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Posting Closing Date: 06/22/2025

Starting pay rate: $20.83 / hr.

Supervisor: Brianna White

Working hours: Mon. - Fri. 8am-5pm with guaranteed assignments outside normal daily working hours

Address and telephone number: Southwest Regional Office, 3900 Drane Field Road, Lakeland, FL 33811, (863) 660-8028

Residency requirement: Negotiable; required to work out of a field office (field offices located in Frostproof, Haines City, or Clermont) or the Southwest Regional Office (Lakeland).

Minimum Qualifications:

Five years professional experience in a closely-related biological field or laboratory program is required. A Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant field can substitute for four of the five years of required experience.

Preferred Requirements: A Bachelor of Science degree with a major in one of the life/physical sciences is preferred.

Description of Duties: THIS IS AN OPS POSITION. IT IS NOT CAREER SERVICE.

The Division of Habitat and Species Conservation is comprised of six Sections and two offices. An exciting opportunity is available for a Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist II to join a team of employees within the Wildlife and Habitat Management Section by conducting wildlife inventories and monitoring surveys on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Southwest Region. Surveys will be conducted per established protocols and will include, but are not limited to, herpetofauna drift fence arrays, small mammal surveys, mesomammal surveys, and avian point counts. Incumbent shall coordinate with local staff to ensure completion of survey activities as prescribed in Wildlife Conservation, Prioritization, and Recovery (WCPR) Strategies and Land Management Plans. Incumbent will also assist with entering data in the Survey and Monitoring Protocol (SaMP) database and reporting survey results and will be responsible for managing data sets and producing technical reports.

This is a temporary position that is anticipated to last a minimum of four years.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

Wildlife biology
Identification of birds by sight and sound
Ability to use field guides and keys to identify amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Assessment and inventory of wildlife and habitat
Collection and analysis of biological data
Ability to write scientific reports
Familiarity with outdoor recreational activities and ability to communicate conservation principles to the public
Ability to organize/plan work assignments and set priorities
Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
Familiarity with GPS, ArcGIS, and Microsoft Office
Ability to work safely outdoors and tolerate extreme temperatures, high humidity, biting insects and other hazards.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience conducting wildlife surveys multiple taxa using a wide range of techniques in Florida. Ability to operate 4 wheel-drive vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and other equipment.