Range Wildlife Biologist

Title:                    Range Wildlife Biologist

Supervisor:        Northern Great Plains Program Manager

Location:            Northern South Dakota (McIntosh/Timber Lake, SD)

Salary:                $54,500 Annually; Based on experience

Anticipated Start Date: April 2025

Application Deadline: February 15, 2025

Position Summary:

This position will be a full-time employee of, and supervised by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), with daily instruction and leadership provided by ABC and US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The position is funded through the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture (ngpjv.org), a coordinating group that ABC and many other agencies and conservation organizations work with.

Hired individual will work primarily in northern South Dakota, but occasionally in s. North Dakota. This position will be located either in the McIntosh or Timber Lake, South Dakota based from the USDA Service Center office to write contracts and conservation plans. These offices serve ag producers in adjacent counties and in North Dakota, as well as the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock reservations.

The location is near the Missouri River. Outdoor opportunities abound, over a half dozen recreation areas relatively nearby, including diverse expanses of public land and water for hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching (Black Hills, Teddy Roosevelt National Park, National grasslands, etc.).

As an ABC employee, occasional work travel for trainings to other states may be necessary. This position is a part of a team of 6 staff, with 2 other positions in South Dakota, 2 in Montana, and an upcoming position in North Dakota.

Primary Duties:

• Will work in a joint capacity with ABC and partners, including NRCS, Northern Great Plains Joint Venture, and other State, Federal, Native nations, and NGO partners to promote, accelerate enrollment, coordinate and implement the conservation provisions of the Federal Farm Bill and other wildlife related conservation programs such as the Joint Venture’s Grassland Restoration Incentive Program (N-GRIP).
• Assist or coordinate activities and projects with NRCS, or other agency or non-profit partners. This necessitates Federal employee security clearance and substantial trainings to work on NRCS programs;
• Activities will include promotion of conservation programs (workshops and one-on-one meetings), contract coordination, conservation plan development and modification, site assessment, and reporting. Most (80-95%) of this work takes place through NRCS programs.
• Provide conservation technical guidance, including wildlife habitat enhancement techniques, and conservation program delivery, to private landowners and public organizations within partner identified priority areas, as appropriate and will collaborate with partner project managers to increase involvement in programs.
• Work with local partners to increase habitat management efforts and participate in regional and statewide habitat meetings;
• Provide leadership and support for outreach activities including direct collaboration with project managers, and through landowner field events, inter-agency partnership training meetings, and other communication efforts.

Position Requirements:

• Ability to be a part of multiple teams and, where appropriate, help to work with a diverse set of partner organizations and individual landowners to achieve conservation objectives at multiple scales (individual land parcel to sub-watershed levels).
• Experiences with Native Nations, cultures, governments, and policies.
• Practical experience with agricultural systems, farming and ranching.
• Knowledge of wildlife ecology, bird identification by sight and sound, prescribed fire, and grassland, wetland, and early succession habitat management.
• Ability to convey the use of various habitat management tools in the development of management plans.
• Knowledge of conservation and wildlife habitat programs provided by federal (i.e. Farm Bill, US Fish and Wildlife Service), state, & local entities. In addition, knowledge of how these programs are implemented in an agricultural landscape is desired.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with landowners, partner agencies and colleagues.
• The position requires networking and communication skills (presentation, inter-personal, reading, and writing).
• Ability to work independently and with diverse clientele.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities with a high degree of self-motivation.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS Pro or USDA Conservation Desktop.
• Conflict resolution skills.
• Valid driver’s license required; some use of personal vehicle may be required (mileage reimbursement provided)
• Travel in northern South Dakota and sometimes in southwest North Dakota
• Must be able to obtain USDA Federal Security Clearance.
• A minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management or closely related natural resources field and three years of relevant experience.
• Wildlife Society Certification and graduate work will also be considered.
• Experience working with USDA Farm Bill programs (i.e., RCPP, EQIP, CSP, ACEP, CRP and CREP) is preferred.
• US work authorization is required for all US opportunities. ABC cannot offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.
• Background screening required.

Benefits:

• Benefits include medical, dental, and 403(b) plan.
• Paid vacation days, holidays, and sick leave.
• Approved equipment/office expenses covered.
• Pre-approved professional training and workshop expenses covered.
• Lodging and meals covered for travel away from home.
• Rental vehicle or personal mileage reimbursement, if partner vehicles are unavailable.