Intern - Environmental Technician - SFWMD (West Palm Beach)

The full listing and application can be found here!

Summer Internship opportunities are available to active students only. To be eligible for a summer internship, students must be graduating after August 8, 2025, or continuing their education. 

The Summer Internship begins on Monday, May 19, 2025 and ends on Friday, August 8, 2025.
The Lake and River Ecosystem section is looking for an enthusiastic intern who is eager to learn about the variety of opportunities available in the field of environmental studies. This internship will assist specifically with projects designed to monitor the health of a lake ecosystem, through sampling and studying different habitats and faunal communities. The primary project will focus on wading bird prey in the shallow marshes of Lake Okeechobee, by sampling macroinvertebrate and small fish communities in typical foraging habitats. The position will assist with collection of prey, processing in the lab, identifying the major types, and entering data for analysis. Similar opportunities will exist for monitoring phytoplankton communities in small mesocosms in the lake, sampling submerged aquatic vegetation, defining a variety of sediment types in the lake, and identifying major vegetation groups for aerial imagery analysis. The applicant will learn to assist with the collection, processing, data entry, analysis, and interpretation of scientific data.

The field sites will be accessed by airboats, outboards, and vehicles, and will require some wading through remote marshes to collect samples. As such, applicants should be comfortable with wet, hot, muddy conditions, and with possible exposure to biting and stinging insects. All field outings will follow established safety protocols and be supervised by experienced personnel, who will provide appropriate gear for site conditions (life jacket, hearing protection, chest or hip waders, sunscreen, coolers and water, etc.). We aim to provide an amazing learning experience, helping the selected applicant gain exposure to some of the opportunities available in the field of environmental science, and to begin building the base of expertise for future job or graduate school opportunities.

Education/Experience Guidelines: 
Achieved classification as a college level Junior or above in a related degree program at a college or university accredited by a recognized national or regional accreditation association. Must have coursework relevant to the position being accepted and no experience is required. The student must have a 3.0 average or higher and maintain an average grade of B or above in all major fields of study.

Undergraduate Level interns will be paid $17/hour and work a maximum of 32 hours per week for a maximum  internship duration of 4 months.

Graduate and Doctoral Level interns will be paid $19/hour and work a maximum of 32 hours per week for a maximum  internship duration of 4 months. 

OPS- Fish & Wildlife Technician - FWC (Christmas, FL)

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Salary:  $18.23 an hour 

Posting Closing Date: 03/09/2025 

Supervisor:  Eric Heribacka

Working hours:8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday, maximum allowable hours per year: 1,920

List of any subordinates supervised:    None

County: Orange

Address: 3365 Taylor Creek Rd. Christmas, FL 32709

Phone: (407) 568-5893

Residency requirement: Within a 25-mile radius of the William Beardall Tosohatchee WMA entrance.

Level of Education: High School or GED

Description of duties:

The FWC’s Northeast Region is seeking a highly motivated candidate to join a team of biologists and technicians on the William Beardall Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Orange County, FL. This position serves as an OPS Fish and Wildlife Technician on a highly productive team of land managers to restore and enhance habitats for the benefit of a variety of species and for the enjoyment of Florida residents and visitors. The successful candidate’s primary duties will be to control exotic vegetation using herbicides and mechanical methods but also will be a key team member responsible for all aspects of management of the WMA including the application of prescribed fire.  Habitat improvement is focused on imperiled and locally important species including, but not limited to, northern bobwhite, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, gopher tortoise, Bachman’s sparrow, brown-headed nuthatch, and black rail.

Additionally, the position may assist with infrastructure construction, maintenance and repair, including roads, trails, culverts, fences, gates, signs, and buildings. The position will operate, maintain, and repair various equipment and vehicles including trucks, tractors, ATVs, UTVs, heavy equipment, and implements (disc harrows, mowers, sprayers, etc.).  The incumbent will interact with various partner agencies and the public to provide information concerning wildlife and area management, rules and regulations. Occasionally the incumbent will attend regional and divisional meetings as well as various trainings as needed. There may also be opportunities to assist with land management or wildlife monitoring on other WMAs throughout FWC’s Northeast Region.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Preference will be given to applicants that possess the following:

• Ability to operate, maintain, and repair heavy equipment and associated implements

• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team

• Ability to plan and organize work assignments

• Familiarity with outdoor recreational activities, including hunting

• Knowledge of wildlife and land management practices, such as prescribed burning and herbicide use for vegetation control

• Familiarity with common invasive plants found in Central Florida

• Basic use of personal computers

• Ability to operate outdoors under inclement weather conditions

• Ability to frequently push, pull and/or carry more than 50 pounds

Benefits: Potential to participate in Group health insurance

Other Requirements:   Incumbent must be able to operate ATVs, tractors, heavy equipment, and tools.  Must be able to lift 50 pounds and walk or stand for extended time periods at night or in inclement weather.  Must have valid State of Florida driver’s license. Occasional, night, weekend, and overnight travel is required.

