Aquatic Resources Project Manager

Overview Location(s): Northern California Practice/Department: Biological Work Environment: Hybrid Compensation: $110,000-120,000/annually* Dudek’s journey began in 1980 with a vision to serve Southern California’s water and wastewater agencies. Today, we are a 100% employee-owned firm supporting clients nationwide and delivering projects that improve and protect the built and natural environments of communities throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by leading industry organizations, and we’ve been honored with multiple national Top Workplace Awards. Our employee-owners are unified by a singular commitment to supporting projects that address key societal issues, such as the transition to renewable energy, infrastructure hardening and repair, environmental protection, and community resilience. Learn more about our award-winning culture , the benefits and perks of being a Dudekian, and the projects you will have the opportunity to shape. Position Overview Who You Are As an employee-owner , you embrace accountability, working safely, and collaboration while thinking resourcefully and independently. Like all Dudekians, you are curious and solution-oriented , with the ability to adapt quickly to changes and approach challenges with a spirit of innovation . How You’ll Make an Impact Dudek is seeking a full-time Aquatic Resources Project Manager to join our biological resources team. The successful candidate will support and manage projects involving aquatic resource management, water quality, invasive species, environmental compliance, and permitting. The role emphasizes preparation and quality control of regulatory documents, management of project scope, schedule, and budget, and responsive coordination with clients, agencies, subcontractors, and multidisciplinary technical teams. This position will combine office-based project delivery with periodic meetings and field or facility visits. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with staff throughout Dudek’s California offices and will help strengthen long-term relationships with water agencies, irrigation and flood-control districts, utilities, and other public-sector clients. Duties and Responsibilities Regulatory Documentation and Compliance Prepare, coordinate, and quality-control regulatory documents, including permit applications, permit enrollment packages, Aquatic Pesticide Application Plans, monitoring plans, quality assurance and quality control plans, annual and periodic compliance reports, technical memoranda, standard operating procedures, and agency correspondence. Review permit conditions and regulatory requirements and translate them into clear project tasks, schedules, monitoring requirements, and deliverables. Coordinate document review, comment resolution, drafts revisions, and submittal with clients, technical staff, and regulatory agencies. Support environmental documentation and permitting efforts under applicable state and federal water-quality, aquatic-resource, and biological-resource requirements. Maintain organized, traceable project records and confirm that deliverables are complete, accurate, internally consistent, and responsive to client and agency comments. Track relevant regulatory changes and communicate potential effects to clients and internal project personnel. Project Management Manage technical projects or defined project tasks from authorization through closeout, with responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, staffing, quality, and deliverables. Prepare scopes of work, assumptions, fee estimates, schedules, work plans, and task assignments for aquatic-resource, water-quality, permitting, and compliance projects. Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and outside laboratories, vendors, and subcontractors. Coordinate and/or lead internal project meetings, maintain action-item tracking, and provide concise progress reporting to project teams and clients. Support invoice review, change management, contract compliance, and documentation of work completed. Client and Agency Management Serve as a day-to-day point of contact for assigned clients and develop a clear understanding of each client’s operational, regulatory, and decision-making needs. Build and maintain productive working relationships with clients, potential clients, regulatory agencies, and project partners. Communicate complex technical and regulatory information clearly in written, oral, and graphical formats. Anticipate client needs, follow through on commitments, and elevate scope, schedule, budget, or compliance concerns promptly. Support proposal production, recommending follow-on work, and other business-development activities. Technical Leadership and Team Development Provide technical support for aquatic resource management, invasive species response, water-quality monitoring, aquatic pesticide permitting, and environmental compliance programs. Coordinate field and laboratory activities to support regulatory compliance and project activities. Provide quality assurance and quality control review of data summaries, technical reports, permit documents, and client deliverables. Mentor junior staff in technical writing, document organization, project coordination, data quality, and client service. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in biology, environmental science, ecology, animal sciences, water resources, chemistry, environmental engineering, or a related natural-resources field. 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in environmental consulting, water quality, aquatic resources, environmental compliance, or a related field. Demonstrated experience preparing or managing regulatory documents, permit applications, compliance reports, technical memoranda, work plans, or standard operating procedures. Demonstrated experience coordinating projects, including scope, schedule, budget, staffing, quality control, and client communication. Strong knowledge or experience with equipment and procedures for environmental field sampling. Ability to operate and trailer watercraft. Strong technical writing, editing, organization, and oral communication skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities, document decisions, and follow assignments through completion. Working knowledge of California’s environmental and water-quality regulatory setting. Willingness to travel for meetings and project work, including occasional overnight stays. Valid driver’s license and active personal automobile liability insurance by the first day of employment. Preferred Qualifications Master’s or PhD degree in biology, ecology, botany, limnology, environmental science or related natural resources field; Pest Control Adviser certification and Qualified Industrial Stormwater Practitioner qualification, or comparable relevant credentials. Experience preparing NPDES aquatic pesticide permit documents, Aquatic Pesticide Application Plans, water-quality compliance reports, or aquatic invasive species management documents. Experience supporting public water agencies, irrigation districts, flood-control districts, utilities, or other public-sector clients. Experience coordinating directly with California regulatory agencies and navigating electronic permit or reporting systems. Experience with implementation of Industrial General Permit (for stormwater) Experience with aquatic toxicity testing, analytical laboratory quality assurance, stormwater or surface-water sampling, and aquatic ecology. Strong client service emphasis and a practical, solution-oriented project delivery approach. Conscientious and detail-oriented, with demonstrated accuracy, sound judgment, and follow-through. Compensation: $110,000-120,000/annually* *Final agreed-upon compensation will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s related experience, education, certifications, skills, and work location. Successful candidates must pass a pre-employment drug test and background check prior to beginning employment. Working Conditions This job operates in a remote or office-based environment and this role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc. This job requires occasional project site visits, based outdoors which can include excessive noise, uneven walking surfaces, extreme weather, and moving vehicles and equipment. Physical Requirements The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. This job requires the following: Working on a computer, sitting, or standing for long periods of time in an office or remote office setting. Employees must be capable of bending, squatting, climbing ladders, and lifting up to 35 lbs. unassisted; 50lbs in a team lift (two or more employees). This job requires attending meetings, both in person and virtually as well as speaking on the phone with government agency representatives, members of the public, and others. Speaking, hearing and listening are required. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Outdoor activity may involve walking/trekking in uneven terrain over long distances in extreme weather conditions for extended periods of time. Connect with us! 💼 LinkedIn 📸 Instagram ▶️ YouTube 🤝 Dudek Talent Community Dudek is committed to creating a workplace where all employees, regardless of their background, feel valued, respected, and have equal opportunities to succeed. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to our business success, and we are dedicated to fostering a culture where everyone can thrive. We are committed to fair and equitable processes, based on merit, free from any discrimination. Dudek is genuinely committed to equal employment opportunities within our company and on our project teams. Dudek is also committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Dudek’s operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of Dudek, including supervisors and coworkers. Equal employment opportunities will be extended to all persons (including those with disability and veteran status) in all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination. Any employee who violates this policy and Dudek’s commitment to equal employment opportunities will be subject to disciplinary action. Dudek is a U.S.-based employer. All positions are based in the United States and require U.S. work authorization.