F & W BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST IV - 77072105

Requisition No: 377362

Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Working Title: F & W BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST IV - 77072105

Position Number: 77072105

Salary: $1,711.82 bi-weekly + benefits

Posting Closing Date: 06/10/2021

Position number 77072105

Address: 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee Florida 32399

Broadband code 19-1023-04

Class code 5075

Region Northwest

Title Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist IV

County Leon

Working hours 8 to 5; M-F

List of any subordinates supervised - 0 to 3 staff

Residency requirement none

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.

Salary: $1,711.82 bi-weekly

Description of duties

This position is located within the Imperiled Species Management Section and is responsible for rule development and related permits and variances associated with species and their habitat under the responsibility of the Section. This position will have a focus on rules associated with the Florida manatee, but it will also act as subject matter expert and provide administrative guidance for rule related tasks for the Section's other species (marine turtles, Florida panthers, and Florida black bears). Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Develops and reviews Florida manatee protection rules;

Attends and represents the FWC at government meetings, public meetings, administrative hearings, and Commission meetings;

Reviews requests and oversees processing for permits and variances to conduct activities prohibited by rules and statutes;

Coordinates data collection activities, conducts data analyses, and regular monitoring of available data including serving as primary investigator, contract manager, or liaison with outside partners;

Maintains records of rule, permit, and variance processes;

Works in coordination with, and provides technical assistance to, other FWC staff and law enforcement, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and local governments;

Works with local, state, and federal agencies and stakeholder groups to conserve, enhance, and protect manatee habitat;

Performs field and site visits related to rule development as necessary;

Participates in revisions and coordination discussions of county Manatee Protection Plans;

Monitors Florida legislative session for proposed bills that may impact Section species and shares with appropriate staff;

Participates in data collection, necropsies, and other miscellaneous field work assignments as needed.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• This position requires administrative, communication, and computer skills, and the review, evaluation, interpretation, and defense of biological data. Previous experience with Florida manatee management or research programs and/or the state or federal environmental regulatory programs, including rule development, is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of terminology, scientific method, principles, and techniques used in biological research, analyses or testing;
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection, particularly for imperiled or listed species;
• Ability to perform quantitative analyses of scientific data;
• Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work assignments to meet deadlines;
• Must communicate effectively verbally and in writing;
• Ability to write technical reports and agency correspondence;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, the public, and stakeholders;
• Ability to work independently and on teams;
• Qualified candidates will need to be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and have good time management skills to succeed in the position.
  • Proficiency in MS software applications: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required, and Google Earth Pro, ArcGIS 10.5+, ArcGIS Pro, or ArcGIS Online, 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. 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.