Biological Administrator I A - FWC (Panama City, FL)

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Posting Closing Date: 02/28/2025 

Salary: $2,307.69 biweekly + benefits

Working hours: 7:00 am to 4:00 pm CST, Monday through Friday, may require some night or weekend duty. Occasional overnight travel is required.

Physical Address: 3911 Highway 2321, Panama City FL 32409

Phone: 850-896-3027

Supervisor & Position number: Colleen Closius 

List of any subordinates supervised: 3 Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist IIIs

Residency requirement: Within the West District of the NW Region.

Description of duties:

This leadership position serves as the District Wildlife Biologist for Blackwater, Chipola River, Choctawhatchee River, Econfina Creek, Escambia River, Escribano Point, Garcon Point, Juniper Creek, Lafayette Creek, Perdido River, Pine Log, Point Washington, and Yellow River WMAs. The position will be officed within the Regional Office Annex in Panama City within the West District of the NW Region. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a talented team of dedicated staff and to positively impact wildlife conservation and habitat management throughout the District and Region.

Specific duties include project administration; providing leadership and mentoring to staff, including direct supervision of 3 Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist III’s; collection, manipulation, analysis, and presentation of biological data; providing oversight and participating in habitat management activities including prescribed fire; development and management of public use programs, including public hunt operation and non-hunting uses; setting management objectives consistent with agency directives; plan development; budget development and management; and report and technical paper writing. The successful candidate will excel at communication and have a strong drive to succeed.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 

This is not an entry level position. Strong interpersonal skills are required to lead, supervise, and mentor employees and to develop and leverage partnerships with other agencies. Strong land management skills are required to evaluate habitat conditions and prescribe and direct appropriate treatments. Applicant must have applied knowledge of wildlife population and habitat management techniques in Florida, particularly the application of prescribed fire and mechanical and chemical vegetation control. GIS and other technological skills are also requisite for this level of land management. Strong administrative, organizational, and budget management skills are required to manage multiple projects and their associated budgets. Job requirements therefore consist of the KSAs described above, or a solid foundation of habitat management in Florida, coupled with the motivation, initiative, and proclivity to develop and apply the KSAs listed above. 

Level of Education: Preferred Bachelor’s degree in a life or physical science. Four years of direct experience may substitute for a bachelor’s degree in a life or physical science.

License Requirements: Minimum Class E Florida driver’s license

OPS Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist III - FWC (Tallahassee, FL)

To view more information and apply, click here!

Posting Closing Date: 02/26/2025 

 Pay Rate: $21.63 per hour 

Phone: 850-922-4330

Supervisor: Jenny Moreau

List of Subordinates Supervised:  None

Office Address: 1875 Orange Ave E, Tallahassee, FL  32311

Working Hours:  40 hours per week; Typically Monday-Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM, though hours may vary with type of work and may require work on weekends, evenings or holidays.  

Residency Requirement:  Must live within 30 miles of office location 

Description of Position and Duties:

The Division of Habitat and Species Conservation is comprised of six sections and two offices. This opportunity is to join the Imperiled Species Management Section’s Bear Management Program (BMP). The Bear Data Specialist will assist BMP staff with: Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) of BMP data (e.g., calls, captures, vehicle collisions), both in hard copy and digital formats and train others on the process; data compilation, including creating charts and maps for internal and external sources; BMP budget monitoring and reconciliation; vehicle log reconciliation; electronic, verbal, and written communications with internal and external sources concerning various bear related topics; statewide property management; public outreach within a two hour radius of Tallahassee; reviewing, preparing, and tracking correspondence assignments; working independently on special projects and/or assisting in directing and completing special projects or other activities as needed by the supervisor; and performing other work as needed.

Level of Education & Experience: Prefer a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, biology, or other natural resources field. Proficiency in MS software applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) required, familiarity with Salesforce, SharePoint, and ArcGIS preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient in the English language

• Ability to use personal computers using Windows OS

• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments

• Ability to actively listen

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others

• Ability to process information logically

• Ability to follow oral and written instructions

• Ability to communicate effectively

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

• Ability to work on a single task for extended periods of time

• Possess a high level of attention to detail, a sense of urgency, and proactiveness

• Ability to multi-task effectively by planning and prioritizing work assignments

• Ability to deal and communicate effectively with stakeholders/constituents

• Maintain a high level of accuracy while balancing changes in workload

Other requirements: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. Travel is required to perform the duties of this position (1-25%).

