Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist)

Senior Biologist - Lead Worker

Department of Transportation

JC-487966 - Senior Biologist - Lead Worker

SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST (SPECIALIST)

$7,556.00 - $10,221.00 per Month

New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 8/29/2025

Application Methods:

Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)

Job Description and Duties

Under the general direction of a Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisory), the Biological Sciences & Permits Branch Chief, the incumbent is an interdisciplinary team member who will focus on negotiating the most complex regulatory agency permits; developing programmatic agreements; overseeing field investigations and data collection, such as botanical inventories, wetland delineations, and threatened and endangered species habitat assessments; participate as a member of special teams to develop wildlife passage recommendations; and reviewing technical reports for scientific accuracy and legal sufficiency to support the delivery of critical transportation projects throughout the vibrant nine-county Bay Area. The Senior Biologist will be expected to establish and maintain professional working relationships with internal project delivery partners and regulatory agency staff.

The Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) is the advanced journey level of the series. Decision making at this level has a higher consequence of error than that of an Environmental Scientist. Incumbents may be the assigned lead for a specific project, program function, or area of expertise; may act as a mentor to lower level staff; and may act as a consultant to other technical staff, management, and other agencies. Caltrans Biologists perform a broad range of activities pertaining to the protection and conservation of natural resources. The incumbent will ensure compliance with various environmental laws and regulations; and conduct environmental protection, planning, and mitigation activities. Incumbents apply scientific methods and principles to analyze and evaluate available data on the effects of transportation projects on all aspects of the environment; prepare and review technical documents to determine said effects; and identify and evaluate creative strategies to lessen the impact of those projects on biological resources.

The District 4 office is located in Oakland, CA. While Caltrans supports telework, in-person attendance is required based on operational needs. District 4's current schedule of two in-office days is subject to change at anytime. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksite with minimal notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate may be required to conduct business travel on behalf of the Department or commute to the headquartered location. Business travel reimbursement considers an employee's designated Headquarters Location, primary residence, and will be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate. In addition, this position may require site visits, sometimes to remote areas, which may require driving a personal or state vehicle on public roadways as well as traversing uneven terrain.

PARF# 04-6-0605 / JC-487966

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions. To apply for the exam, please click here and search by typing in the classification title.

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

Please take this 1-minute Caltrans Recruitment survey to tell us how you found out about this job.

Apply today to join our team! We especially encourage applicants to check out our Caltrans Career Compass tool! The Caltrans Career Compass is a tool to assist and help candidates understand and succeed in applying to Caltrans positions.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Position located at 111 Grand Ave., Oakland, Alameda County.

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans's evolving telework policy. Caltrans supports telework, recognizing that in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksites with minimum notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate will be required to commute to the headquartered location as needed to meet operational needs. Business travel may be required and reimbursement considers an employee's designated headquartered location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST (SPECIALIST)

Additional Documents

Job Application Package Checklist

Position Details

Job Code #: JC-487966

Position #(s):

...-XXX

Working Title: Senior Biologist - Lead Worker

Classification: SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST (SPECIALIST)

$7,556.00 - $10,221.00

New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions: Multiple

Work Location: Alameda County

Telework: Hybrid

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

Caltrans Mission: Improving lives and communities through transportation.

Caltrans Vision: A thriving and connected California.

The Caltrans workforce is made up of diverse and unique individuals who contribute to our organizational success. Caltrans is about celebrating diversity, valuing one another, and recognizing that Caltrans is strong not despite the diverse attributes of our workforce, but because of our diversity.

Department Website: www.dot.ca.gov

Director's EEO Policy:

Director's EEO Policy Statement:

Special Requirements

Possession of a valid driver's license is required when operating state owned or leased vehicles.

Class "C" driver's license required.

Statement of qualifications (SOQ) required.

Please include a SOQ that is no more than two pages typed, single spaced, using 12-point Arial font. Note that resumes and/or cover letters will not take the place of the SOQ. On your SOQ, please expand upon the prompts below and provide sufficient details on your career experience as it relates to each question. Provide sufficient detail with each question to indicate why you believe your knowledge, skills, and experience would make you the best candidate to take on the roles and responsibilities of this position. Your response should provide specific, job-related experiences that demonstrate the following:

A working understanding of federal and state environmental regulatory processes and laws as they relate to the transportation sector. Provide examples of the types of permit applications or approvals you have authored and elaborate on any successes you had in obtaining or issuing permits.

This position is a lead role. Provide specific examples of any experience you have had acting or performing in a leadership role and/or experience in training, guiding, or mentoring others.

Your ability to work cooperatively with and build partnerships internally and externally (e.g., resource agencies/local partners/land trusts and other divisions). Please be sure to include experience negotiating and resolving conflicts with partners on complex environmental resource issues.

Your ability to analyze scientific data and present findings and conclusions based on those data in a biological report or other applied setting. Be as specific as possible and provide citations or titles if applicable.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification. Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment. Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent. Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: or Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

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: 8/29/2025