Employment opportunities

Starting Salary: $67,966

Anticipated Starting Date: May 15th, 2023, or sooner, depending on availability

Location: Based out of the DFW Great Swamp headquarters office at 277 Great Neck Rd, West Kingston, RI, 02892

Overview

We are seeking to fill a full-time, year-round, wildlife and fish biological technician to assist with research and outreach programs throughout Rhode Island. This position is a cooperative position held between The Wildlife Management Institute and Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife. This position will work on a wide variety of programs, with many different staff, though out the year based on divisional needs. The DFW full-time biological technician will report to the wildlife supervising biologist and will be enthusiastic about unique and ever-changing work tasks. This position will provide assistance, as well as occasionally take lead collecting field data, quality control and quality assurance, and data entry.

As an example of duties, the selected candidate will work on many, if not all, of the following:

• Deer-check stations
• Waterfowl capture and banding
• Bat program survey and detections
• Herpetofauna identification and monitoring
• Non-gamebird surveys and monitoring
• Pheasant stocking
• Fish shocking and fish counts
• Rabbit capture and relocation
• Wildlife habitat monitoring, mitigation, and implementation
• Trout stocking
• Diadromous fish run operation and maintenance
• Professional outreach and communication with the public regarding biological programs
• Supervision and education of DFW volunteers
• Training of new temporary/seasonal staff
• Additional work as assigned by supervisor

Minimum Qualifications

The successful candidate will have earned a B.S. in wildlife biology, fisheries, zoology, ecology, or a related natural resources degree. Applicants should have experience working on a variety of wildlife and/or fisheries research projects and should be willing to work long, irregular hours. Preference will be given for those with work live trapping and handling, and experience with hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Must be able to collect quality data in varying weather conditions at all hours of the day and unpleasant field conditions.

Must be self-motivated and able to work on multiple projects simultaneously to conserve resources and maximize time efficiency.

Must be willing to work with deceased wildlife species of all varieties to collect biological samples for disease testing and removal of invasive species.

Must be able to communicate a message clearly to broad audiences both in person and in writing, including drafts for social media platforms (I.e., Instagram, Twitter).

Must be able to lift 50 lbs., move speedily over rough terrain, and work dexterously with both hands.

A considerable amount of truck-based travel and work is involved, requiring defensive driving skills. A preferred applicant will have a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and experience operating 4-wheel drive vehicles and boats. The technician will work as part of a research, biologist, and outreach team based at the Great Swamp Headquarters in west Kingston, RI. This position will be classified as a Biological Technician I through WMI.

Vehicles will be provided for fieldwork.

WMI Contracts

Work independently in a joint capacity with the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) and the Bureau of Natural Resources, Rhode Island Department of Environmental (RIDEM) to aid freshwater fisheries and wildlife biologist programs throughout Rhode Island. The incumbent will work out of the RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife headquarters in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The work area will be statewide. This position will be classified as a limited term employee of the WMI. Direct supervision of day-to-day activities will be provided by RIDEM.

Limited-term employees are defined as employees of WMI retained to provide a specific scope of services as defined within one or more grants or contracts awarded to WMI. WMI bases your employment upon your skills and knowledge and ability to achieve desired outcomes defined by RIDEM.

As a limited term employee:

• You will be expected to work no more than an average of 35 hours per week in any 12-month period.
• You will be eligible for WMI 401(k) retirement benefits and WMI will provide workers’ compensation, general liability protection, professional liability protection and unemployment insurance benefits. WMI will withhold taxes including social security. No other benefits are provided.
• Total annual compensation will reflect your base salary plus the amount contributed to your 401(k) by WMI. In addition to salary but contingent upon the funding available within the contract or grant that defines your scope of services, WMI will reimburse you for any travel expenses that are necessary and reasonable to perform the duties assigned to you.

