Private Lands Biologist

Virginia Tech • Farmville, VA

19h

About The Position

The Private Lands Biologist (PLB) position serves as a technical expert on wildlife habitat management and supports wildlife conservation by evaluating current habitat conditions and designing wildlife habitat improvements to positively impact terrestrial wildlife populations for private and public landowners across Virginia. The employee works independently to build the partnerships necessary for increasing delivery and implementation of financial incentives programs related to wildlife conservation, be they USDA – NRCS, USDA – FSA, state Soil and Water Conservation Districts, DWR, Department of Forestry, etc. Employee develops and conducts outreach programs for multiple audiences regarding wildlife habitat management, participates in scientific monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife habitat enhancement programs, and serves on appropriate Department committees to review biological and sociological data to guide regulation and policy development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Natural Resources
• Experience working specifically on private lands management
• Experience leading teams including mentoring, supervising, and planning
• Demonstrated professional experience in evaluating wildlife habitat conditions and developing and implementing habitat management plans
• Excellent communication and organizational skills and demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences
• Ability to work independently with little supervision and with diverse clientele
• Working knowledge of wildlife ecology principles, and the ability to apply those principles utilizing various habitat management tools, in order to develop NRCS, or other types of conservation plans

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with NRCS conservation programs and/or software
• NRCS Conservation Planning certification and/or Job Approval Authority and/or Technical Service Provider status
• Knowledge of federal and state agency conservation and wildlife programs such as the Farm Bill, the Endangered Species Act, or State Wildlife Agency Private Lands Programs. Also, knowledge of how these programs are implemented in an agricultural landscape
• Demonstrated experience working with agricultural land owners
• Experience with geospatial information systems

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical expert on wildlife habitat management.
• Support wildlife conservation by evaluating current habitat conditions and designing wildlife habitat improvements.
• Build partnerships for increasing delivery and implementation of financial incentives programs related to wildlife conservation.
• Develop and conduct outreach programs for multiple audiences regarding wildlife habitat management.
• Participate in scientific monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife habitat enhancement programs.
• Serve on appropriate Department committees to review biological and sociological data to guide regulation and policy development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level