Fish and Game Coordinator (Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program Coordinator)

Link to the Job Posting

What you will be doing: 
This position serves as the statewide Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program (TED Program) Leader, which consists of 10 professional staff working across the state of Alaska. The position helps guide the program’s research and conservation efforts on species of concern and coordinates the State of Alaska’s work on issues involving the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). A key goal of this position is to direct science and conservation needs for species of concern and address conservation challenges before species become highly imperiled. The position simultaneously juggles the relatively quick pace of ESA issues with the longer-term needs of research and conservation projects. The incumbent will create and maintain partnerships with other agencies, traditional region-based wildlife management programs, NGOs, universities, and other statewide, national, and international cooperators to achieve program goals. The position oversees the Division’s portion of the State Wildlife Grants program, which includes administering complex budgets that require matching funds from multiple, divergent sources. This position will have the opportunity to lead a small research or conservation project of their own, if desired (<15% of time).

Our organization, mission and culture:
The TED Program works proactively with state, federal, NGO, and private partners to conserve wildlife species (especially nongame species) before they become threatened or endangered and to recover species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The TED Program leads the implementation of Alaska’s State Wildlife Action Plan (in coordination with ADF&G’s Division of Sportfish) and represents Alaska’s nongame interests at the Pacific Flyway Council’s Nongame Technical Committee. TED Program staff are working to address a diverse range of projects, including research and conservation of olive-sided flycatchers, lesser yellowlegs, golden eagles, bank swallows, red knots, collared pikas, Alaska hares, bats, and gray-headed chickadees.

The TED Program also coordinates the State of Alaska’s staff work on ESA issues. TED Program staff work with experts across the State’s various natural resource departments to provide relevant information for ESA listing and other decisions, maintaining regular dialogue with federal agency and other partners, conducting research as needed, and helping lead conservation initiatives to recover listed species.

For more information on the Division of Wildlife Conservation and TED Program, please review the following sites:  www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm  and http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifediversity.main. 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s mission is to manage, protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of Alaska to ensure they are managed on the sustained yield principle for the best interests of the economy and well-being of the people of the state. The Department strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

The benefits of joining our team:
The position offers a fulfilling opportunity to work with motivated professionals dedicated to the mission of wildlife conservation.  This position is ideal for a curious, adaptive, experienced professional to join a team of dedicated scientists addressing important conservation issues in Alaska. ADF&G provides a generous health benefits package, which includes employer contributions toward medical/vision/dental, retirement programs with a wide variety of investment options, vacation leave with an accrual rate increase based on time served, and 11 paid holidays.

The working environment you can expect:
The position may be located in Juneau, Anchorage, or Fairbanks. The daily work environment will include working at a desk in an office setting with some opportunities for flexible scheduling and telework. This position may occasionally require working outside normal business hours to prepare for meetings and meet various deadlines. Periodic travel will be required to meet with staff spread across the state, attend meetings, and conduct or assist with field work. Work is carried out collaboratively with ADF&G and other agency staff throughout the state.

Who we are looking for:
We are looking for a dynamic and motivated wildlife professional to lead the division’s Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program (TED Program).

The successful candidate will have some or all of the following desired strengths. To be considered for an interview, you must submit a cover letter that describes your work experience pertaining to each of the following numbered topics below. If you do not have experience with one or more of the topics listed below, simply say so. Your application should also include a resume.  

Experience as a wildlife biologist, including designing and performing field work or monitoring studies that informed conservation actions aimed at reversing species decline in a diversity of birds and mammals. Specifically identify work experience with non-hunted species, endangered species, hunted/game species, and wildlife research.

• Experience with the Endangered Species Act, especially research and management of species listed or being considered for listing and including making science-based recommendations for policy makers.
• Experience supervising and mentoring multiple staff, conducting performance evaluations and hiring for vacancies.
• Experience making science-based decisions or policy recommendations on complex and, at times, controversial issues.
• Experience managing grants and complex budgets. Desired experience includes work with Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) grants and federal funding that includes tracking match and other reporting obligations.
• Experience defining program priorities and project objectives as well as conducting research planning and review.
• Experience with interagency coordination, including building and maintaining effective partnerships with universities, agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and industry, especially in the conservation arena.
• Experience publishing research results; reviewing and editing scientific documents; and presenting scientific findings and briefings, including instances when the study was conducted by others.

To view the general description and example of duties for a Fish and Wildlife Coordinator please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs    

Special Note: 

• Valid Driver’s license required.
• This position requires periodic travel and may occasionally require working outside normal business.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, or natural resource management;
AND
Seven years of professional experience as a fisheries, wildlife, or habitat biologist that includes at least one year as a program manager or technical expert or two years at an advanced professional level. The program manager or technical expert experience is met by service as a Fisheries Biologist 4, Wildlife Biologist 4, or Habitat Biologist 4 and the advanced professional biologist experience is met by service as a Fisheries Biologist 3, Wildlife Biologist 3, or Habitat Biologist 3 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent elsewhere.

Substitutions:
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college that includes or is supplemented by the following credit hours will substitute for the degree in a specific field:

• at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, or natural resource management (excluding courses that focus on agricultural husbandry techniques, human population dynamics, or the design and manipulation of landscapes), of which 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) are upper division courses; and
• at least 12 semester hours (16 quarter hours) in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, geology, hydrology, or GIS.
• A master’s degree in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, or natural resource management will substitute for one year of the required professional experience. There is no substitute for the requirement for specific experience as a program manager or technical expert or at an advanced professional level.
• A doctorate in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, or natural resource management will substitute for three years of the required professional experience. There is no substitute for the requirement for specific experience as a program manager or technical expert or at an advanced professional level.

Special Note:
“Upper division courses” means courses that are specialized, in-depth and advanced. Such courses emphasize problem-solving, analytical thinking skills, and theoretical applications, with depth and rigor in a discipline’s theories and methods; specialization in a particular field or profession; refinement of general education; and/or development of specific intellectual and professional skills. Upper division courses are commonly identified in college catalogs as 300 level and higher.