Supervisory Research Scientist

Florida’s Natural Heritage Program, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI), invites applications for a Supervisory Research Scientist position. This is a full-time, senior, non-tenure track position with a starting salary of $65,000 to $70,000. The position will be open until filled however applicants should apply early to ensure consideration.

The position will be responsible for managing, coordinating, and conducting applied research to inform conservation land management and rare species conservation in Florida. They will assist with funding acquisition, plan project work considering time and budget constraints, supervise FNAI field scientists, prepare reports, and present project findings. They will have the opportunity to work on a variety of conservation focused botanical, zoological, and ecological projects depending on their capabilities, however, the position’s initial primary responsibility will be oversight of a project to assess invasive plant cover on conservation lands across the state and to develop associated invasive plant management plans. Other currently funded projects this position may work on include rare plant surveys, invasive plant surveys, gopher tortoise surveys, avian surveys, camera trapping, vegetation monitoring, conservation easement monitoring, and natural (vegetative) community mapping. Unlike similar positions at other institutions, FNAI research scientists enjoy the opportunity to spend a substantial amount of time in the field, traveling up to 50% of work time. However, the ideal candidate for this position will be someone interested in helping to guide FNAI’s development and who is willing to eventually take on increased administrative responsibilities and reduce time in the field. The position will have the occasional opportunity to publish but FNAI’s work is generally focused on providing specific results needed to inform conservation decisions, not to address broader ecological questions of academic interest. The incumbent will be expected to use their interactions with land managing agencies to foster relationships necessary to ascertain their information needs and develop cooperative, mutually beneficial, contract and grant funded projects.

The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) is Florida’s Natural Heritage Program and state member of the NatureServe network. We are housed within the Florida Resources and Environmental Analysis Center at Florida State University . FNAI maintains a spatial database of information on Florida’s rarest species and conservation lands and works on an array of applied research projects to inform conservation and land management decisions. Our funding is provided by contracts and grants from state and federal agency partners.

Our office is off campus in Midtown, which is centrally located near shops, restaurants, and historic neighborhoods. The larger Tallahassee region offers many outdoor recreation opportunities in the nearby Apalachicola National Forest and a number of coastal parks and refuges within a short drive from town.

For additional information about us please visit: https://www.fnai.org/

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage, coordinate, and conduct applied scientific research to inform conservation land management and rare species conservation in Florida.
• Oversee contract and grant funded projects, ensuring that results meet the needs of the funding entity, and project timelines, budget constraints, and final product delivery deadlines are met.
• Analyze data, write reports, and present findings to cooperating agencies.
• Cooperatively develop and submit contract and grant proposals.
• Supervise, train, direct, mentor and assist with recruiting staff.
• Assist in the development of FNAI’s role as Florida’s Natural Heritage Program by ensuring the quality of existing information products and helping to foster the development of new products 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduate degree in a field relevant to the position (biological sciences, geography, natural resource management, etc)
• Commitment to FNAI’s conservation goals.
• Minimum of five years, full-time, post-graduate experience that includes exposure to conservation land management practices common in the southeast, the evaluation of the effectiveness of these practices, project management, and supervision.
• Working knowledge of the natural communities and the flora of Florida or the southeast.
• Experience with natural community and habitat interpretation from aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and soil surveys.
• Experience with databases, GPS, and GIS.
• Experience in the statistical analysis and presentation of ecological data.
• Strong skills in team leadership, partnership development, administration, and organization, including time and information management.
• Interest in helping shape FNAI’s long term future and willingness to take on increased administrative responsibilities and a lower level of field responsibilities over time.
• Experience developing budgets for large scale projects and ensuring work is completed on time and within budget constraints.
• Ability to communicate effectively both in person and in writing. Candidates may be expected to demonstrate their proficiency in these skills during the interview process.
• Ability to work well with FNAI staff scientists and to effectively train and mentor junior staff.
• Excellent physical condition (able to hike for most of a 10-hr day through a variety of habitats in any weather).
• Ability to safely conduct rigorous field work using standard field equipment including 4×4 vehicles and sometimes boats.
• Willingness to travel frequently during the workweek (potentially as much as 50% for some periods), drive long distances, and work long days (averaging 10 hrs.). Field trips are generally Monday – Thursday and require overnight stays in hotels or remote camping.

PREFERRED:

• Ability to start work by September 2024.
• Knowledge of the U.S. network of Natural Heritage Programs, Natural Heritage Methodology, and NatureServe
• Knowledge of the U.S. Endangered Species Act and Florida’s imperiled species management system
• Familiarity with conservation land acquisition in Florida, particularly the Florida Forever Program
• Familiarity with Terrestrial Laser Scanning and its use in the analysis of vegetation structure
• Familiarity with the operation of drones for ecological data collection

CONSIDERATIONS:

• This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check.

CONTACT INFO:

• For questions, or more information, contact Frank Price, FNAI Director, at [email protected].