480 hours/year - $16.00/hour

Description of duties: One (1) Biological Scientist I position is available in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Northwest region with work occurring primarily in Bay and Gulf Counties. This is a part-time seasonal, field position beginning Late April and finishing mid-August. Work hours are up to 20 hours a week, depending on workload. Work will mostly be conducted on foot or ATV. Some surveys will be conducted by boat with other non-game staff. A camper may be available if housing is needed. Candidate must provide their own transportation to the regional office and have access to a computer for purposes of data entry and communications. Candidate must be able to work on some weekends and Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays.

 Wildlife Surveys: This position will independently perform surveys of nesting seabirds and shorebirds through adult, nest, egg, and chick counts at in Gulf and Bay Counties. The primary area of focus will be Panama City Beach. This position will enter nesting and roosting data according to protocols outlined on the Florida Shorebird Database.  

Management Practices: This position will conduct posting and maintaining posted nesting areas throughout the nesting season, especially immediately after storm events or other disturbance events. Record GPS locations for posted areas and transfer the georeferenced data to spatial software such as Google Earth or ArcGIS.

Public and Partner Coordination: Communicate regularly with partners and the public on conservation activities. Respond professionally and effectively to questions and concerns. Work closely with a variety of partner organizations.

Surveillance and Stewardship: Responsible for overseeing and maintaining closure of posted areas and educating the public, especially during times of high beach usage, and immediately following storm or other disturbance events.

Written reports: Provide detailed and real-time written reports regarding nesting species population status, management needs, and other relevant information to supervisor.

Level of Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a biological science or related field or equivalent experience.

Other Requirements

The ideal candidate will have seabird and shorebird identification skills. Experience with ATVs is preferred. Candidate should have a highly flexible work schedule and can work with little direct supervision, in remote locations, and under hot and humid weather conditions. Strong interpersonal skills for communicating with the public and partners preferred. Applicants must possess a valid Driver’s License