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Posting Closing Date: 04/04/2025

Salary: $1,730.77 biweekly + benefits

Subordinates Supervised: None

Residency Requirement: Florida

Address: 1156 Cattle Gap Rd. Midway, FL. 32343

Supervisor: Dan Roberts

Minimum Qualifications: Six years of relevant experience. A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field can substitute for four of the six years of required experience.

In addition to submitting a completed State of Florida electronic application and completing the qualifying questions, applicants must attach a cover letter and up to date resume to be considered. Submitted cover letter should at a minimum explain your interest in working with the Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Subsection and identify your most relevant skills and experience. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Description Of Duties
The Division of Habitat & Species Conservation is comprised of six Sections and two offices. The Aquatic Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Subsection (AHRE) of the Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Restoration Section is seeking an aquatic habitat restoration biologist to develop and manage projects on lakes, rivers, and wetlands to benefit fish and wildlife resources. The position will work within the Northwest Florida AHRE multidisciplinary team, and independently.

This position is responsible for development of budget proposals, project specifications, contract management, and reporting. The position identifies aquatic habitat restoration/enhancement opportunities, secures internal or external project funding, hires and oversees contractors to complete habitat projects, and conducts assessment of project effectiveness. In addition, the position will interact professionally with the public and partners providing technical expertise on aquatic habitat management. Overnight travel is required to complete fieldwork and attend regional and divisional meetings and trainings.

Required Duties Include but Are Not Limited to The Following:

Identify, develop, coordinate, and implement wetland and aquatic habitat restoration projects that maximize benefits to fish and wildlife resources
Work independently and with partners on ephemeral wetland restoration with focus on the eastern Florida panhandle. This work will include managing contractors on an array of restoration techniques including herbicide, heavy mechanical, and light mechanical.
Removal of nuisance vegetation and organic sediments, herbicide treatment of aquatic plants, planting of beneficial wetland vegetation species and utilization of other wetland restoration techniques.
Procure necessary state and federal permits required for project implementation.
Develop project bid documents and contracts.
Provide contract management of approved aquatic habitat enhancement projects.
Provide contractor oversight of approved aquatic habitat enhancement projects.
Work across FWC divisions and cooperate with other federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and others as appropriate to implement FWC’s aquatic habitat restoration program.
Participate in and provide input to internal (FWC sponsored) and external (non-FWC sponsored) aquatic resource management groups.
Coordinate and assist in the development and implementation of wetland and aquatic habitat monitoring and sampling.
Evaluate and predict environmental response to project activities in coordination with other FWC division, office, and section personnel.
Create and maintain databases of collected scientific data and maps of project areas using appropriate computer software.
Prepare, publish, and present project management plans and relevant project findings through internal (quarterly/annual/completion reports and management plans) and external (peer-reviewed publications, professional and public meeting, etc.) outlets.
Perform other project-related duties and tasks as directed by supervisor.
Be proficient in the operation of 4X4 vehicles and maintenance of project vehicles.
Be proficient in the operation and maintenance of boats, trailers, and airboats.
Be proficient in the operation and maintenance of UTVs and ATVs.
Be proficient in the use and maintenance of field and laboratory equipment.
Assist other AHRE, AHCR and Commission projects as necessary.
Work independently with limited supervision.
Responsible for timely and accurate processing and/or approval, as appropriate, of vendor invoices and warrants for payment of goods received or services rendered to avoid automatic interest penalty payments to said vendors.
Responsible for adhering to the provisions and requirements of Section 215.422, F.S., related to State Comptroller’s rules and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission invoice processing and warrant distribution procedures.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledgeable in principles of aquatic ecology and fish/wildlife habitat management

Applied knowledge of the principles and practices of aquatic habitat management and restoration, including revegetation, mechanical and chemical vegetation control, and organic sediment removal
Knowledge of GIS and GPS and its application to habitat management and surveys
Proficient with Windows and Microsoft Office applications
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, the public and other stakeholders
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
Ability to plan and prioritize work assignments and multi-task
Ability to work both as part of a team and independently, with limited supervision
Ability to work outdoors under harsh weather conditions
Ability to effectively swim and be comfortable in the water
Ability to conduct in-water tasks comfortably
Ability to work outside of normal business hours as necessary

Desired qualifications include:

Strong knowledge of freshwater ecology, habitat assessment, and management techniques
Familiarity with state and federal wetland permitting
Experience with project management, contract management, developing scopes of work, and oversight of contracted vendors
Proficient in GIS and GPS applications
Ability to operate boats, airboats, 4WD vehicles, UTVs/ATVs, and tow trailers
Experience using drones for vegetation or wildlife management
Experience or certified in the application of prescribed fire