OPS F & W BS III - 77900165

Requisition No: 863783 

Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Working Title: OPS F & W BS III - 77900165

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 77900165 

Salary:  $21.63 an hour 

Posting Closing Date: 11/24/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

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

Position Number:  77900165

Title: OPS Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist III

OPS Hourly Rate: $21.63 per hour

Supervisor:  Nick Vitale

Broadband Code:  19-1023-02

Location:   Northwest Regional Office, 3911 Highway 2321 Panama City, FL 32409

Region:  Northwest

County:  Gulf, Bay and Walton

Working Hours:  7:00am – 4:00pm

Work outside of regular 8-hour schedule may occasionally be required.

List of Subordinates Supervised:  None

Residency Requirement:  None

Minimum qualifications: A high school diploma and six years of professional experience in a closely related biological field or laboratory program are required. A Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant field can substitute for four of the six years of required experience.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

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.

The Division of Habitat & Species Conservation is comprised of six Sections and two offices. This position works within the Wildlife Diversity Conservation Section (WDC) of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience communicating with stakeholders and ability to coordinate resources between agencies and among sites. Strong customer service skills are an asset.
• Experience recording data and writing reports.
• Experience with a handheld GPS unit. and mapping software such as GIS or Google Earth.
• Experience trailering, loading, and driving a UTV in remote locations and difficult terrain.
• Flexible work schedule that may including long days in the field and working up to 10 consecutive days in the field.
• Ability to work effectively with little direct supervision, in remote locations, and under hot and humid weather conditions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (specifically PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook).
• Excellent critical thinking skills for addressing complex challenges in the field.
• Training will be provided on specific management techniques.

Preference will be given to candidates that have experience with mammalian and avian predation management. Experience with shorebird ID and nest searching/monitoring is preferred. Proficiency with firearms, pneumatics, and the use of a variety of traps is highly preferred.  Experience with public speaking experience is also preferred.

In addition to submitting an electronic State of Florida employment application and completing the qualifying questions, please attach a cover letter detailing your experience as it relates to this position.

Answers to qualifying questions must be validated in the application, resume and cover letter.

Description of Duties –  The position will be based in the central Florida Panhandle. This is a 40 hour/week OPS (Other Personnel Services) position. Overtime is also available. The Predation Management Biologist will work closely with shorebird program staff to conduct shorebird predation management activities at multiple sites within the Florida panhandle. The biologist will work collaboratively with a regional team and often independently in the field to achieve conservation and management goals.

• Work with shorebird biologists, to identify sources of shorebird and seabird nest loss and use tracks and other sign to identify the predator responsible when nests are lost to predation.
• Use tracking surveys to identify and evaluate the presence and spatial use patterns of potential predators in the beach/dune habitat and surrounding natural areas.
• Conduct tracking and population assessments for common nest predators using sand transects, scent stations, bait stations, and game cameras.
• Use a variety of non-lethal predator aversion techniques and investigate opportunities to develop and test novel techniques.
• Conduct lethal removal of avian and mammalian predators.
• Document all predation management activities, record GPS points and create maps of all work areas using ArcGIS or Google Earth.
• Assist with report writing, data analysis, and distributing findings. 

The Predation Management Biologist will be responsible for communicating with private landowners, local land managers, partnering agencies and the public about predation management in beach dune habitat. This position will attend public meetings and educational events and participate in shorebird working groups as a spokesperson for predation management.

This is a full-time OPS (Other Personnel Services) position. OPS employees are paid for the number of hours they work, but do not receive any form of paid leave, or paid holidays. OPS staff have the potential for health insurance benefits and participation in the Deferred Compensation investment retirement program. 

WHAT BENEFITS ARE APPLICABLE TO OPS EMPLOYEES?

•            State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan - mandatory

•            Workers’ Compensation - mandatory

•            Reemployment Assistance (Unemployment Compensation) - mandatory

•            Participation in state group insurance (must meet eligibility requirements. Consult with People First or the servicing Human Resource Office for details.)

•            Deferred Compensation - voluntary

•            Employee Assistance Program – voluntary  

WHAT BENEFITS ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO OPS EMPLOYEES?

•            Any form of paid leave

•            Paid holidays

•            Participation in the Florida Retirement System

•            Reinstatement rights or retention rights

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

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.