Blackfoot Area Wildlife Biologist

Taleo Social Sourcing•Missoula, MT

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for implementing the Department's wildlife management program, including the State Wildlife Action Plan, in Region 2. The role involves developing and executing adaptive wildlife and habitat management strategies, preparing wildlife management recommendations (including hunting season regulations), and collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance public enjoyment of natural resources. The biologist will represent the Department on wildlife, habitat, and access management matters and maintain proficiency as a professional wildlife scientist. This includes designing and conducting field investigations and surveys, analyzing data, formulating management plans, obtaining public support for proposals, identifying habitat conservation and access needs, utilizing population models, establishing hunter check stations, responding to wildlife damage complaints, collaborating on wildlife and habitat studies, overseeing habitat improvement projects on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), and working with land management agencies to improve habitat plans on public lands. The position requires the ability to safely capture, restrain, and immobilize wildlife, provide data to mitigate habitat development, maintain professional status through continuous learning, and present findings to various audiences. Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with colleagues, other agency staff, and the public is crucial for fostering communication, cooperation, and collaboration. The ideal candidate is creative, energetic, a lifelong learner, capable of pioneering new approaches to wildlife conservation, and possesses a strong understanding of the natural history of diverse wildlife species. Proven interpersonal, communication, networking, team-building, coaching, and facilitation skills are essential, as is the ability to maintain good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including agricultural interests, the conservation community, industry, state and federal agencies, and Tribes. Skills in conflict management and collaborative problem-solving are also necessary. Patience, persistence, leadership, and collaborative skills, along with the ability to pioneer data management systems, are as important as fieldwork aptitude. Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects are also key.

Requirements

Master's Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management, Wildlife Biology, Range Management, Zoology or Biology, including completion of a field research project presented in a successfully defended thesis.
Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience as a wildlife biologist or senior wildlife technician, in addition to successful completion of a single research effort that includes: Literature review and development of a problem statement and or hypothesis for a particular issue; Development of a detailed study plan or sampling protocol for a field-oriented project based on the above-noted hypothesis; Data collection and the effective management of data with an appropriate application; Interpretation and analysis of data, including a quantitative assessment of that information; As primary author, completion of one or more publications in a peer-reviewed journal; If appropriate to the project, formulation of any recommended changes in management prescriptions and or actions; Oral presentation on results of investigation to agency staff or public audience.
Must reside in Montana.
Must be able and willing to commute to the assigned area on a daily, weekly, or other regular basis, as required by the position, within a reasonable distance as approved by the Wildlife Program manager.
Ability to work in remote and difficult terrain.
Ability to travel via 4-wheel drive, ATV and snow machines.
Ability to safely capture, restrain, and immobilize a variety of wildlife species.
Patience and persistence.
Good organizational skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.

Nice To Haves

Applicants that reside within the Blackfoot responsibility area are preferred.
Demonstrated interest in - and working knowledge of - the natural history of a broad array of wildlife species.
Proven “people skills” (interpersonal relationships, communications, networking, team-building, coaching, facilitation).
Ability to maintain good working relationships with the breadth of stakeholders in wildlife issues (agricultural interests, conservation community, industry, state and federal agencies, and Tribes).
Skills in conflict management and collaborative problem solving.
Leadership skills.
Collaborative skills.
Ability to pioneer data management systems.

Responsibilities

Design and conduct ground and aerial field investigations and surveys.
Record and analyze survey data, species information, statistical models, and data from Department databases.
Formulate management strategies and plans that benefit wildlife populations and habitats.
Obtain public support for proposals and submit them through a public process, often involving highly visible and controversial issues.
Identify habitat conservation and access needs.
Utilize population models to predict adaptive harvest and changing environmental factors influencing wildlife conservation.
Establish hunter check stations and collect pertinent biological data to evaluate population trends and status.
Respond to wildlife damage complaints following legal statutes and department policies.
Collaborate with Department staff to design, implement, and interpret findings of wildlife and wildlife habitat related studies.
Oversee and conduct habitat maintenance and improvement projects on department Wildlife Management areas.
Work with land management agency staff to identify and improve habitat management plans and actions on public lands.
Demonstrate the ability to safely capture, restrain, and immobilize a variety of wildlife species.
Provide data and information to mitigate habitat development on private and public lands.
Maintain professional status through literature review and trainings.
Present findings and information to public and scientific audiences at various settings.
Develop and maintain working relationships with Department staff, other agency staff, and the public to foster communication, cooperation, and collaboration on projects.
Manage over 48,000 acres of FWP lands on four WMAs (Blackfoot-Clearwater, Aunt Molly, and Marshall Creek) including habitat improvement projects, infrastructure maintenance, hunting/trapping seasons, and public access issues.
Conduct annual wildlife surveys including aerial elk, aerial mule deer, spring green-up white-tail deer ground surveys, and spring mountain grouse surveys.
Run a game check station at Bonner for 6 weekends during the general rifle hunting season annually and oversee student volunteers.
Work closely with non-game and furbearer biologists and contribute to annual monitoring efforts for these programs.
Inspect and seal harvested species including wolves, mountain lions, black bears, and numerous furbearer species during open seasons.
Develop strong working relationships with landowners, stakeholder groups, city governments, local conservation non-government organizations, industry, and government agencies.
Manage diverse wildlife-related issues including game damage on private property and grazing leases on FWP property.
Serve as FWP’s representative for the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (BCCA) and the Blackfoot Prescribed Fire Working Group.
Represent FWP on collaborative habitat projects with partner land management agencies.
Monitor FWP conservation easements in the watershed.