Job description The Minnesota Zoo seeks a Conservation Biologist (State Program Administrator Senior) with expertise in butterfly breeding and/or conservation to develop and implement a conservation program, in collaboration with other conservation agencies and organizations, focused on Minnesota’s prairie butterflies. This program ultimately seeks to prevent the extinction of Minnesota’s threatened/endangered prairie butterflies and reverse declining population trends for these species. The Conservation Biologist will be responsible for developing and implementing a captive breeding program for certain threatened/ endangered prairie butterflies. The incumbent will also work with collaborators to plan and conduct field work on prairie butterflies in western Minnesota, to monitor their populations and investigate possible reasons for the decline of certain species. The Conservation Biologist will also be charged with communicating research results to the scientific community as well as increasing public awareness about the importance of butterflies and prairie ecosystems, the Zoo’s conservation efforts, and actions that the public can take to help.
Minimum qualifications - Masters degree or Ph.D., from an accredited educational institution, in Entomology, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Management, or other related field. - High level of expertise and experience working with butterflies as part of a conservation, research, wildlife management, and/or captive breeding program. - Ability to conduct field work independently in remote areas. Previous field experience is required. - Experience in empirical research design, methodology, and data analysis, with appropriate academic skills to publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals. - Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS). - Excellent communication skills, including the ability to create and deliver high-quality presentations to both a scientific and general audience. - Excellent leadership skills, including previous experience developing and/or implementing a conservation or research program, and demonstrated ability to collaborate and work well with others on conservation or research efforts. Preferred qualifications - Ph.D. (in-hand by time of appointment). - Previous experience breeding/rearing butterflies. - Expertise and/or experience working with prairie butterflies in the United States or Canada. - Knowledge of the plants and/or prairie ecosystems of Minnesota/Great Plains. - One or more previous first-author publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, relevant to butterfly research and/or conservation. - Previous field experience in conditions similar to those present in Minnesota’s western prairies. Salary: $19.33/hour, $40,361 annually Benefits: Yes Travel required: Yes Start date: December 2011/January 2012 Position type: Temporary unclassified. Program funding is guaranteed through December 2013 with a possible extension beyond that date. Please contact the Human Resources Office at the Minnesota Zoo (952-431-9212) if you would like further details regarding this appointment. Please note that though this position is open to all applicants the Minnesota Zoo and the State of Minnesota are unable to sponsor an employment visa. The applicant is responsible for ensuring current, valid work documents to work in the United States. The incumbent will be asked to present those documents on the first day of hire. Please review the following requirements to ensure your application is complete before sending. Failure to provide the requested documents will result in your application not being considered. Submit the following application materials, in a single email, to Tara Harris ([email protected]), Director of Conservation, Minnesota Zoo, no later than October 28, 2011: - Cover letter that explains how/why you meet the minimum and/or preferred qualifications - Curriculum Vitae - Unofficial graduate school transcript (official transcript to be supplied upon request)
