Conservation Designer/Natural Resources Specialist

Charlottesville, VA or New York, NY

Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, a design practice with offices in Charlottesville VA, Houston TX and New York NY, is seeking a conservation designer with experience or an academic background in conservation or ecology. Additionally, candidates should have a background with design thinking (art, design, planning, landscape architecture) through experience or academic background.  We are committed to design excellence in the creation of landscapes that are sustainable and honor ecological and cultural contexts of place. As a firm, NBW seeks to apply the tools of the practice of landscape architecture to the critical issues facing our world including climate change, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity loss. This position would be a voice in those efforts in collaboration with the principal, design staff, and existing science staff.

The candidate should have experience with managing projects and internal teams, conducting meetings with clients and agencies, coordinating reviews with technical staff, scoping projects for the appropriate level of services needed, budget control, maintaining schedules, managing sub-consultants, and conducting quality control. The appropriate candidate will be expected to identify project opportunities and engage in outreach.  This role spends a considerable amount of time creating diagrams, drawings and reports for projects.

Strong emphasis will be placed on previous technical experience, quality of work, and the ability to manage project budgets and schedules. Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment are essential.

Skills and Experience Desired:

• Entrepreneurial instincts to support the growth of this sector of the practice to become, in time, self-supporting if not an eventual profit center.
• Enthusiasm for the position and a demonstration of understanding of the role landscape architecture plays in conservation.
• Proven ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, build relationships with conservation organizations, write for scientific journals and present at conferences.
• Disseminate significant findings through presentations, reports, posters, technical publications, and online.
• Demonstrate an understanding of constructed, performative landscapes and the role of scientific monitoring in design and maintenance of these landscapes.
• Coursework or knowledge of species taxonomy and field identification preferred.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and MS Office.
• Working knowledge of GIS preferred.
• AutoCAD knowledge is not necessary but helpful.
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
• Ability to self-edit work and command a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to travel to a location, walk, and conduct fieldwork for long hours (sometimes in inclement weather, over rugged terrain, and often at high altitudes), and carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds is required.
• Current valid driver's license required.

Job Responsibilities:

• Bridge the disciplines of ecology and landscape architecture through concepts, research, and graphic form.
• Design, investigate funding for, and coordinate studies that assemble information on the diversity, composition, status, environmental setting, distribution, ecology, and management of our project’s terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic communities and ecosystems.
• Work with partners to identify key information gaps for ecological data and develop strategies and financial resources to address them.
• Conduct surveys and impact assessments of proposed projects on local wildlife species, plant communities, and other sensitive/listed species and their habitats, as well as other general ecological surveys.
• Use networks (academic and professional) to convene scientists for biological surveys, review design work, and build strategic partnerships.
• Research and prepare technical documents.

Preference will be given to candidates with landscape architecture and restoration ecology experience, as well as expertise in conservation biology and natural resource management.

Education Requirements:

Education or experience in Landscape Architecture is strongly preferred. Additionally, education or substantial experience in Conservation Biology, Restoration Ecology, Biology or Natural Resource Management is required.

NBW offers excellent benefits and a competitive salary commensurate with experience. EOE.

Submit resume, cover letter and samples of design work, restoration projects, or conservation reports here.

http://www.nbwla.com

75,00 - $95,000; based on experience level.

Hiring Manager

hiring@nbwla.com

http://www.nbwla.com