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Coastal Ecology Environmental Scientist
San Francisco Estuary Institute
San Francisco, CA, USA
USD 101,445-117,490 / year
Posted on Mar 28, 2026
Coastal Ecology Environmental Scientist
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Location: Richmond, California
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Program: Resilient Landscapes
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Type: Full-time
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Experience Level: Mid-Level
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Position Type: Permanent
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Salary: $101,445 to $117,490. See details below.
Position Description
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Posted: 3/27/26
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First review of applications: 4/10/26
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Application closing date: 4/27/26
The San Francisco Estuary Institute is looking for a mid-level Scientist for the San Francisco Bay Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program
The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is seeking a mid-level ecologist/scientist to join the Resilient Landscapes Program (Program) to support the San Francisco Estuary Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program (WRMP), and other projects focused on the San Francisco Bay and Delta.
SFEI and the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) co-manage the WRMP. The WRMP’s mission is to deliver coordinated regional monitoring of the Estuary’s wetlands to (1) inform science-based decision-making for wetland restoration and adaptive management and (2) increase the cost-effectiveness of permit-driven monitoring associated with wetland restoration projects. Through standardized monitoring and regional data analysis, the WRMP provides a platform to assess how existing tidal wetlands and restoration projects respond to environmental stressors and measure the impact of wetland restoration efforts.
The position offers the opportunity to work with an outstanding multidisciplinary team of researchers on developing scientific information that advances tidal wetland restoration in the San Francisco Estuary. Our work is conducted in close collaboration with local governments, regulatory agencies, and community organizations to enhance the resilience of the Estuary’s tidal ecosystems, wildlife, and shoreline communities. The Scientist will join the program at an exciting time as the WRMP has recently initiated data collection core to the long-term monitoring program.
We are looking for an individual who can start immediately. The selected candidate must have expertise in tidal wetland ecology with a strong technical background and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on scientific projects, manage and analyze data, and synthesize scientific information into formats relevant for decision-makers and to broad audiences. The selected candidate will also be an exceptional collaborator and have strong interpersonal communication skills to work with stakeholders to apply science to management.
Successful candidates will contribute to a diverse portfolio of projects within the WRMP and will work both independently and collaboratively with guidance from senior staff. Primary responsibilities include:
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Supporting science-related WRMP development and communications, including participating in Science Team meetings and other internal and external meetings focused on project management, science communications, and data collection.
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Participating in the synthesis and analysis of monitoring data from interdisciplinary teams into products that are relevant to decision-makers and other stakeholders, including monitoring data analysis, programmatic documents, scientific summaries, reports, and planning documents.
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Contributing to the writing of technical reports and memos.
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Providing support for project management and administrative tasks, including developing work plans and permit applications, and tracking deliverables.
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Collaborating with partners at SFEP on WRMP development, integration of human dimensions, stakeholder needs, community-engaged monitoring, and information delivery.
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Representing the WRMP at regional and state-wide meetings.
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Supporting new and ongoing technical workgroups by preparing agendas, facilitating meetings, and synthesizing outcomes and results.
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Coordinating with subcontractors (science advisors, workgroup leads, and monitoring crews) who collect data on vegetation, sediment dynamics, fish, water quality, horizontal-vertical control, and water levels.
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Contributing to other shoreline adaptation planning and tidal wetland projects, including developing adaptation strategies that incorporate nature-based solutions, contributing to studies on cross-sector adaptation, advancing landscape-scale planning that promotes healthy estuarine and urban ecosystems, and advancing multi-benefit projects in complex social and ecological systems.
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Becoming trained in the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) and conducting CRAM field work, in addition to conducting other field work as needed.
If you are excited about this role, but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this, or one of our other roles.
Qualifications
Work Location
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Candidates must be local; remote locations will not be considered, but we are willing to consider transition time from elsewhere.
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The position requires an in-person presence for regional meetings, field work, site visits, and some WRMP coordination meetings.
