviction History
Employee Benefits Overview
Equal Employment Opportunity
Disaster Service Worker
ADA Accommodation
Right to Work
Copies of Application Documents
Diversity Statement
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.
Job Analyst Information If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the job analyst at ymirabueno@sfwater.org.
Equal Employment Opportunity 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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr