Assistant Wildlife Biologist

POSITION SUMMARY:  The assistant wildlife biologist conducts monitoring and management of rare and endemic wildlife species on Santa Catalina Island. A strong interest in and experience with wildlife ecology as it applies to conservation and land management is expected.  This position conducts fieldwork, records and manages data, and writes reports on progress and results. They will also support development of projects, funding proposals and partnerships with outside collaborators and within the Conservation Department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist with annual trapping of the Catalina Island Fox. This may include deploying and checking traps; performing health checks; drawing blood; and administering vaccines.
• Locating radio- or GPS-collared animals using vehicle and walk-in telemetry techniques.
• Assist with investigating island fox mortalities as needed.
• Assist in the laboratory duties including processing (via centrifugation) and cataloging of blood and fecal samples.
• Drive a zodiac vessel and conduct spotlight seabird surveys.
• Conduct non-invasive monitoring such as set-up of remote camera traps and acoustic recorders.
• Sort through and identify species in remote camera images.
• Identify herpetofauna species and record occurrence.
• Perform assigned administrative (e.g., scheduling, correspondence, filing, purchasing, billing) and logistical (e.g., vehicle and equipment maintenance) tasks.
• Digitize and organize Conservation-related files in filing cabinets.
• Enter and/or or manage data and generate summaries or reports including trapping and telemetry data into project databases.
• Conduct literature reviews which may include gathering data and reports.
• Assist with the production of grant and funding proposals.
• Perform assigned administrative (e.g., scheduling, correspondence, filing) and logistical (e.g, vehicle and equipment maintenance) tasks.
• Enter and/or manage data into project databases (Microsoft Excel and Access) and generate summaries.
• Performs duties in a safe and efficient manner to maintain a safe work environment. Responds to hazardous situations/potentially unsafe conditions by taking corrective action and notifies supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Conservation and Wildlife Conservation Manager.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, biology, or other equivalent discipline from an accredited institution.
• Two years of field work experience which includes some or all of the following:
  • Wildlife trapping and handling.
  • Using radio telemetry.
  • Remote camera deployment and analysis.
  • Using GIS to plot location data.
  • Operating 4WD vehicles.
  • Managing large amounts of data using Microsoft Excel and Access.
• Ability to work long hours (12+) under hot and fast-paced conditions.
• Ability to work effectively on interdisciplinary team balancing conservation, education and recreation goals.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Prior experience trapping and handling wild animals, ideally Channel Island foxes, including setting traps, drawing blood, vaccinating, and using otoscopes.
• Ability to manage, analyze and prepare technical reports or papers on wildlife monitoring data including using Microsoft Access, Excel, and statistical software like Program R.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Employee must desire to live and work on Catalina Island and be comfortable with the major aspects of island life including schools, medical care, housing, shopping, and transportation.
• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The office environment has moderate noise levels and is a non-smoking environment. Field conditions are strongly weather-dependent and may be hot, dusty, cold, muddy, and/or wet depending on season and degree of exposure. Smoking is allowed only at limited designated locations on the island. Work may be conducted independently or with groups of staff and volunteers. Hiking conditions include steep, rugged terrain with unstable rocky substrate and cactus. Wild animals, including bison and rattlesnakes, may also be encountered in the field and pose some threat.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Position involves functioning in both field and office environments. Field work involves manual labor, hiking over rugged terrain and through dense scrub, and routine odd hours and night surveys. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: The upper portion of the salary range is typically reserved for existing employees who demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting salary will vary by qualifications, and prior experience. We pay competitively in the nonprofit space and offer a robust benefits package.

Catalina Island Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.