OPS Employment Description: This is a full-time OPS (Other Personnel Services) position. OPS employees are paid for the number of hours they work. OPS employees do not receive paid leave, or paid holidays. OPS staff have the potential for health insurance benefits and participation in the Deferred Compensation investment retirement program.

How to Apply:  Application packets must be submitted through the State of Florida’s official employment site (https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/). All applicants must submit a cover letter and resume in addition to the state application to be considered.  

Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist IV - FWC (Tallahassee, FL)

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Posting Closing Date: 02/26/2025 

Salary: $1,923.08 biweekly

Supervisor: Emily Moss

List of Subordinates Supervised: None

Working Hours:  8am – 5pm, hours may vary due to nature of work

Location: Preferred location in Tallahassee, other potential locations to be determined

Region: Prefer Leon, other locations to be determined

Residency Requirement: Florida.

This position may be located in other locations with available FWC office space.

Requirements: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Eligible candidates must possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License.

A master’s degree in life/physical sciences coupled with two or more years of professional experience is preferred. A bachelor’s degree or four years of professional experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the position is preferred.

A complete application includes a resume or CV, three references, a cover letter for this position, and the electronic State of Florida employment application. For question regarding this position, please contact Emily Moss at Emily.Moss@MyFWC.com.

The Division of Habitat & Species Conservation is seeking a fish and wildlife professional to fill the Shorebird Program Coordinator position. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the conservation of imperiled shorebirds in Florida.

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. 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 stakeholders, partners and regional teams.

https://www.mybenefits.myflorida.com/work_and_life/additional_benefits

Description of Duties: The Division of Habitat and Species is seeking a fish and wildlife professional to serve in a coordination role for the Division’s shorebird and seabird conservation program. The individual in this role has an opportunity to broadly influence conservation for Florida’s shorebirds, seabirds, coastal ecosystems, and the people and partners committed to the conservation of these resources. The individual in this role will work closely with staff across the agency to achieve significant conservation outcomes for Florida’s imperiled beach-nesting birds and their habitats and ensure the shorebird program maintains focus on conservation goals and grant deliverables. While not being the direct supervisor, this position will interact with and co-manage positions working towards the conservation of shorebirds. This position is highly collaborative and works closely with the FSA Coordinator, Regional Shorebird Biologists, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and Audubon partners.

The focus of this position is on improving conditions for Florida’s beach-nesting birds through coordination with staff to implement conservation actions and by working closely with partner organizations and other government entities. The individual in this role oversees grant administration and serves as a member of the visionary team leading the future of shorebird conservation in Florida.

Successful candidates will have experience collaborating with entities of varying interests, demonstrate strong skills in conflict management, and have the ability to envision conservation success and the ability to influence others to assist in achieving this vision.

This position will work with agency staff and partners to conduct effective in-reach and outreach and provide leadership support to multiple teams, including the predation management working group, regional shorebird staff, and the Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA). This position will help to facilitate cross-divisional implementation of conservation measures for imperiled beach-nesting birds.

Minimum Qualifications:

This position requires advanced communication skills, ability to collaborate across workgroups, external organizations, and the public, grant management skills, project management experience, and experience leading teams. Knowledge of and experience with beach-nesting birds, imperiled species, and coastal ecosystems is highly preferred. Minimum qualifications include:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in biology, wildlife or fisheries management, zoology, environmental sciences or other closely related curriculum or a minimum of 4 years of direct experience. Graduate degree and two years of professional experience is preferred.

• Knowledge of Florida’s Threatened and Endangered species management system.

• Conservation project management experience.

• Strong leadership, facilitation, communication, and organizational skills.

• Administrative experience managing budgets, developing work plans, managing grants, and mentoring staff.

• Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to provide clear, timely, and effective updates on multiple projects and efforts.

• Experience writing and reviewing technical documents, experience with programs that conserve imperiled species or their habitats, and familiarity with land use applications and/or permits.

• Shorebird and seabird monitoring experience preferred.

OPS Biological Scientist III - FWC (Lakeland, FL)

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Posting Closing Date: 02/23/2025 

Salary: $23.44/hour + benefits (not to exceed 1,920 hours per fiscal year)

Working Hours: Monday – Friday 8-5, with occasional non-standard hours

Supervisor: Vacant, Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist IV

Location: (Preferred) Ocala or Lakeland, Florida; (Considered) other FWC offices

County: Marion or Polk (preferred), other locations to be considered

Residency requirement: Florida

Level of Education: Prefer a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in one of the biological sciences and two years of professional biological experience. Master of Science degree in one of the biological sciences and one year of professional biological experience strongly preferred.  Years of experience can substitute for a degree.

