F & W Biological Scientist IV - 77072105

State of Florida•Tallahassee, FL

20h

About The Position

This is an opportunity to join our team within the Imperiled Species Management Section’s Manatee Management Program! This position is responsible for coordinating with federal, state and county partners during review and implementation of existing County-wide Manatee Protection Plans (MPPs) and the development of new Manatee Protection Plans. This position will assist with coordinating and executing manatee management data collection efforts, analyses of available data for implementation of MPPs and setting up state-wide MPP coordination meetings with county representatives. Responsibilities will also include oversight of the Section’s Water-Control Structure and Navigational Locks program to reduce manatee deaths due to the operation of these structures. Coordination with agency representatives during manatee incident reviews as necessary and organizing the annual meeting of the Interagency Water-Control Structure Working Group will be duties of this position. Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: Develops county-specific Manatee Protection Plans (MPP) and boat-facility siting plans, including interpretation, review and updates to existing plans; Coordinates discussions for new and existing MPP development with agency leadership, federal partners, and local governments; Serves as subject matter expert for MPP boat-facility siting plans, provides support to other Section staff engaged in environmental permit review for boat facilities, and implements MPP analysis and discussion through project review and comment; Maintains record of MPP development history, slip inventory, and county-specific agreements; Coordinates data collection activities, conducts data analyses, and regular monitoring of available data including, budget and contract management, interpretation of data and development of recommendations for MPPs. Serves as a liaison with agency partners; Serves in a leading role for management and oversight of the water-control structure program, including but not limited to: partner liaison and advancement advocate, development of manatee protection measures for water-control structures and navigational locks, review and comment on structure projects and retrofits; Oversees coordination and communication associated with structure manatee entrapment cases including collaboration with partners, researchers, and municipalities on retrofit opportunities and tracking; Assists with the creation, maintenance and quality control of shapefiles, layers and geodatabases, develop maps and data summaries using ArcGIS, GoogleEarth, MS Access and MS Excel for management purposes; May attend and represent the FWC at government meetings, public meetings, administrative hearings, and Commission meetings; Participates in habitat restoration, necropsies, and other miscellaneous field work assignments as needed; and Performs field and site visits related to MPP’s and water control structures as necessary; Assists with webpage development, outreach, and administrative duties as needed. Participates in the section’s stranding and salvage carcass recovery program; Participates other miscellaneous work assignments as needed;

Requirements

A high school diploma and 7 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 7 years of required experience or a master's degree from an accredited college or university with major course of study in one of the biological sciences and two years of professional experience.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Previous experience with Florida manatee management or research programs and/or the state or federal environmental regulatory programs, including policy development, is highly preferred.
A valid driver’s license and the ability to participate in periodic statewide travel is required.
Answers to qualifying questions must be validated in the application, resume and cover letter.
Knowledge of terminology, scientific method, principles, and techniques used in biological research, analyses or testing
Knowledge of the methods of data collection, particularly for imperiled or listed species
Skilled in effective written and verbal communication including public speaking and technical report writing
Skilled in administration and organization of tasks and assignments
Skilled MS software applications: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required, and Google Earth Pro, ArcGIS 10.5+, ArcGIS Pro, or ArcGIS Online, SharePoint
Ability to perform complex quantitative analyses of scientific data
Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work assignments to meet deadlines
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, the public, and stakeholders
Ability to work independently and on teams
Ability to review, evaluate, interpret and defend biological data
Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and good time management skills
Statewide and overnight travel is required
Qualified applicants will have a strong background in wildlife resource management, biological sciences, and natural resource policy

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with Florida manatee management or research programs and/or the state or federal environmental regulatory programs, including policy development, is highly preferred.
Candidates with documented experience managing or leading professional working groups and/or teams is highly preferred.
Qualified applicants will need to be highly organized, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and adept at problem-solving and time management to succeed in this position.

Responsibilities

Develops county-specific Manatee Protection Plans (MPP) and boat-facility siting plans, including interpretation, review and updates to existing plans
Coordinates discussions for new and existing MPP development with agency leadership, federal partners, and local governments
Serves as subject matter expert for MPP boat-facility siting plans, provides support to other Section staff engaged in environmental permit review for boat facilities, and implements MPP analysis and discussion through project review and comment
Maintains record of MPP development history, slip inventory, and county-specific agreements
Coordinates data collection activities, conducts data analyses, and regular monitoring of available data including, budget and contract management, interpretation of data and development of recommendations for MPPs. Serves as a liaison with agency partners
Serves in a leading role for management and oversight of the water-control structure program, including but not limited to: partner liaison and advancement advocate, development of manatee protection measures for water-control structures and navigational locks, review and comment on structure projects and retrofits
Oversees coordination and communication associated with structure manatee entrapment cases including collaboration with partners, researchers, and municipalities on retrofit opportunities and tracking
Assists with the creation, maintenance and quality control of shapefiles, layers and geodatabases, develop maps and data summaries using ArcGIS, GoogleEarth, MS Access and MS Excel for management purposes
May attend and represent the FWC at government meetings, public meetings, administrative hearings, and Commission meetings
Participates in habitat restoration, necropsies, and other miscellaneous field work assignments as needed; and Performs field and site visits related to MPP’s and water control structures as necessary
Assists with webpage development, outreach, and administrative duties as needed. Participates in the section’s stranding and salvage carcass recovery program
Participates other miscellaneous work assignments as needed