Required Minimum Experience
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Degree in ecology, environmental science, natural resources or related field
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Bachelor's + 9-10 years of experience in coastal ecology
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MS + 7-8 years of experience in coastal ecology
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PhD + 0-1 years of experience in coastal ecology
Required Skills
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Strong scientific/technical background – desired areas of expertise include ecology, familiarity with the San Francisco Estuary and its tidal wetland ecosystems, landscape-scale conservation and restoration, nature-based adaptation, California wetland restoration science, and quantitative skills.
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Project management – strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to track multiple tasks. Demonstrated experience in concurrently managing multiple projects and tasks, maintaining efficiency, and balancing priorities and deadlines. Ability to manage projects, including collaborating with scientific partners and other stakeholders, work plans, budgets, schedules, and deliverables.
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Excellent communication skills – demonstrated ability to communicate findings clearly in writing and presentations and to synthesize scientific information for general and technical audiences.
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Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with diverse groups of external partners and stakeholders.
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Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, extending to SFEP and other external WRMP partners.
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Collaborative and supportive work approach, being part of an effective team.
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Experience presenting at conferences and to stakeholder groups.
Preferred Skills
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Knowledge of the San Francisco Bay environmental policy and regulatory environment.
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Experience with GIS software and tools, familiarity with remote-sensed imagery and/or GIS and interpretation.
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Experience with R
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Experience in community-based planning and facilitating discussions with diverse stakeholder groups.
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Existing relationships with the Bay-Delta science community.
Salary & Benefits Highlights
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This is an Environmental Scientist position. The anticipated salary range for full time employment is $101,445 to $117,490 this position. Salary ranges take into account many factors for making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, education, internal salary structure, and organizational needs. We expect to offer starting salaries at or near the lower end of the salary range.
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Matching contributions to retirement plan (immediate vesting) (403B)
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Medical Insurance: health, vision, dental with employer and employee contributions
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12 paid holidays
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Vacation days starting at 3 weeks accrual/year
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Hybrid workplace
About Resilient Landscapes
SFEI’s Resilient Landscapes Program develops innovative ecosystem restoration and management strategies to re-establish and sustain essential ecosystem functions and services. These strategies are helping integrate natural and human infrastructure to create systems that are more adaptive to climate change and other stressors. We are an interdisciplinary program of 35 scientists (geomorphologists, hydrologists, ecologists), landscape architects, and GIS specialists – we work closely together and collaborate with staff in SFEI's other programs: Clean Water and Environmental Informatics.
About SFEI
San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which has a 25-year track record of providing robust and innovative science to decision-makers, policy-makers, practitioners, and community members to measurably improve the health and resiliency of Bay-Delta ecosystems. As a boundary organization, SFEI operates at the interface between science and policy, recognized nationally for our ability to build consensus to support effective environmental decision-making and policy. Our mission is to deliver visionary science that empowers people to revitalize nature in our communities.
SFEI employs an interdisciplinary staff of more than 80. Our operations and IT staff are the backbone of our organization and keep everything running smoothly. SFEI has three major programs: Clean Water, Environmental Informatics, and Resilient Landscapes. Our program staff represent numerous scientific and technological fields, including chemistry, modeling, ecology, wildlife biology, landscape planning, historical ecology, geomorphology, geospatial analysis, and web development. SFEI provides scientific information to communities, local governments, agencies, and others to plan and implement resilient, ecologically-functional watershed and shoreline projects. We produce influential documents (e.g. Adaptation Atlas, Sediment for Survival, Tidal Wetland Extent Report, and Delta Landscapes), create online tools and data resources (e.g. WRMP EcoAtlas Profile Tool, Baylands Habitat Map), lead habitat assessment and monitoring programs that provide data critical to decision-makers, and convene partners to co-develop strategies for improving ecosystem health.
For more information on our mission, values, programs, and staff, visit the San Francisco Estuary Institute website.
Employment Considerations
San Francisco Estuary Institute is committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, family or parental status, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Accommodations Statement
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website or application portal as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact us at 510-746-7355 or admin@sfei.org.
Other Key Information
Please note that SFEI cannot sponsor an employment visa (e.g., H-1B) to fill this position.
In the spirit of a fair hiring process, no phone calls or emails please.