POSITION SUMMARY:  The wildlife biologist conducts monitoring and management of rare and endemic wildlife species on Santa Catalina Island with an emphasis on the Catalina Island Fox. A strong interest in and experience with fox ecology as it applies to conservation and land management is expected.  Supervises technicians and interns, manages project budgets and reports on project progress. Supports development of projects, funding proposals and partnerships with outside collaborators and within the Conservation Department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (FOX PROJECT; 60%):

• In collaboration with subcontractors, carry out annual fox trapping as part of the fox recovery project. This may include deploying and checking traps; performing health checks; drawing blood; and administering vaccines.
• Hike over steep terrain carrying cumbersome traps and capture kits.
• Investigate and document all fox mortalities.
• Respond to public sightings of sick or injured foxes.
• Respond to sightings of biosecurity threats to foxes such as raccoons.
• Conduct and oversee twice monthly aerial or vehicle telemetry.
• Locating radio- or GPS-collared animals using walk-in telemetry techniques.
• Assist in the development of the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Catalina Island Fox.
• Work with the state and federal government on development of the HCP, obtaining grants, and updating permits.
• Write reports on the status of the fox population to comply with grants and government permits.
• Work with consultants on minimizing impacts on foxes during development projects.
• Effectively communicate progress and results on the fox project through professional organizations and publications, staff training, presentations for the general public, internal/external media.
• Maintain and organize large databases of data in Microsoft Access and Excel.
• Conduct data analyses using ArcGIS Pro and R Studio.
• Inventory and purchase equipment for the fox project.
• Oversee and train technicians and interns in fox project protocols.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (OTHER WILDLIFE PROJECTS; 40%):

• Implement wildlife conservation projects with a focus on maintaining and improving faunal biodiversity, ecological processes, introduced species management and/or habitat restoration measures that facilitate the maintenance and recovery of native faunal communities on Santa Catalina Island.
• Develop and maintain project partnerships with government agencies, research and land-management institutions in the Channel Islands and Southern California.
• Recommend appropriate wildlife management practices to improve the ability of the Conservancy to accomplish its mission.
• Performs duties in a safe and efficient manner to maintain a safe work environment. Responds to hazardous situations/potentially unsafe conditions by taking corrective action and notifies supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned by Senior Director of Conservation and Wildlife Conservation Manager.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, biology, or other equivalent discipline from an accredited institution.
• Two years of field work experience which includes some or all of the following:
  • Trapping, handling, and drawing blood from meso-carnivores (particularly island foxes).
  • Using radio telemetry.
  • Remote camera deployment and analysis.
  • Using GIS to plot location data.
  • Operating 4WD vehicles.
  • Managing large amounts of data using Microsoft Excel and Access.
• Prior experience as field crew leader, and desire to be a part of a high functioning and cohesive team working towards a common goal. 
• Ability to work long hours (12+) under hot and fast-paced conditions.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, biology, or other equivalent discipline from an accredited institution and 3 years of work experience/internships.
• Prior experience trapping and handling wild animals, ideally Channel Island foxes, including setting traps, drawing blood, vaccinating, and using otoscopes.
• Experience managing projects including budgets and supervising personnel and volunteers with varying skills.
• Ability to manage, analyze and prepare technical reports or papers on wildlife monitoring data including using Microsoft Access, Excel, and statistical software like Program R.
• Ability to work effectively on interdisciplinary team balancing conservation, education and recreation goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to function and thrive within complex, multi-goal (conservation, education, recreation) organization with diverse professional staff.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Employee must desire to live and work on Catalina Island and be comfortable with the major aspects of island life including schools, medical care, housing, shopping, and transportation.
• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The office environment has moderate noise levels and is a non-smoking environment. Field conditions are strongly weather-dependent and may be hot, dusty, cold, muddy, and/or wet depending on season and degree of exposure. Smoking is allowed only at limited designated locations on the island. Work may be conducted independently or with groups of staff and volunteers. Hiking conditions include steep, rugged terrain with unstable rocky substrate and cactus. Wild animals, including bison and rattlesnakes, may also be encountered in the field and pose some threat.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Position involves functioning in both field and office environments. Field work involves manual labor, hiking over rugged terrain and through dense scrub, and routine odd hours and night surveys. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.