To apply: In addition to submitting an electronic State of Florida employment application and completing the qualifying questions, a resume and cover letter must be attached describing your interest in this position and your relevant experience.

OPS employment description: This is an OPS (Other Personnel Services) position. Employees in OPS positions are paid for the number of hours they work, do not receive any paid leave, paid holidays, or participation in the Florida Retirement System. OPS employees do have the option to receive health insurance benefits.

Description of Duties: 

The Wildlife Diversity Conservation Section (WDC) is seeking to fill a Biologist III position to assist the Section’s Avian Conservation Coordinator with addressing avian conservation issues and with developing and implementing projects and policies for imperiled (listed and other important) avian species.

The successful applicant will be enthusiastic and self-motivated to complete quality work on time and will demonstrate strong leadership and communication abilities together with strong abilities to develop and carry out projects with minimal supervision and to also work as an effective team member when assisting on other projects.

Responsibilities and duties will include:

• Assisting with coordination of avian conservation activities at various landscape levels across the agency and with external partners and stakeholders;

• Serving as a liaison and team leader across FWC work units to promote avian conservation efforts;

• Developing and maintaining partnerships and working groups for avian conservation;

• Providing technical expertise and assistance to FWC staff and the public for conservation and management issues and for regulatory issues and rules;

• Assisting with the implementation of the FWC’s Imperiled Species Management Plan for birds.

• Assisting with development of rules, policies, conservation projects, and management plans for birds.

• Supporting or leading various FWC teams as needed;

• Reviewing avian take permit applications;

• Compiling and summarizing data and literature and preparing documents such as management plans, guidance documents, and permitting guidelines.

• Facilitating meetings and workshops with internal staff, agency partners, and external stakeholders.

• Assisting with applying for and administering grants needed to fund conservation projects;

• Perform various administrative tasks associated with agency operations.  Duties include preparing and reviewing itineraries, travel vouchers, purchasing forms, vehicle operation reports, performance expectations, and other routine administrative reports. Perform similar or other tasks as assigned, as well as recommended training to enhance and maintain professional development and skills.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of wildlife science and conservation principles specifically as they relate to avian ecology and biology;

• Knowledge of Florida’s fish and wildlife, particularly birds and their respective habitats; and applicable federal and state laws, rules, and policies including Florida’s Threatened and Endangered Species list and listing process.

• Skills in the use of computers for word processing, data management, communications, and ArcGIS.

• Strong ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally, to large and small groups

• Skilled in time management and information management skills.

• Ability to collaborate effectively and develop partnerships with other agency staff members, partners, and stakeholders to achieve desired results;

• Ability to efficiently organize information and details and manage multiple projects;

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;

• Ability to collect biological data and to conduct moderately strenuous wildlife management and monitoring activities outdoors;

• Ability to safely operate vehicles;

• Ability to work 40 hours a week with occasional overnight travel and weekend work associated with agency mission critical guidelines. This includes travel to conferences, meetings, trainings, and other relevant activities.

OPS-Biological Scientist I - FWC (Marco Island/Naples, FL)

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Posting Closing Date: 02/28/2025 

OPS Hourly Pay Rate: $16.83 an hour

OPS Hours Worked per Year: 1920

Working Hours: Variable. Forty hours maximum per week  

Supervisor: Ricardo Zambrano

List of Subordinates Supervised: None

Residency Requirement: None

Level of Education: High school diploma

Description of Duties. 

Wildlife Surveys: Assists Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regional biologists in surveying nesting seabird, shorebird and wading bird populations following monitoring and data entry protocols outlined on the Florida Shorebird Database. Will also collect related data on nest success and productivity.

Management and Surveillance: Assists in posting FWC Critical Wildlife Areas in the Marco Island area, documenting, and maintaining posted areas as needed throughout the nesting season, especially immediately following storms or other disturbance events.

Stewardship: Responsible for coordinating closely with members of Audubon’s Beach Steward program to ensure coverage of the area, especially during times of high beach usage such as Memorial and Independence Day weekends.

Duties will be confined to the Marco Island area in Collier County. Housing or limited mileage reimbursement may be provided. This is a seasonal position (not to exceed 40 hours/wk) to begin in April and last throughout the nesting season (to approximately August 31, contingent on the presence of nesting birds). As this is a near-exclusive field-oriented position, no office space will be provided. Candidate must provide their own transportation to the field site and have access to a computer for purposes of data entry and communications. Limited administrative support will be provided from the West Palm Beach Office of the FWC. Candidate must be able to work on weekends and holidays.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:   

Incumbent must have strong seabird and shorebird identification skills. Must possess a valid Driver’s License, and be able to drive an ATV. Must have a highly flexible work schedule and be capable of working with little direct supervision, in remote locations, and under hot and humid weather conditions.