OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 77901752

Requisition No: 848693 

Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Working Title: OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 77901752

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 77901752 

Salary:  $23.44 an hour 

Posting Closing Date: 04/04/2025 

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Title: OPS Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist III

Position number: 77901752

Position Address: Naples Field Office, 298 Sabal Palm Road, Naples, FL 34114

Phone: (239) 417-6352

Supervisor: Jessica Spickler

Hire-in Pay: $23.44/hour (40 hours per week; 1,920 hours per year)

Our organization:

The FWC envisions a Florida where fish and wildlife are abundant and thriving in healthy and connected natural landscapes with vital working lands and waterways; where natural resources are valued and safely enjoyed by all; and wherein natural systems support vibrant human communities and a strong economy.

Our Mission: Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.

Every organization has an identity that is forged not only by what it does, but by how it conducts itself.  The values embedded in our mission and expressed in the vision of the FWC are to make quality decisions by being dynamic, science-informed, efficient, ethical, collaborative and committed to the vitality of the state and its environment.

Description of Duties: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Division of Habitat and Species Conservation is comprised of six sections and two offices. This position is in the Wildlife and Habitat Management Section.

The FWC’s South Region is seeking a highly motivated candidate to fill the position of Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) Biologist for two cooperatively managed areas: Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area (WMA), with 125 managed clusters, and Picayune Strand WMA, with 16 managed clusters. This is a year-round, full-time, OPS position based out of the Naples Field Office. The position will regularly work independently in the field.  This position is responsible for all RCW monitoring activities, including annual cluster and cavity tree inspections, installing and maintaining artificial cavities, nest searching and monitoring, climbing trees to heights up to 50 feet using Swedish sectional ladders, capturing and banding adults and nestlings, identifying birds by reading color bands, and coordinating translocations. This position will coordinate with vendors providing vegetation clearing and flight services. The incumbent will also complete extensive data collection, entry, and management, use GIS to create maps, and write reports summarizing monitoring activities. This position will maintain positive working relationships with National Park Service and Florida Forest Service cooperators, secure required permits, and assist with data needs for cooperator land management activities. The successful candidate must occasionally attend regional and divisional meetings, various trainings, and assist on other management areas as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The successful applicant must be experienced in avian ecology and protected species management and have the ability to organize and manage a large-scale monitoring project. Must be able to work within an interagency team as well as interpret instructions and complete assignments independently, and should have a keen interest in working outside, often alone and sometimes in harsh conditions. Ability to drive/use and maintain equipment, to include ATVs, UTVs, swamp buggies, chainsaws, specialized woodpecker monitoring gear, and hand tools.

Preferred Qualifications: One year of experience managing and monitoring RCWs.

Broadband code: 19-1023-03
Class code: 5074
Region: South
County: Collier
Working hours: 8-5 M-F, evening and weekends as required. Occasional overnight travel is required.
Residency requirement: Must live within 25 miles of Naples Field Office.
List of any subordinates supervised: None.

Minimum Qualification: Six years professional experience in a closely-related biological field or laboratory program is required. A Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant field can substitute for four of the six years of required experience.

Requirements: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Must possess and maintain a valid minimum Class E State of Florida driver’s license.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.