Job Opportunity Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist IV position number 77070306

Requisition No: 693062 

Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Working Title: FISHERIES & WILDLIFE BIO SCIENTIST IV - 77070306

Position Number: 77070306 

Salary:  $1,711.82 bi-weekly + benefits 

Posting Closing Date: 07/30/2022 

Address: 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee Florida 32399

Broadband code: 19-1023-04

Class code: 5075

Region: Northwest

Title: Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist IV

County: Leon – Location, Tallahassee preferred

Working hours: 8 to 5; M-F

List of any subordinates supervised: 1 to 3 staff

Residency requirement: Tallahassee area

Level of Education:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course of study in one of the biological or physical sciences and three years of professional biological experience in a field or laboratory program; or
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with major course of study in one of the biological sciences and two years of professional experience as described above; or
• A doctorate from an accredited college or university with major course of study in one of the biological sciences.

 

Description of duties:

This primarily office-based position is located within the Imperiled Species Management Section and assists with developing conservation measures to reduce potential adverse impacts to species under the responsibility of the Section, with a focus on Florida manatee and marine turtle conservation through the review of environmental permits.

Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Drafting biological opinions for environmental resource permits and other regulatory or planning authorizations such as Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP), Coastal Construction Control Line permits (CCCL), Sovereign Submerged Lands Leases (SSL), Joint Coastal Permits (JCP), various management plans, comprehensive plan amendments and State Clearinghouse under Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP);
• Provide technical assistance to other sections within the agency, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Port Authorities, and county/city governments;
• Initiate, manage or attend meetings, workshops, and create/deliver presentations;
• Act as agency expert witness in administrative hearings;
• Assists with management of the agency’s Project Tracking System; and
• Perform other duties as required, including, but not limited to: leading team efforts, offering trainings, assisting with information and outreach projects, and assisting with other field activities as directed.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• This position requires administrative, communication, and computer skills, the review, evaluation, interpretation and defense of biological data;
• Knowledge of terminology, principles, and techniques used in biological research, analysis or testing;
• Knowledge of the scientific method;
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection, particularly imperiled or endangered species;
• Ability to perform quantitative analysis of scientific data;
• Must be able to initiate, manage and lead meetings and create PowerPoint presentations;
• Knowledge of conservation biology principles preferred;
• Must communicate effectively verbally and in writing;
• Ability to write technical reports and agency correspondence;
• Ability to work independently and on teams;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, the public and stakeholders;
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work assignments to meet deadlines; and
• Qualified candidates will need to be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and have good time management skills to succeed in the position.     

Skills, experience and knowledge required: Previous experience with State of Florida permitting or regulatory programs and/or Florida manatee or marine turtle management programs is highly desired. Experience with ArcPro, MS Office, and MS SharePoint preferred. Limited statewide travel is required. 

The Commission expects its employees to be courteous and respectful while assisting Commission customers and stakeholders, ensuring each encounter is as positive as possible. Employees should promptly resolve questions or problems relating to the Commission, its programs and/or fish and wildlife resources. Employees should seek to gain public support for agency objectives and programs by serving Florida's citizens in a positive and proactive manner and by listening to what the customer wants and striving to meet their needs. When appropriate, employees will explain the reasons for agency actions or decisions while communicating a consistent FWC point-of-view. Responsible for following the provisions and requirements in Section 215.422, Florida Statutes, related to the Department of Financial Services rules and FWC's invoice processing and warrant distribution procedures. Work at FWC is cross-functional meaning duties may cross division/office lines. The Commission expects employees to function across FWC's organizational structure by providing their skills and expertise wherever needed through work on teams or as directed.

Application packets must be submitted through the State of Florida’s official employment site (https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/) and must include a cover letter and resume in addition to the state application. Application packets without a cover letter, resume and state application will not be considered for the position.

 

Position Requirements:

1. Possess and maintain a valid Florida Driver’s License.
2. Travel is required to perform the duties of this position (1-25%)

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.