OPS F&W Technician - 77907419

State of Florida • Gainesville, FL

2d • $20

About The Position

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 incumbent hired for this position will be expected to work on two projects involving the review of drone video transects of wetlands.
Within the first project, the incumbent will review ca. 200, 3-minute drone videos using ArcGIS Pro to identify and annotate all American coots (Fulica americana) and common gallinules (Gallinula galeata) within each video. Depending on identification abilities incumbent may annotate other species recorded in these videos.
Within the second project, the incumbent will help deploy experimental distributions of waterfowl and waterbird decoys in natural wetlands at predetermined GPS locations. In addition, the incumbent will review ca. 210 drone videos of decoy distributions with ArcGIS Pro.
Before the incumbent starts work on either of these projects they will be trained for two weeks on waterfowl and waterbird identification as well as the use of annotation tools within ArcGIS Pro such as the Image Analyst extension.
The incumbent may be required to take other training with FWC and complete tasks such as painting decoys, installing decoy anchors, and other field-related tasks in freshwater wetlands.

Requirements

• A high school diploma and two years of post-high school experience in wildlife, fisheries, environmental, ecological or related agriculture or construction is required.
• Vocational training or an Associate’s degree in wildlife, fisheries, environmental, ecological or related agriculture or construction from an accredited school or college may substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.
• Knowledge in using Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• ability to either identify waterfowl and waterbird species native to Florida by sight or quickly learn to this skill.
• Ability to spend four plus hours at a computer while still maintaining attention to detail in terms of annotation accuracy.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability and desire to work in an extremely fast-paced, team environment.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to act on changing priorities and responsibilities.
• Ability to perform physical tasks such as carrying waterfowl decoys in wetlands for 50 meters or more.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others
• Ability to work with high attention to detail.
• Ability to ask questions when they don’t know what tasks need to be done.
• Skill of acting safely and calmly around large reptiles such as alligators and venomous snakes.
• Skill of pacing workflow in a sustainable way.
• Skill of summarizing weekly work output in short, ca. 30 minute, meetings.

Nice To Haves

• Two- or more years of experience with waterfowl and waterbird identification; or one year of experience with waterfowl and waterbird identification and a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management, conservation biology, or closely related field.
• Previous experience with one or more of the following:
• Watching and extracting data from prerecorded biological videos.
• ArcGIS Pro software.
• Watercraft usage and safety.
• Scientific data collection
• Care for and maintenance of waterfowl decoys.
• Recreational birding in wetlands.

Responsibilities

• Review ca. 200, 3-minute drone videos using ArcGIS Pro to identify and annotate all American coots (Fulica americana) and common gallinules (Gallinula galeata) within each video.
• Help deploy experimental distributions of waterfowl and waterbird decoys in natural wetlands at predetermined GPS locations.
• Review ca. 210 drone videos of decoy distributions with ArcGIS Pro.
• Take other training with FWC and complete tasks such as painting decoys, installing decoy anchors, and other field-related tasks in freshwater wetlands.

Benefits

• Eligible OPS positions and qualifying applicants may enjoy top-tier benefits offerings including comprehensive health coverage to meet the needs of you and your family while maintaining low deductibles and low monthly out-of-pocket contributions.
• Health Premiums $25.00- Single / $90.00- Family Biweekly
• Low Cost $25,000 Life Insurance
• OPS FICA Alternative Retirement Plan
• On the Job Trainings
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED