Regional Job Board

Sierra Nevada Forest Ecologist – Point Blue Conservation Science

Sierra Nevada, California

Job Summary:

The Sierra Forest Wildlife Ecologist will oversee and manage multiple research and monitoring projects on forest, fire, and wildlife ecology in the Sierra Nevada, including the long-term data sets such as the Sierra Nevada Broadscale Avian Monitoring (SNBAM) project. The project will lead efforts in the Sierra group to use machine learning to detect species from autonomous recording devices. This position provides scientific leadership inside and outside the organization, collaborating with others to develop and fund research and monitoring projects and develop new approaches to their fields of study. This position provides technical assistance and quantitative ecology expertise within the Sierra Nevada Group and the larger organization. This position oversees management of seasonal staff, including training, mentoring, delegation, and ensuring adherence to policies, protocols and regulations while providing a nurturing, fun and team-oriented work environment.

Essential Functions:

Conservation Science: 55%

• Plans, designs, and oversees research and monitoring projects on forest, fire, and wildlife ecology from conception through application, including study design, data collection, storage, statistical analysis, modeling, reporting, publishing, and disseminating findings and working with managers to apply them.
• Ensures consistent and reliable standardized data are gathered, entered, stored, and backed up.
• Responsible for data management, proofing, validation, curation, delivery, and accessibility.
• Develops, maintains and updates content for the Sierra Nevada Avian Monitoring Information Network (SNAMIN) website.
• Leads and assists in publishing science in peer reviewed journals, popular articles, and scientific and general presentations.
• Creates outreach and education tools and materials that interpret Point Blue science for the land management community, including white papers, public articles, public presentations, and workshops.
• Interacts with the Sierra Nevada science community, including attending meetings, workshops, and symposia to disseminate Point Blue science.

Scientific Leadership: 20%

• Represents Point Blue to the larger conservation community to ensure that Point Blue science is used to achieve conservation outcomes, especially Point Blue’s strategic plan outcomes.
• Participates in intra- and inter-organizational studies, and identifies and provides commentary on new approaches, research opportunities, and conservation planning.
• Communicates results to the science community, the public, partners, and environmental policy decision makers to support conservation.
• Works with land managers to apply Point Blue’s science.
• Collaborates with other inter-organization and intra-organization project leaders to continue existing monitoring, interpret data, provide management recommendations, and secure funding for new projects in the Sierra Nevada to advance Point Blue’s mission and strategic objectives.
• Provides statistical and GIS assistance or expertise to all Sierra Group staff and inter-group staff at Point Blue.
• Assists with Point Blue vision-setting efforts, including attending retreats and workshops that help deliver the strategic plan.
• Leads development of new research ideas and grant development for new projects.
• Represents Point Blue to the larger scientific community by 1) presenting research at scientific meetings, 2) publishing results in peer-reviewed journals and 3) participating in the peer-review process for related research, as invited and as time allows.
• Collaborates internally and externally on research projects that address Point Blue strategic priorities.
• Develop new remote-sensing methods for ecological monitoring using machine learning and AI.

Supervision and Personnel Management:  10%

• Plans, designs and oversees the work of staff involved in performing research and monitoring projects.
• Hires and oversees the work of staff; trains and mentors staff members, assigns duties, and monitors adherence to policies, protocols and regulations. Provides a nurturing, fun and team-oriented work environment.
• Meets with staff to identify and resolve problems; performs personnel actions, such as approving timesheets and evaluates performance.
• Provides leadership in strengthening internal communication within the team and staff at all levels of the organization; creates and promotes a positive and supportive work environment.
• Manages and participates in the development of the budget; directs the forecast of additional funds needed for staffing equipment, materials, and supplies; approves and directs the monitoring of expenditures.
• Continuously monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of methods and procedures; identify opportunities for improvement and review with higher level staff; direct the implementation of improvements.

Technical Assistance for Research: 5%

• Works directly with staff that need help with study design, research ideas and analysis.
• Provides reviews of research proposals, study designs, manuscripts, and presentations.
• Works closely with Point Blue’s Informatics Group and Quantitative Ecology Program to ensure sufficient capacity for data management and analysis for the Sierra Nevada group and other new types of data.
• Facilitates research and publication.

Other Duties as Assigned: 10%

• Perform special projects and research as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

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