Description of Duties: Pending anticipated funding. The position is expected to last from early-December to early-September and is expected to be located in Gainesville or Lake City, but the duration and location can be negotiable. The position is responsible for assisting in executing Florida’s Long-term Bat Monitoring Program and surveying Florida’s caves and culverts to determine bat distribution and estimate abundance prior to potential impacts from White-nose Syndrome (WNS). Main duties include placing and maintaining acoustic detectors statewide, processing calls using Kaleidoscope Pro and Sonobat, and submitting corresponding data to NABat. Additional duties include manually vetting calls, working independently or with other staff members to survey culverts and caves for the presence of bats and signs of WNS, taking measurements of culvert and cave conditions, maintaining temperature data loggers in caves, conducting radio telemetry to locate bat roosts, ensuring that standard WNS decontamination procedures are followed, and collaborating with Florida’s Long-term Bat Monitoring Program partners, and contacting landowners and land managers to request property access. Duties may include recording bat emergences from cave roosts, writing reports, managing databases, and providing educational programs or materials on WNS and bats in Florida. This is a 40 hour per week position.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Applicants should possess a B.S. degree, preferably in wildlife biology or similar field, and should have experience working with bats. Must have experience placing acoustic detectors and using call identification software. Experience manually vetting calls is preferred. Must be able to carry-out extensive field work in a variety of situations, including working with acoustic equipment in muggy, buggy weather, as well as working in culverts or caves, including crawling through tight spaces for extended periods. Recent pre-exposure rabies vaccination or minimum recommended titer level is recommended. Knowledge of bat biology, conservation, and species identification (acoustically and/or in hand) is preferred, as is experience with cave conservation and data loggers. Experience with Kaleidoscope Pro, Sonobat, radio telemetry, MS Excel or Access, GPS, and database management also is preferred. Applicants should have strong organizational and communication skills and be able to work cooperatively with diverse colleagues, partners, landowners, and citizens.
Type of Position: This is a seasonal, OPS position
Pay Rate: $16.00 per hour. No housing provided
To Apply: https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/ALACHUA-OPS-Biological-Scientist-II-77901231-FL-32601/688248300/