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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Program Technician

💰 $35,000 - $55,000

ConservationWildlifeField TechnicianEcology

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Program Technician is a field-focused conservation professional responsible for on-the-ground implementation of wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, and population-management programs. This role combines hands-on fieldwork (capture, handling, tagging), rigorous data collection and entry, equipment maintenance, and cross-team coordination to support species conservation objectives. Ideal candidates are comfortable working in remote and variable field conditions, have strong technical and safety skills (telemetry, GPS/GIS, boat/ATV operation), and can translate field observations into high-quality scientific data used by biologists, managers, and regulators.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Seasonal Field Technician / Field Assistant
  • Research Assistant or Undergraduate Intern in Ecology/Wildlife Biology
  • Park Ranger / Natural Resources Technician

Advancement To:

  • Wildlife Biologist / Senior Field Biologist
  • Habitat Restoration Specialist / Program Lead
  • Conservation Project Manager / Research Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

  • Fisheries Technician
  • Habitat Restoration Technician
  • GIS/Remote Sensing Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Conduct systematic wildlife surveys and monitoring using standardized protocols (point counts, transects, camera traps, mist-netting, spotlight surveys), ensuring consistent, unbiased data collection for population assessments.
  • Capture, handle, tag, and release animals following ethical guidelines and permit conditions, including PIT tagging, banding, radio/GPS collaring, and taking biological samples (blood, feathers, tissue) with accurate chain-of-custody documentation.
  • Operate and maintain radio-telemetry and GPS tracking equipment to locate, track, and monitor tagged individuals, troubleshoot signal issues, and download/transmit location data to central databases.
  • Install, service, and retrieve remote monitoring equipment such as camera traps, acoustic recorders, nest boxes, and environmental sensors, ensuring batteries, memory cards, and housings are properly maintained and secured.
  • Collect habitat measurements and ecological data (vegetation structure, water quality, substrate, canopy cover) to support habitat suitability models and restoration planning.
  • Perform field-based habitat restoration and invasive species control tasks including planting native species, removing invasives, implementing erosion control measures, and performing manual or mechanical treatments as directed by habitat specialists.
  • Conduct boat, ATV, and off-road vehicle operations for access to remote study sites, following safety and maintenance procedures, and maintaining operating logs and inspection records.
  • Perform standardized behavioral observations and reproductive monitoring (nest checks, brood counts) while minimizing disturbance and following permit and safety protocols.
  • Execute live-trapping and humane euthanasia protocols when applicable, ensuring compliance with institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) standards and state/federal regulations.
  • Collect, label, preserve, and transport biological samples (tissue, blood, scat, plant material) following chain-of-custody, cold-chain, and laboratory submission requirements.
  • Enter, validate, and QA/QC field data in electronic field forms, spreadsheets, and databases (CSV, Excel, Access), ensuring accurate metadata, timestamps, and GPS coordinates for all records.
  • Produce GIS maps and spatial products using GPS waypoints and survey data to visualize species distributions, movement corridors, and habitat condition for reports and permitting.
  • Assist with the preparation of field reports, technical memos, and contributions to manuscripts by summarizing methods, results, and observations from field seasons.
  • Maintain and calibrate field equipment (binoculars, scopes, scales, anesthetic and sampling kits, telemetry gear) and coordinate procurement of supplies and replacement parts to ensure uninterrupted program operations.
  • Enforce field safety, biosafety, and biosecurity practices including use of PPE, decontamination between sites, vehicle safety checks, and emergency response procedures for remote work.
  • Coordinate logistics for multi-day field operations including travel, lodging, supply caches, and waste management while minimizing environmental impact.
  • Support permit applications and compliance tracking (state and federal collection permits, endangered species take permits, animal handling permits), ensuring documentation is current and available during field operations.
  • Train and supervise seasonal technicians, volunteers, and interns in field methods, safety practices, specimen handling, and data entry with a focus on reproducibility and mentorship.
  • Participate in public outreach and education activities including guided field tours, community science events, and stakeholder meetings to communicate program goals and findings.
  • Conduct nocturnal fieldwork (spotlighting, bat mist-netting, telemetry at night) with appropriate lighting, communication, and safety plans.
  • Implement bioacoustic monitoring programs and process acoustic data for call identification using automated and manual review workflows.
  • Respond to wildlife conflict or rescue incidents as assigned, providing initial triage, safe capture, transport, and coordination with rehabilitators or wildlife authorities.
  • Adhere to humane animal handling and welfare standards, reporting any adverse events and contributing to continual improvement of animal care procedures.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist biologists with basic statistical summaries and visualizations of monitoring data for presentations and grant reports.
  • Help develop and refine field protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and data collection forms to improve efficiency and data quality.
  • Support equipment inventory management, workshop organization, and safe storage of hazardous materials (anesthetics, preservatives).
  • Participate in interdisciplinary planning meetings to align field efforts with research objectives and management actions.
  • Support grant writing and budget tracking by compiling field cost estimates, material needs, and personnel hours.
  • Maintain public-facing content for outreach (photos, field notes, social media updates) under the guidance of communications staff.
  • Perform light administrative duties such as permit renewals, timesheet tracking, and coordination of vehicle maintenance.
  • Provide on-call support for emergency field responses during critical seasonal events (spills, mass mortality incidents, severe weather response).

