Research Assistant III / IV (Program Coordinator)

Archbold Biological Station and Buck Island Ranch

20d•$23•Onsite

About The Position

The Avian Ecology Program at Archbold Biological Station is seeking a Research Assistant, reporting to Dr. Sahas Barve, Program Director of Avian Ecology, to begin July 2026. This role manages the day-to-day of the long-term demography research on the federally Threatened Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens, FLSJ) at Archbold Biological Station and the surrounding Lake Wales Ridge landscape in South-Central Florida, and, therefore, has significant Project Management and Public Engagement duties within the Avian Ecology Program. This is a leadership role responsible for ensuring the feasibility and completion of all field work. Away from the field, this role will take part in advancing impactful conservation research through scientific writing and continuing innovative public education and outreach. They will be expected to be an engaged citizen of the Archbold community and collaborate with other research programs as needed. The ideal candidate will have conducted at least four seasons of relevant field work and have significant bird banding experience, as well as project management and mentoring experience. The candidate will have the ability to work independently as well as a field-team leader. The candidate is expected to have a deep interest in birds, conservation biology, ecology and evolution, natural history, and active research. The candidate should also have an interest in conducting their own independent research during their tenure.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent level of scientific experience
Valid driver’s license
Operate an ATV and 4WD truck in all terrains including muddy holes, wetlands and loose/soft sand.
Find nests using behavior, particularly the nests of open cup nesters
Watch, record, and interpret bird behavior
Band nestlings and adults of medium sized passerine and near-passerine birds
Ability to read paper maps and operate manual compasses
Experience and willingness to be alone in the field and make decisions independently
Management experience for a project with a significant field and research component
Mentoring and training experience
Attention to detail and a penchant for organization and coordination
Communicating science to the public
Tolerance for biting insects, early mornings, and extreme heat/humidity and rain
Motivation and enthusiasm for working at a rural field-station
Effective and responsive communication with supervisors, coworkers, and collaborators
US citizenship or a permission to work legally in the US is required

Nice To Haves

Databases at Archbold are maintained in Microsoft Access. Knowledge of this software is preferred.

Responsibilities

Schedule and manage fieldwork across all Program staff to ensure all tasks required for the long-term project are seamlessly executed.
Collaborate with Program Director and other Program Research Assistants to complete all offsite-contract deliverables (e.g. surveying, mapping, and banding FLSJ populations on State and Federal lands outside of Archbold and writing technical summary reports).
Lead Program staff hiring as and when required. Hiring includes editing and posting position descriptions, reviewing applications, scheduling and conducting interviews, and doing reference calls. There is at least one hiring cycle (interns) every year.
Train and supervise Program Interns and Research Assistants in all field work techniques.
Co-mentor Program Interns alongside Program Director.
Monitor all streams of data entry by every Program staff to ensure data accuracy and quality on a daily or weekly basis.
Manage and QAQC databases for all projects at the end of each field-season.
Databases at Archbold are maintained in Microsoft Access. Knowledge of this software is preferred.
Fieldwork will include, but is not limited to conducting monthly censuses of FLSJs by re-sighting color-banded individuals; habituating FLSJs for subsequent trapping; banding; collecting, processing and storing blood samples from nestling, juvenile, and adult FLSJs; finding and monitoring nests; mapping territories; conducting annual acorn surveys; operating ATVs and 4WD trucks.
Maintain an inventory of field equipment and research supplies and conduct purchases as needed.
Pool data for and from collaborators and sub-permittees
Maintain and recruit as needed, volunteers for both off-site and on-site field work.
Perform education and outreach about FLSJ biology and research through Archbold summer camps, public presentations, invited talks, conferences, birding festivals etc.
Conduct independent research including data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, and conference presentations as relevant