Region 1 Wolf Technician

THE OUTSIDE IS IN US ALL.

Please remember to attach the required documents listed in this announcement:

• Resume

Applications missing the requested documents will be considered incomplete and may not progress further in the process. Documents not requested will not be considered in the recruitment process. The State Application is not a substitute for a resume. The position closes at 11:59pm Mountain Time on February 28, 2024. You must apply through the State of Montana Career site.

Special Information:

Identity of applicants who become finalists may be released to the public if the Department deems it necessary. Employees who exceed 1,040 hours in a calendar year are also provided health, dental and life insurance. Other benefits include retirement, paid vacation, sick and holidays. This position may be covered by a VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association).

A successful applicant will be subject to a background investigation.

Women and minorities are under-represented in this job category and are encouraged to apply.

Job demands or physical working conditions

This position is challenging, requiring self-motivation, advanced mental and physical stamina, and good decision-making skills. Work is conducted throughout northwestern Montana, across a diverse landscape. Montana is home to a wide variety of wildlife with a full suite of predators including black bear, grizzly bear, mountain lion, wolf, coyote, bobcat, lynx, and wolverine.

The applicant must be comfortable working alone in remote areas with this full complement of wildlife. The applicant must possess the ability to use or learn to use bear spray, which must be carried at all times when in the field. The Wolf Technician will conduct fieldwork for wolf monitoring activities that require extreme flexibility of work schedules, frequent travel within the region, driving for long periods of time, hiking in remote areas, and lifting heavy objects up to 50 pounds.

Working conditions are routinely hazardous. Exposure to potentially harmful animals, chemical agents, and offensive sights and sounds are routine. Extreme caution and rigorous protocol must be followed to prevent exposure to serious-injury indoors and outdoors . .Exposure to outdoor hazards such as severe weather during extensive foot travel while carrying heavy packs in rough and remote terrain, use of a four-wheel drive truck, and bicycles is possible.

The Wolf Technician will be expected to follow direction from the Wolf Specialist, and at times use her/his own judgement in prioritizing and completing daily tasks independently and in a timely manner. Frequent public contacts include a diverse community of people ranging from landowners, hunters and wildlife enthusiasts with differing concerns and views on wolves and wildlife in general. As a result, good conflict resolution skills and an ability to effectively interact with the public are necessary. The Wolf Technician will work closely with the Wolf Specialist and must possess good communication skills and be detailed in providing information on field surveying activities. The Wolf Technician is expected to work both independently and in a team setting.

Lodging accommodations in the field will be varied and may consist of staying in cabins, camper trailers or tents for extended periods of time. A work vehicle will be provided. No vehicle will be provided for the incumbent when off duty. The position is based out of Kalispell although most field work will be conducted in a variety of locations throughout northwestern Montana. This requires that the Wolf Technician maintain flexibility in work schedules and spend extended periods of time away from their home base. Field work involves extended days in the field, up to 14 days during any given work hitch, requiring the ability to stay in the field at overnight accommodations during that time.

Job duration and/or specific work schedule

This position will last up to 6 months, with most work hours occurring during spring, summer, and fall months. The expected start date will be May 13. There will be no work during the winter months, approximately November through April. Candidate must be able to work long days, up to 12 hours, with a flexible and varied schedule including weekends and nights in sometimes adverse environmental conditions.

Work schedules will loosely be 5 days on with weekends off during regular survey and camera monitoring work, but will vary as needed by demands of the job, especially while running traplines for weeks at a time when we will have no days off until the end of the trap period.

Kalispell is a dynamic community located within a thirty-minute drive of Flathead Lake, Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort, Glacier National Park, several National and State forests and parks, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness area. Kalispell is the retail, professional, medical, and governmental center of the Flathead Valley serving approximately 150,000 people in Northwest Montana. The FWP Regional Headquarters building, located at 490 N. Meridian Rd, Kalispell, houses the regional divisions including Fisheries, Enforcement, Wildlife and Parks. Northwest Montana contains a diverse landscape with numerous mountain ranges, lakes, streams and river valleys. Outdoor recreation is a major activity for residents of this area. Please note that housing costs have risen in the area recently, so people are encouraged to search for rental possibilities before determining if they should apply. Shared housing may be available for the technician.

Job Duties:

• The Wolf Technician will conduct projects addressing statewide wolf management priorities, both under the direct supervision of the Wolf Specialist, and independently. This work largely consists of scouting surveys along backroads for wolf scat and tracks to determine presence, and setting survey cameras to monitor the population.
• A few months will include extensive time setting and checking traplines to place GPS and radiocollars on wolves for monitoring survival and movements, release incidentally-captured nontarget species, and collect biological samples from animals including blood, hair, or tissue.
• The technician may investigate mortality sites of animals and collect samples including tissue, hair and skeletal parts.
• Routine job duties require proficiency with tracking animals, using GPS, compass, telemetry, and map orienteering to monitor wolf activity, collect scat, and maintain cameras.
• The Wolf Technician will maintain organized field notes and data forms, and analyze the data collected to interpret information for reports used in making program decisions.
• The Wolf Technician will be responsible for troubleshooting and solving basic problems they encounter during fieldwork, while respecting the plans made for them by the supervising Wolf Specialist as well as the limitations of their equipment and abilities.
• The Wolf Technician will be responsible for ensuring data is collected responsibly. Animal handling activities will be conducted professionally and ethically, demonstrating respect for captured animals.
• The Wolf Technician will interact with the public and coworkers in a professional manner, respecting differences of opinion and seeking to resolve conflicts in an equitable manner.
• The Wolf Technician will work with the public, landowners, hunters, university personnel, federal and state land managers, non-profit organizations, and the media to coordinate projects. This job demands respect for and excellent sociability with teammates and the public.

Required knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Basic knowledge and understanding of biology, animal ecology, anatomy and population dynamics.
• Training in and some ability to conduct surveys and perform radio telemetry.
• Knowledge of the safe collection of blood, tissue, or other samples form animals is preferred.
• Knowledge of animal handling.
• Good organizational and time management skills are needed as well as the ability to accurately collect and record data.
• Introductory knowledge of computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and database management applications.
• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to work with professional biologists, agency staff and the public.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Introductory map-reading skills and familiarity with map coordinate systems.
• Experience with use of telemetry equipment and GPS units.
• Applicants must have a valid drivers license and be able to operate a four-wheel drive vehicle on difficult remote roads.
• The ability to work effectively and safely both as a team and independently without supervision in potential hazardous conditions is expected.

Minimum Qualifications:

The knowledge, skills, and abilities of this position are normally attained through combination of education and experience equivalent to a minimum of two years of college work towards a Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, fish and wildlife management, animal ecology, biology, or a closely related field and related work experience. Combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.