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Wildlife capture and handling: trap setting, mist-netting, safe restraint, PIT tagging, banding, and biological sampling following IACUC/permit standards.
  • Radio-telemetry and GPS skills: locating transmitters, troubleshooting telemetry systems, and downloading GPS tracking data.
  • Field navigation and mapping: proficient with GPS units, compass, topographic map reading, and creating maps in ArcGIS or QGIS.
  • Data management and QA/QC: accurate field data entry in electronic forms (Survey123, Fulcrum, KoboToolbox), Excel proficiency, and basic database experience.
  • GIS and spatial analysis: mapping survey results, creating shapefiles, and producing visualization layers for reporting and habitat analyses.
  • Boat, ATV, and off-road vehicle operation: safe operation and maintenance, understanding of local boating regulations and boat safety certifications.
  • Sample handling and chain-of-custody: field preservation, labeling, cold-chain management, and laboratory submission procedures.
  • Field equipment maintenance: repair and calibration of telemetry gear, camera traps, acoustic recorders, and other instrumentation.
  • Basic laboratory skills: tissue processing, sample aliquoting, and sterile technique for field lab work when required.
  • Safety and compliance: knowledge of OSHA/field safety procedures, First Aid/CPR/AED certification, and hazardous material handling basics.
  • Statistical and analytical tools (preferred): familiarity with R or Python for basic data summarization, and experience with database software (Access, SQL) a plus.
  • Permit and regulatory knowledge: experience working under wildlife collection, take, or research permits and understanding of federal/state wildlife regulations.
  • Remote sensing basics (preferred): experience using LiDAR, aerial imagery, or drone-collected data for habitat assessment.

Soft Skills

  • Strong observational skills and attention to detail when recording measurements, behaviors, and environmental variables.
  • Excellent communication skills — able to clearly document methods and results and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
  • Teamwork and leadership: experience training, supervising, and motivating seasonal staff and volunteers in challenging field conditions.
  • Problem-solving and adaptability: resourceful in remote locations, able to troubleshoot equipment, adapt protocols, and manage logistical challenges.
  • Physical endurance and resilience: able to perform physically demanding tasks in varied weather and terrain for extended periods.
  • Time management and organization: prioritize field tasks, maintain clean equipment logs, and meet sampling windows and reporting deadlines.
  • Cultural sensitivity and stakeholder engagement: work effectively with landowners, local communities, and partner agencies.
  • Ethical judgment and animal welfare focus: committed to humane handling and ethical research practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED with significant relevant field experience (seasonal positions typically accepted), OR
  • Associate degree in natural resources, wildlife technology, or related field with field experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Zoology, Environmental Science, or closely related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Wildlife Biology
  • Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Natural Resources Management
  • Environmental Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of field experience in wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, or ecological research; seasonal hires with 1+ seasons are common.

Preferred: 2–4+ years of progressive experience in wildlife capture and handling, telemetry, GIS mapping, and independent fieldwork; demonstrated success supervising teams and managing remote logistics.

Other common requirements and preferences:

  • Valid driver’s license and clean driving record; CDL or professional vehicle certification a plus.
  • Certifications: First Aid/CPR, Wilderness First Aid (WFA), boat operator certification (if applicable), pesticide applicator or chainsaw certification where relevant.
  • Willingness to work irregular hours, nights, weekends, and extended field deployments; ability to travel frequently and maintain physical fitness required for sustained fieldwork.
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