Wildlife Resource Specialist



Wildlife Resource Specialist

Salary

$61,680.00 - $88,836.00 Annually

Location

Longmont, CO

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

4970(RS2)

Department

Parks and Open Space

Division

Resource Mgmt

Opening Date

12/19/2022

Closing Date

1/15/2023 11:59 PM Mountain

FLSA

Exempt

Description


Boulder County's Parks and Open Space Department has an opening for a Wildlife Resource Specialist. This position performs specialized professional resource management duties. Duties include planning, administering, and coordinating projects and programs in wildlife, natural resource, and open space management. This position is in the Resource Management Division and functions under the direction of the Senior Resource Specialist (Wildlife Program Supervisor). This position must have the ability to work with multi-cultural communities in the county. 
 
This is a full-time, benefited position. This position will work Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm. This position will work out of Parks and Open Space building located at 5201 St Vrain Rd., Longmont, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt. 
 
Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.
 
Hiring Salary Range: $61,680.00-$75,258.00 Annually
Classification Salary Range: $61,680.00 - $88,836.00 Annually 
 
Tentative Hiring Timeline:

  • Phone Screening: January 23rd 
  • First Round Interviews: January 27th
  • Second Round Interviews: January 31st 
  • Reference Check: January 31st

Examples of Duties

The Wildlife Specialist is responsible for contributing towards the successful implementation of the Parks and Open Space wildlife program of work.

  1. Designs, implements, coordinates, and/or advises on field data collection methods, data management and analysis, reporting, and visualization. Integrate new technologies and innovative approaches
  2. Provides expert evaluation of impacts to wildlife habitat and aquatic natural resources due to departmental projects (agricultural, recreational, historic preservation, restoration) and develops recommendations for mitigating measures
  3. Establishes partnerships with land conservation and management agencies towards enhancement of regional habitat values including connectivity, minimizing fragmentation, and ensuring long-term resiliency
  4. Working knowledge of federal and state regulatory requirements and subsequent reporting (404, MBTA, ESA, SB40)
  5. Advances understanding of the wildlife program and objectives externally and internally. Expectations include interpretive and informational presentations, public and staff outreach, fielding public inquiries, interfacing with volunteers
  6. Strong working knowledge of ecological principles and concepts. Ability to effectively communicate the basics of ecological conservation within a multi-disciplinary framework (Examples: internal interdisciplinary teams, project, or management planning processes)
  7. Ability to engage in science communications to diverse audiences, using a variety of media. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, including in potentially contentious circumstances
  8. Preferred working knowledge of the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan (BCCP), Environmental Resources Element (ERE). Boulder County values and strives to preserve, conserve, and restore its unique and distinctive natural features, ecosystems and landscapes using sound resource management principles and practices. Boulder County uses the ERE as the basis for setting goals and policies to achieve sound resource management
  9. Management of external contractors, researchers. Serve as point of contact for research requests, contracts, and coordination of small grant researchers (manage contracts as needed, ensure reporting deliverables are achieved, maintain communications)
  10. Writes or contributes to grant proposals and manages wildlife related grant implementation
  11. Represents the county and department with other agencies and other county departments on joint natural resource landscape-level conservation or restoration projects
  12. Continuously develop and maintain strategic scientific partnerships with agencies, municipalities, collaborators, and others towards conservation strategies
  13. Maintain strong, timely, and objective science foundations by staying current on new scientific developments. Responsible for maintaining knowledge of current ecological principles and concepts, relevant research, and conservation initiatives towards continuous evolution of the wildlife program structure, effectiveness, and relevance
  14. Responsible for promoting the safety of self, others, materials, and equipment. Stringently adheres to departmental safety guidelines
  15. May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, in hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances
  16. May work variable hours, including early/late hours depending on field work requirements. Will work evening hours as required for intermittent public or advisory board meetings
  17. Perform other duties as appropriate or necessary for performance of the job
  18. May be reassigned in emergency situations

Required Qualifications

PLEASE NOTE: When submitting your application be sure to include all relevant education and experience, as applications are screened based on the qualifications listed in this position announcement. Applications that do not appear to meet minimum qualifications, as outlined below, will not be considered. Resumes are not accepted in lieu of completed applications.
 
