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Posting Closing Date: 09/22/2024
Salary: $1,923.08
Location: 1875 Orange Ave. East
Supervisor: Ty Hardymon
Region: Leon County
County: Leon
Working Hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Work outside of regular 8-hour schedule may occasionally be required.
List of Subordinates Supervised: None
Residency Requirement: within commute of Tallahassee
Level of Education: Prefer a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in one of the biological sciences and three years of professional biological experience. Master of Science degree in one of the biological sciences with professional experience in conservation programs strongly preferred. Years of experience can substitute for a degree.
A resume and Cover letter describing your interest in this position and your relevant experience must be attached to the electronic State of Florida employment application.
The Division of Habitat & Species Conservation is comprised of six Sections and two offices. The Wildlife Diversity Conservation Section (WDC) is seeking a fish and wildlife professional for an exciting opportunity to contribute to the conservation of imperiled wildlife and their habitats. This is a full-time employment position that is eligible for all career service state employee benefits including paid leave, health insurance, retirement benefits, tuition waivers for continuing education and numerous agency trainings for professional development. This office-based position is in the Wildlife Diversity Conservation Section’s Permitting and Incentives Group that works for the conservation of Florida’s wildlife. While this is an office-based position, there are opportunities for occasional field work and the position may be required to travel to meetings or meet with landowners or applicants.
Description of Duties: The Protected Species Permitting and Incentives Biologist works on a dynamic team to positively affect protected species conservation throughout Florida.
Primary duties include reviewing permit applications and ensuring permits are issued or denied in accordance with FWC rules, policies, and applicable statutes; coordinating with regional biologists and other subject matter experts on issues related to permitting; providing customer service to stakeholders and permit applicants; collecting, synthesizing and reporting on permitting-related data; and performing other duties as assigned. The position requires the ability to work quickly and thoroughly under tight regulatory timelines, while being polite when engaging the public and partners. The incumbent must work with subject matter experts to determine whether proposed conservation actions will offset potential impacts to species and are consistent with Florida law. The incumbent may be assigned additional permitting duties as needed.
Secondary duties include engaging in Conservation Benefit Agreements that include Safe Harbor or Candidate Conservation Agreements. The incumbent will need knowledge of the parts of the Endangered Species Act that address these programs. The incumbent will need the ability to interact with stakeholders and landowners to discuss their management objectives and be able to determine which conservation program is an appropriate fit. Duties include interacting with private landowners, USFWS staff, FWC staff, and other agency and municipality staff.
The incumbent is expected to be able to communicate about species biology, conservation actions, how to minimize impacts, associated laws, and the permitting process. The incumbent will communicate with the public and partners via phone, email, Teams, and occasionally in person. The incumbent will work as part of a team implementing protections for imperiled species through permitting and application of listed-species protections.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required for the Position:
Knowledge of Florida’s wildlife and their management needs, with emphasis on listed wildlife
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to positively and effectively communicate with stakeholders and co-workers
Demonstrated organizational skills
Data management skills, including experience with Excel
Ability to manage time effectively and respond to inquiries efficiently
Creative problem-solving skills
Excellent customer service skills and the ability to positively and effectively communicate with stakeholders and co-workers
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working in wildlife conservation
General ecological knowledge for Florida’s imperiled wildlife
Knowledge of the Conservation Benefit Agreements in the Endangered Species Act
Experience in permitting