Coordinating Wildlife Biologist II/GIS Specialist – Nevada

Location: Reno, Carson City, or Winnemucca

Application deadline: February 27, 2024

Anticipated start date: March 2024

This is a full-time position working in partnership with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and Pheasants Forever, as well as other in-state conservation partners to assist with coordination and planning efforts related to GIS data and modeling efforts within Nevada. The initial primary tasks will focus on fulfilling wildlife data requests and leading the GIS coordination of two statewide mapping/modeling projects including:

• Sagebrush Habitat Plan – Stacking geospatial data representing vegetation and biological threats and values to help prioritize Nevada’s sagebrush habitats for future restoration efforts. Currently many of the layers are assembled but work remains in designing the relationships and producing the final static map.
• Big Game Seasonal Habitat mapping – The position will travel across the state to meet with each of the Game Division biologist to create seasonal habitat maps for each of their related big game hunt units.

This position includes building internal and external partnerships, ensuring communication and coordination between NDOW divisions, partners, oversee and administer grant and other program funding, assist the co-leads of partners through the process to select restoration projects, work with project leads to ensure project delivery, and working with partners in other states looking to initiate similar programs.

Duties and Expectations:

• Manage/administer ArcGIS products, Access, SQL databases and manage GIS web services, develop and support new GIS solutions, and incorporate hardware/software solutions within the GIS architecture.
• Create and/or research, interpret, and modify existing models that can analyze and transform spatial data, interpret results, and convey the results via written and/or oral reports.
• Create scripts using python, SQL, or other languages that automate processes, analyze/transform data, generate reporting tools (e.g., documents, dashboards), or create other efficiencies that benefit NDOW. 
• Design, develop, implement, maintain and monitor GIS databases, databases schemas, tables, views, documentation, and reports.
• Create custom ESRI databases using Esri software.
• Manage backups, archives, geodatabase loading and tuning, patches, troubleshooting, and data sharing.
• Resolve highly complex database integrity, access, and use issues.
• Attend internal and/or external meetings as appropriate.
• Fulfill data requests for wildlife data.
• Assist in providing data coordination between NDOW and other partners as appropriate.
• Compile and organize data.
• Provide data quality control.
• Conduct data updates as appropriate.
• Other GIS-related tasks necessary.

Qualifications:

Minimum qualifications are a Bachelor’s degree in GIS or natural resources, conservation, biology, wildlife, or closely related field with two years of work experience working with GIS programs and systems.

Desirable experience and skills include:

• Working with federal, state, NGO, and private industry partners.
• Knowledge of ecological and biological concepts and data standards.

Salary: Up to $55,000 Commensurate with Experience + benefits including 401k match and student loan allowance program