Job Description

Status:  Part-Time; Non-Exempt

Reports to:  Compliance and Ecology Coordinator (Aaron Sidder)

Salary: $26-30/hour depending on experience (+ overtime)

BCI and our Mission

Bat Conservation International (BCI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending bat extinctions worldwide, seeks one NEPA Writer to join BCI’s Conservation Department. The NEPA Writer will work as part of the Restoration Team in the Habitat Protection & Restoration Program (HP&R). 

Primary Responsibilities and Expectations

The NEPA Writer position would support the Compliance & Ecology Coordinator in the development and management of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for conservation actions implemented by BCI’s Habitat Protection & Restoration Program (HP&R). Such conservation actions may include, but are not limited to:

• Abandoned mine closures in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
• Habitat restoration projects such as fence exclosures, spring/seep restoration, stream restoration, or invasive species management.
• Development of landscape-scale management plans such U.S. Forest Service Watershed Restoration Action Plans. 
• Pre- and post-fire management such as thinning, prescribed fire, and seeding.

Work Schedule:

The part-time position will require 15-25 hours a week initially, but with opportunities to participate in field survey and implementation and the potential to advance into a full-time position as project workloads increase. Weeks with travel, in-person meetings, or field work could exceed 25 hours.

Position Description:

The NEPA Writer will:

• Coordinate among BCI teams, federal agencies, state partners, and sub-contractors to ensure NEPA documentation is completed on schedule and in compliance with all pertinent natural and cultural resource regulations. 
• Identify and communicate restrictions related to wildlife life cycles (e.g., raptor nesting season or big horn sheep lambing season).
• Research and extract information from forest, resource, and/or conservation management plans.
• Identify protected species (e.g., federally threatened and endangered species, BLM Sensitive Species, Forest Service Management Indicator Species) and assess potential impacts as part of NEPA effects analysis.
• Write NEPA documentation to fit needs and desired format of partner agencies, including BLM, USFS, USFWS, and DOE. NEPA documentation may include categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and biological assessment/biological evaluation (BA/BE).
• Manage and track ever-shifting management actions across projects (e.g., track and communicate changes to proposed mine closure methods as they evolve with input from agency resource specialists)
• Assist with selection and management of project subcontractors.

Ideal Candidate Qualifications:

Required Knowledge/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree related to natural or cultural resource management: biology, anthropology, or related fields and/or minimum 3-5 years’ experience or more writing and coordinating NEPA compliance with federal agencies.
• Familiarity with NEPA compliance and related processes; command of language used in documentation; understanding of impact analysis.
• Timely, patient, and clear communication in both verbal and written arenas.
• Strong technical writing and editing skills to lead the development and publication of public-facing documents.
• Ability to communicate needs and manage data with the Geospatial Team for development of maps, legal descriptions, and other geospatial products developed in support of the NEPA effort.
• Demonstrated knowledge of scientific rigor, survey methods, and field techniques.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel for document production and project management.
• Skill in managing and organizing information in a multi-faceted, dynamic work environment.
• Independent worker and comfort being productive in a remote work environment.

Preferred Knowledge/Experience (not required):

• Experience completing Endangered Species Act compliance: development of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), Section 7 consultation, development of biological assessment/biological evaluation (BA/BE).
• Familiarity with and ability to navigate wildlife and natural resource planning documents including, but not limited to, state wildlife action plans, BLM resource management plans, USFS forest management plans, existing NEPA documentation, state rare plant and/or natural heritage databases.
• Proficiency with GIS and managing geospatial data including shapefiles, geodatabases, and KML/KMZ
• Demonstrated knowledge of bat biology and ecology, and more broadly, principles of conservation and wildlife management.
• Experience driving 4x4 vehicles, particularly in off-road conditions.

This job is for you if you have:

• A willingness to think beyond comfort zones and explore outside perspectives.
• Empathetic and patient communication style to allow for productive work relationships across varied ethnic, political, and religious identities.
• Interest and curiosity in natural and Earth sciences, statistics, and/or engineering.
• Ability to communicate and receive constructive feedback in the work environment.
• Detail-oriented; finds joy in improving efficiency in workflow and data management.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI)

BCI is deeply committed to JEDI and embeds JEDI-centered practices in its conservation work and organizational culture. BCI is determined to be an employer of choice and believes that the best organizational performance will come from a safe, diverse and inclusive work environment. Read more about our JEDI statement at  .

Sick leave, option for 401(k), voluntary benefits, and a work culture that encourages well-being and growth

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