Application Procedures

To apply via email, send a resume with contact information for at least three professional references to: david.kalb@dem.ri.gov

Applications via mail must be postmarked before the application deadline to be considered and should be sent to:

David M Kalb Ph.D.
Supervising Biologist
RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife
277 Great Neck Road
West Kingston, RI 02892

For questions about WMI Limited Term Employee terms, contact:

Scot Williamson, VP
Wildlife Management Institute
4426 VT Route 215 N
Cabot, VT 05647
802-563-2087
swilliamson@wildlifemgt.org

Application Deadline: The announcements are open until filled, and interviews are scheduled as applications are received. Successful applicants can expect to start within 2-4 weeks after a job offer.

Duration: 1 year. The position may be extended for additional years pending funding and job performance. If the position is extended, the candidate may be reassigned to another location in Iowa.

Overview and Job Duties

Positions are available for highly qualified individuals to work in a joint capacity with Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to promote healthy forest management. Successful applicants will help private landowners improve their woodlands for wildlife, recreation, wood products, and soil and water quality.

Successful applicants will serve as employees of Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) and receive supervision from WMI with daily instructions provided by the local DNR staff. Work priorities will be determined by local DNR District Foresters in conjunction with the DNR Private Lands Coordinator and the USDA-NRCS agreement funding the position. Training and support will be provided by the Iowa DNR, in particular the local District Forester and the Private Lands Program Coordinator. Duties will include:

• Work closely with the local District Forester and NRCS staff to identify opportunities for forest restoration and management.
• Work with private landowners to provide technical assistance for managing their properties, including conducting site visits and development of forest management plans.
• Develop Forest Management Plans and prescribed burning plans that meet NRCS standards and program requirements.
• Conduct outreach activities to promote forest management objectives within the designated working area.
• Work with private landowners to provide information and assistance with available conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) and other federal, state, and local programs.
• Conduct Landowner Workshops / Field Days in identified priority focus areas annually.
• Duties will also include contract development and coordination, site assessment and monitoring, and regular tracking and reporting of accomplishments.
• Attendance at relevant DNR and NRCS meetings and/or trainings will also be required.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Superior communication (written and oral) skills. Must be comfortable both speaking in public and in engaging landowners on a one-to-one basis.
• Willingness to be a vocal advocate for young forests and active forest management to landowners and natural resource professionals.
• Ability to work independently.
• Knowledge of basic forest ecology and dynamics, especially related to the forest communities of Iowa.
• Knowledge of basic principles of wildlife management.
• Knowledge of relevant conservation programs, including Federal Farm Bill programs (CRP, EQIP and CSP), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partners for Fish & Wildlife program, and other applicable federal, state, and local conservation programs.
• Ability to work long hours in the field and under adverse weather conditions.
• Familiarity with MS Word, MS Excel, and GIS.
• Valid driver’s license required with an acceptable driving record.

Qualifications

Minimum - Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry or closely related field from an accredited academic institution. Preference will be given to candidates who have professional experience related to forest and/or forest wildlife management. Experience working with private landowners to develop conservation plans is also beneficial.

Compensation

These salaried positions pay $39,439/year ($20.50/hour equivalent). As limited term employees of WMI, incumbents will be expected to work no more than an average of 74 hours per two-week pay period. Work vehicles, office space, computers, etc. will be provided. The positions will be eligible for WMI 401(k) retirement benefits and WMI will provide workers’ compensation, general liability protection, and professional liability protection and unemployment insurance benefits. The positions are not eligible for vacation pay, sick leave, health or disability benefits. WMI will withhold taxes including social security. Incumbents will be entitled to make voluntary contributions to their 401(k) retirement plans.

Locations

Various. Current vacancies in January 2023 are located in:

Chickasaw County, Iowa

Dickinson County, Iowa

Jones County, Iowa

Tama County, Iowa

To Apply

Please submit your resume, cover letter, and three professional references as one Word or pdf file. Please indicate whether you are interested in all four or only a subset of the available position locations. Send to Katy.Fullin@dnr.iowa.gov. For questions about the duties, location, etc., contact Katy Fullin at Iowa DNR. For questions about WMI, contact Scot Williamson at SWilliamson@wildlifemgt.org.