Position announcement: Wildlife Data Specialist Job Description: The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Davie, Florida is seeking an enthusiastic individual to work as part of a multi-agency team modeling potential effects of climate change on biodiversity.
Duties Include: This individuals primary responsibility will be to assist in the ongoing use, maintenance, and expansion of a database warehousing information describing climate effects on endangered species. This database is a key resource for the development and interpretation of species distribution models we are creating to support decision making by natural resource managers. Our collaborators include scientists and managers from the University of Florida, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service. We anticipate that the database will be used for other purposes by current and future collaborators, so the person in this position will maintain regular and ongoing communication with individuals from other state, federal and research institutions. Specific duties will include mining the existing database for information and serving as an in-house species expert, advising on model development and interpretation in light of what is known about climate effects on our focal species. The ideal candidate will be motivated to use this knowledge to development publications exploring how species traits mediate responses to climate change. Additional duties will include expansion of the database, acquiring primary literature and government documents and extracting relevant data from those sources, data entry, QA/QC and assisting in development of optimal data structure for specific tasks and users. This is a two year temporary full time position with possible extension dependent on performance and funding. Qualifications: Applicant should have a Masters degree in ecology, wildlife biology, zoology, or related field and demonstrated experience with database development. Applicant must be able to work well independently and with others in a fast-paced environment. Individuals should be comfortable working across agency boundaries, making excellent written and oral communication skills essential for this position. The ideal candidate will have experience publishing in the scientific literature. Problem solving skills and good ecological knowledge are essential. Applicant must be eligible to work in the United States and have all paperwork completed prior to accepting the position. Salary: $17.00-20.00/hour depending on experience Position Starts: As soon as a suitable candidate can be identified. Review of applications will start immediately. To Apply: Please send resume or CV and letter of interest by email to: Dr. James Watling, [email protected], with the subject line Wildlife Data Specialist. In your letter please address how you have worked as part of a team, your database experience, research experience with endangered species and/or climate change issues, and examples of your ability to synthesize information and communicate it to a range of audiences. AA/EA/EEO. If an accommodation is needed to apply for this position, please call 954.577.6304
