Forest Ecologist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Forest ecologists study ecosystem dynamics, biodiversity, and forest management practices. This specialty occupation qualifies for H-1B sponsorship when the role requires a bachelor's degree in forestry, environmental science, or biology. Large consulting firms, government contractors, and conservation organizations sponsor forest ecologists, particularly those with GIS skills and field research experience. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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This Opportunity
WSP USA is initiating a search for a Lead Forest Ecologist to join our California Earth and Environment Team! Our California-based team consists of members concentrated in California, but many live and work on projects in multiple states across the U.S. based on our team’s capabilities and interests. We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with federal land management, forest planning, NEPA analysis related to forests and natural resources management, biological/ecological surveys, forestry management, and scientific writing. The ideal candidate has experience with writing technical biological reports, evaluating impacts to sensitive resources on federal lands, and planning with the US Forest Service with demonstrated success in forestry and/or ecology and technical writing.
Your Impact
- Serve as forester or forest ecologist on multiple projects in multiple states, including three ongoing projects in Oregon
- Identify potential new clients and project opportunities nationally with internal members of the organization
- Lead/organize forestry and/or ecology field data collection and prepare related reports
- Advise other team members on forest planning and impact analysis related to US Forest Service and other federal agencies
- Grow our ability to undertake vegetation modeling, including Forest Vegetation Simulation (FVS) modeling and other statistical analyses to support multiple projects
- Participate in wildfire mitigation planning
- Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams which could include engineers, planners, GIS analysts, recreation specialists, biologists, cultural resources specialists, permitting and environmental resource specialists, and construction compliance monitors
- Lead or assist with GIS data generation and management, particularly for ecological data, for federal or state clients
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or a related life sciences field.
- 7 to 10 years of experience working as a Forester or Forest ecologist, with at least 5 years associated with federal lands
- US Forest Service Experience
- Well-developed expertise with conducting NEPA / CEQA / other analysis and preparation of associated documentation.
- Highly capable self-leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
- Ability to work independently and provide guidance and leadership to junior team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
- Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, and identify the most effective solutions to accomplish objectives of assigned projects.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
- Up to 20% travel may be required for field work and client meetings
Preferred Qualifications:
- Professional certifications as applicable to technical expertise
- Knowledge of federal and state, and local environmental regulations related to sensitive species in Washington, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Michigan
WSP Benefits:
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings. Ability to work remotely from any location in the US, while supporting projects nationally.
Compensation
Expected Salary: $95,400 - $141,680
WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.
About WSP
About us
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status. The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
Job Description
This Opportunity
WSP USA is initiating a search for a Lead Forest Ecologist to join our California Earth and Environment Team! Our California-based team consists of members concentrated in California, but many live and work on projects in multiple states across the U.S. based on our team’s capabilities and interests. We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with federal land management, forest planning, NEPA analysis related to forests and natural resources management, biological/ecological surveys, forestry management, and scientific writing. The ideal candidate has experience with writing technical biological reports, evaluating impacts to sensitive resources on federal lands, and planning with the US Forest Service with demonstrated success in forestry and/or ecology and technical writing.
Your Impact
- Serve as forester or forest ecologist on multiple projects in multiple states, including three ongoing projects in Oregon
- Identify potential new clients and project opportunities nationally with internal members of the organization
- Lead/organize forestry and/or ecology field data collection and prepare related reports
- Advise other team members on forest planning and impact analysis related to US Forest Service and other federal agencies
- Grow our ability to undertake vegetation modeling, including Forest Vegetation Simulation (FVS) modeling and other statistical analyses to support multiple projects
- Participate in wildfire mitigation planning
- Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams which could include engineers, planners, GIS analysts, recreation specialists, biologists, cultural resources specialists, permitting and environmental resource specialists, and construction compliance monitors
- Lead or assist with GIS data generation and management, particularly for ecological data, for federal or state clients
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or a related life sciences field.
- 7 to 10 years of experience working as a Forester or Forest ecologist, with at least 5 years associated with federal lands
- US Forest Service Experience
- Well-developed expertise with conducting NEPA / CEQA / other analysis and preparation of associated documentation.
- Highly capable self-leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
- Ability to work independently and provide guidance and leadership to junior team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
- Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, and identify the most effective solutions to accomplish objectives of assigned projects.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
- Up to 20% travel may be required for field work and client meetings
Preferred Qualifications:
- Professional certifications as applicable to technical expertise
- Knowledge of federal and state, and local environmental regulations related to sensitive species in Washington, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Michigan
WSP Benefits:
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings. Ability to work remotely from any location in the US, while supporting projects nationally.
Compensation
Expected Salary: $95,400 - $141,680
WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.
About WSP
About us
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status. The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Forest Ecologist
Target environmental consulting firms
Large firms like AECOM, Jacobs, and Tetra Tech regularly sponsor forest ecologists for federal contract work requiring specialized ecosystem analysis and regulatory compliance expertise.
Highlight GIS and remote sensing skills
Forest ecology roles increasingly require spatial analysis capabilities. Emphasize proficiency in ArcGIS, QGIS, or remote sensing software to differentiate yourself from general environmental scientists.
Consider government contractor positions
Federal agencies outsource forest management projects to contractors who need H-1B eligible professionals with security clearance potential and specialized forestry knowledge for USDA or EPA work.
Emphasize research methodology experience
Quantitative research skills in forest inventory, carbon sequestration studies, and biodiversity assessment make your application stronger by demonstrating specialized knowledge beyond general environmental work.
Apply to conservation nonprofits with federal funding
Organizations like The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International sponsor forest ecologists for grant-funded research projects requiring advanced degrees and specialized forest ecosystem expertise.
Network through professional forestry associations
Join the Society of American Foresters or Association of Applied and Professional Ecologists to connect with sponsors who understand visa requirements and value specialized forestry credentials.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
What degree do I need for H-1B sponsorship as a forest ecologist?
You need a bachelor's degree in forestry, environmental science, biology, ecology, or a closely related field. Some positions prefer master's degrees, especially for research roles. The degree must directly relate to forest ecosystem analysis, as USCIS scrutinizes specialty occupation requirements for environmental positions.
Do forest ecologists qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B visas?
Yes, when the position requires specialized knowledge of forest ecosystems, biodiversity assessment, or conservation biology that a general environmental science degree provides. The role must demonstrate complexity beyond basic environmental monitoring, such as carbon modeling or habitat restoration planning.
Which employers sponsor forest ecologists for work visas?
Environmental consulting firms, government contractors working on federal land management, research institutions, and large conservation organizations are primary sponsors. Companies with USDA Forest Service contracts or EPA environmental impact work frequently need sponsored forest ecologists for specialized projects.
What are approval rates for forest ecologist H-1B petitions?
Environmental scientist categories, including forest ecology, have approval rates around 85-90% when properly documented. Success depends on clearly establishing the role's complexity and the applicant's specialized education. Research-focused positions with advanced degrees see higher approval rates than general environmental monitoring roles.
Can forest ecologists get green cards through their sponsoring employer?
Yes, through EB-2 or EB-3 categories depending on education and experience level. Forest ecologists with advanced degrees and published research may qualify for EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) based on environmental conservation work benefiting U.S. forests and climate research.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Forest Ecologist jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.
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