Who we are and our Mission: The BEAR League is a non-profit organization with headquarters located on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. We are very committed to our mission of “People Living in Harmony with Bears.”  For over 25 years, we have been a voice for coexistence via education outreach and our one-of-a-kind 24/7 community hotline. We are comprised of approximately 200 trained first responder volunteers and over 2500 supporting members.  Our work has been published in the international, peer-reviewed journal URSUS and elsewhere; we are recognized as experts in bear behavior and conflict solutions by local, national and international media. Go to www.savebears.org. 

Position Overview: Assistant to the Executive Director of the BEAR League. The emphasis on this position as well as the primary BEAR League mission is working with the public, law enforcement, other wildlife agencies and organizations---and the bears---in order to accomplish a comfortable state of coexistence within the Tahoe National Forrest.  This position supports the Executive Director in various facets including helping to answer the community hotline phone, responding to questions and coaching the general public, participating in bear rescue and hazing missions as well as coordinating and dispatching volunteers on various bear calls, helping to maintain inventory, running various errands as requested, networking with other wildlife professionals, some building & grounds maintenance and other outdoor projects, as well as any other various duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications:  The ideal candidate will have several years of past work experience working with wildlife and people and is a sincere animal advocate with a “no kill” thought process.  Biology/Science degree preferred. Candidate must have excellent communication skills and show great diplomacy when interacting with the public. This person must be articulate and comfortable with talking to the public as it pertains to bears. This person is organized and is technology savvy. We are seeking someone who has a strong work ethic, is calm and is a kindhearted animal enthusiast who takes direction well.  Must be a self-starter and have flexibility.  We are looking for an intelligent individual who can think outside the box, think quickly on his/her feet with innate common sense.  This candidate is willing to participate in discussions, sharing and bringing fresh ideas to the table. This individual is also physically strong as some heavy lifting may be required from time to time.  In order for an individual to succeed in this position, protecting, defending and standing up for bears and other wildlife needs to be part of their heart and soul. Prior experience working with human/wildlife conflict and basic understanding of wild animal behavior would be ideal.

Opportunity for future career advancement: There is room for career growth and expansion for the right individual who has first earned respect and trust and after putting forth extensive training, time and developing knowledge to an expert level. Career growth opportunities may include spearheading future program development, developing further education outreach, public speaking, interacting with media reporters and developing relationships with other wildlife agencies, etc. It should be mentioned that this is not a large corporate non-profit organization and therefore, not a position to seek in order to “climb that Corporate ladder” but instead a small community-based non-profit. The right candidate prefers a rewarding and meaningful career working with wildlife and teaching the community co-existence opposed to achieving managerial and supervisory roles and titles.

This is not a typical 9-5 position due to the fact that the bears do not adhere to standard human office schedules, and they have their own agenda and times of need.  This is a full-time salaried position with housing offered and other amenities which will be discussed and outlined during the interview process. Ultimately, this position will be very rewarding in the long term to the right animal advocate.