Overview

Work primarily occurs in an office environment, at the Department’s headquarters and meeting locations around the state.  Occasional field work is also required, as project or position needs might dictate.  This position requires extensive and frequent travel throughout the state, including during inclement weather. Because of the controversial nature of certain aspects of this position’s responsibilities, the incumbent must be able to perform the duties of this job in a difficult, emotional, and highly charged environment.

Duties:

• Coordinating and implementing the state’s native species management program, including developing conservation and recovery plans and strategies for individual native species and native species assemblages.
• Providing oversight on federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues.
• Coordinating implementation of conservation agreements and restoration plans.
• Coordinating management and conservation actions with local, state, and federal management agencies, watershed groups, and landowners.
• Conservation of native fish species is an important component of the Department’s mission and mandate but must be coordinated with other Department priorities and functions, including sport–fish management.
• Facilitate regular meetings of steering committees, implement teams, and work groups.
• Incumbent should demonstrate a strong understanding of the Endangered Species Act and be comfortable providing expertise on ESA issues to the Fisheries Division.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of aquatic and fishery science in Montana, including fish management, research, and conservation.
•   Knowledge of current theories and practices of conservation biology and conservation planning, endangered species biology, and ESA policy and law, including knowledge of federal/state endangered species statutes and regulations, and federal/state environmental policy acts (MEPA/NEPA).
• A demonstrated ability to conceptualize problems, compile and analyze data, interpret results and present conclusions and recommendations in various written and verbal formats is essential.
• Proficient facilitation and negotiating skills, and the ability to not only work as a member of a team, but to withstand critical review by peers and the public.
• Understanding and ability to manage all aspects of financial issues including identifying and acquiring funds, financial agreement development with FWP partners, contracting, and budget development and management.
• Communicate effectively with other professionals within and outside of the agency, as well as with landowners, interest groups, and other members of the public.
• Develop and implement programs successfully without extensive supervision and within agency, state, and federal procedures, guidelines, rules, and laws.
• Must have ability to compile and synthesize large volumes of data from numerous sources, to summarize that data into progress reports, completion reports, and conservation strategies for native fish species.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to simultaneously coordinate many complex and wide-ranging programs among a diversity of interest groups and management agencies is essential.

Qualifications, Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Biology, Range Management, Zoology, or Fish and Wildlife Management, Biology, or a closely related biological field including completion of a field research project presented in a successfully defended thesis.
• Equivalent experience (outlined under Article XII, Section 5 in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between State of Montana and Montana Association of Fish and Wildlife Biologists, 2019-2021) is defined as five (5) years of progressively responsible experience as a fisheries/wildlife biologist or senior fisheries/wildlife technician.