Description: We are seeking 4 technicians to assist in the capture and handling of bats. These technicians will: (i) organize, repair, and maintain mist netting gear; (ii) safely travel to remote locations for fieldwork; (iii) put up and take down mist nets, including single and triple-high setups; (iv) capture, handle, ID to species, sex, and collect samples from live bats; (v) record a variety of data in detail; (vi) strictly adhere to decontamination protocols to prevent the spread of the causative agent of white-nose syndrome among field sites; (vii) maintain a positive, inclusive, and healthy dynamic among members of the team.
Required Qualifications: Successful candidates should possess the following experience and abilities: * Mist netting and handling of bats - preference will be given to individuals who have completed the pre-exposure series of rabies vaccines * Gentle, patient, and kind demeanor, particularly while handling wildlife * Meticulously organizing and recording accurate data that contributes to a larger scientific study * Safely working or recreating outdoors, safely operating 4WD vehicles on muddy, low maintenance roads * Working at night in a small team, in adverse weather conditions while maintaining a positive attitude and sense of humor * Maintaining a healthy community dynamic among a diverse group of people with a variety of beliefs * Engaging in thoughtfulness in speech, particularly when communicating among members of the team, with landowners, or with members of the public * Actively seeking and implementing feedback Desired Qualifications: * Possess, or currently working towards, a degree in wildlife biology or management, ecology, environmental science, or a related field * Prior experience mist netting and handling bats in the Northern Great Plains region * Ability to navigate with a map, compass, and GPS * Competency in identifying vegetative communities in the Northern Great Plains region To Apply: We are committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our field. Therefore, if you possess 75% of the required qualifications above, please consider applying. We are particularly passionate about hiring "whole people" (and not exclusively those that possess the technical abilities for this position); therefore, if you possess the interpersonal qualities listed above, and some, but not all, of the technical qualifications, please also consider applying. Before applying, please visit The Litt Lab Website<https://www.montana.edu/litt/bat_techs_2025.html> to read more details about this position. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for three references to: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> using the subject line "Lastname Capture Technician 2025". The application deadline is March 15, 2025; candidates should expect to hear back from our team within 1-2 weeks of this deadline for interviews. In your cover letter, please describe: (i) what skills and qualifications (both interpersonal and technical) you possess relative to the position description; (ii) your connection to, and/or passion for, the land we will be working on; and (iii) how this position will help you further your personal or career goals. Contact: Cara Brewer, [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> (preferred contact method) Andrea R. Litt she | her | hers<https://pronouns.org/> Professor Director, Fish & Wildlife Ecology and Management Program Department of Ecology Montana State University P.O. Box 173460 Bozeman, MT 59717 Phone: 406-994-2332 Office: 406B Lewis Hall Web: www.montana.edu/litt<http://www.montana.edu/litt> Podcast: http://conservationscience.buzzsprout.com/ To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