Please be aware that your cover letter and resume will not be accessed in the initial screening process, so you must complete your application and supplemental questions with as much detail as possible. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your cover letter and resume will then be accessible to the hiring team.
 
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum of 6 years of combined education and experience in natural resource management, public lands management, habitat assessments, public interface, and Land Management Plan or Policy Development. 

DRIVER'S LICENSE:

  • Applicants must have a valid driver's license
PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL:
  • Candidates for this position will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment physical

Supplemental Information

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Advanced education (Graduate Certificate, Master’s, or PhD) in science-related field (natural resource management, fisheries and aquatic science, ecology, wildlife management, conservation biology, or related field).
  • Experience in lake, river, or wetland management, including aquatic and riparian habitat restoration and monitoring, fish passage, vertebrate and invertebrate species surveys, and water quality testing.
  • 3-5 years’ experience working in land or wildlife management and conservation, including specifically related to inventory, monitoring, public interface, program development, and working in multi-disciplinary or multi-agency teams.
  • Experience in conservation planning, including development and implementation of management plans, GIS related analysis, and experimental design.
  • Conflict resolution experience.
  • Experience with and commitment to integrating and upholding principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
  • Thorough knowledge of field data collection methods, data management and analysis, reporting, and visualization
  • Experience with the following software: MS Office Suite and ArcGIS 10.X. Experience with ArcMap, ArcCollector, ArcGIS Field Maps and statistical software (i.e., R Software) is strongly preferred
  • Working knowledge of Colorado Front Range ecosystems (and identification of flora and fauna)
  • Knowledge and experience in Ecological Restoration and Landscape Ecology
  • Experience with communicating positively and effectively with the public, volunteers, co-workers, and other agencies both verbally and in writing


Boulder County is a family-friendly workplace dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

As well as offering competitive pay and a caring work environment, Boulder County offers employees an array of benefits. For all FTE and Term employees, we provide:
  • a family-friendly workplace, including paid caregiver leave, a breast feeding friendly-work environment, sick child care, an infants-at-work policy, and generous paid vacation, medical leave, and holidays
  • the opportunity to take charge of your well-being through a nationally-recognized wellness program, employee assistance program, and the choice of comprehensive health plans that include vision and dental coverage
  • peace of mind for the future with PERA pension, PERA 401k, and Social Security retirement plans, in addition to life and disability insurance, as well as critical illness and accidental insurance options
  • the opportunity to master new skills with robust learning programs and certificates, federal loan forgiveness (after ten years of public service), and county-paid tuition assistance for continuing education
  • Free EcoPass that can be used any time and for commuting to and from work, to the Denver Intranational Airport and Fort Collins and on all bus and rail lines operated by RTD. Opportunity to sign up for a free BCycle membership for bike share in Boulder.
For more information about benefits, visit the Jobs page: https://bouldercounty.gov/jobs/jobs-benefits/

01
Please explain how you meet the minimum qualifications of 6 years of combined education and experience in natural resource management, public lands management, habitat assessments, public interface, and Land Management Plan or Policy Development (required).
02
Do you have a valid Colorado (or state of residency) driver's license and a good driving record (required)?
  • Yes
  • No
03
Do you have a Working knowledge of general ecological principles, natural resource management, public interface, and public lands management?
04
Tell us why you are interested in working for Boulder County as a wildlife specialist.
05
Do you understand that you will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment physical before employment begins (required)?
  • Yes
  • No
06
In what way do you see that racial equity is relevant work for Boulder County as an organization?
07
In what ways do you feel you need to grow around your cultural awareness and what kind of support would you need?

Required Question

Agency
Boulder County
Address
2025 14th Street

Boulder, Colorado, 80302
Phone
303-441-3525