Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Research Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Research Director leads the design, implementation, and strategic direction of multidisciplinary wildlife research programs that inform conservation policy and on-the-ground management. This role oversees fieldwork and laboratory operations, secures and manages funding, maintains regulatory and ethical compliance, mentors scientific staff and students, and translates results into applied conservation strategies, technical reports, and peer-reviewed publications. The Director represents the organization to partners, funders, regulators, and the public and ensures data quality, reproducibility, and effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) that drive adaptive management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Wildlife Biologist or Field Ecologist with multi-year field program leadership
Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Researcher with published track record and grant experience
Conservation Program Manager or Monitoring & Evaluation Lead

Advancement To:

Director of Conservation Science / Chief Science Officer
Executive Director or Head of Conservation Programs
Senior Advisor for Species Recovery or Regional Conservation Director

Lateral Moves:

Habitat Restoration Program Director
Monitoring & Evaluation Director for a conservation NGO
Natural Resources or Protected Areas Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the design and strategic implementation of long-term wildlife research programs, including defining hypotheses, developing objectives and milestones, and aligning research goals with organizational conservation priorities.
Develop, standardize, and validate robust field protocols (capture, tagging, telemetry, transects, camera traps, eDNA, point counts) and laboratory methods to ensure reproducible data collection and high-quality outputs.
Oversee population monitoring and survey programs for focal species, including statistical sampling design, power analyses, trend detection strategies, and population viability assessments.
Manage multi-year budgets for research programs, forecast expenditures, control costs, and report on financial performance to senior leadership and funders.
Prepare, lead, and submit competitive grant proposals and contracts to government agencies, foundations, and private donors; cultivate and steward funder relationships to secure multi-source funding.
Supervise, recruit, train, and evaluate a multidisciplinary team of scientists, field technicians, GIS analysts, volunteers, and students; develop professional development plans and performance metrics.
Ensure all research activities comply with federal, state/provincial, and local regulations, institutional animal care and use protocols (IACUC/ethics), environmental permits, and health and safety standards for field operations.
Direct data management strategy, including database design, metadata standards, data QA/QC, archiving, and open-data publishing practices to ensure reproducibility and accessibility.
Design and oversee spatial analyses and habitat modeling using GIS (ArcGIS/QGIS), remote sensing, and species distribution models to inform habitat prioritization and management actions.
Apply advanced statistical analyses (R, Python, Bayesian methods, mixed models, survival analyses) and lead interpretation of complex datasets to translate results into management recommendations.
Coordinate interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research collaborations, including academic partners, government agencies, Indigenous groups, and NGOs; negotiate MOUs and co-authorship agreements.
Lead capture, handling, and telemetry/biotelemetry programs (VHF, GPS, satellite, acoustic tags), ensuring animal welfare, equipment calibration, and data integrity.
Oversee sample processing and laboratory workflows (genetics, stable isotopes, disease screening), implementing lab safety, chain-of-custody, and quality assurance procedures.
Translate research findings into peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, policy briefs, species recovery plans, and clear summaries for managers and the public.
Develop and implement monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management frameworks that tie research outputs to measurable conservation outcomes and management triggers.
Represent the organization at scientific conferences, technical working groups, regulatory hearings, and public meetings; present complex findings in accessible formats for diverse stakeholders.
Implement project risk assessments and field safety plans, including emergency response, medical evacuation protocols, and training for remote-field operations.
Oversee procurement and maintenance of field and laboratory equipment, vehicles, and technical infrastructure (drones/UAS, telemetry receivers, remote cameras), and manage vendor relationships.
Lead efforts to integrate new technologies (e.g., eDNA, automated acoustic monitoring, machine learning for imagery) to improve detection, efficiency, and program scalability.
Drive inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge and community-based monitoring approaches; coordinate co-development of research with Indigenous and local communities.
Manage intellectual property, data-sharing agreements, and authorship policies; ensure ethical use and attribution of data and community knowledge.
Ensure the research program meets internal KPIs and external reporting requirements, delivering timely reports to funders, boards, and regulatory agencies.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc technical reviews and feasibility assessments for new conservation initiatives and partnerships.
Mentor graduate students, postdocs, and interns; provide input on thesis projects and facilitate academic collaborations.
Compile and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training manuals for field and lab teams.
Develop outreach materials and deliver public education events, volunteer trainings, and citizen science coordination to broaden support for conservation objectives.
Coordinate logistics for large-scale field campaigns (permits, transport, lodging, supply chains) and optimize operations to reduce costs and environmental footprint.
Monitor advances in conservation science and policy and integrate relevant innovations into program planning and proposals.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced experimental design and quantitative ecology for population and ecosystem-level studies.
Proficiency in statistical programming and analysis (R, Python, Bayesian frameworks, mixed-effects modeling).
Expertise in GIS and spatial modeling (ArcGIS, QGIS, MaxEnt, habitat suitability models).
Experience with telemetry technologies (VHF, GPS, satellite tags) and telemetry data processing workflows.
Practical knowledge of remote sensing, UAV/drone data collection, and image/sonic analysis pipelines.
Strong data management skills: relational databases, metadata standards, version control, and data QA/QC.
Proven grant writing, budgeting, and fund management skills, with a track record of awarded research grants.
Field techniques: capture/handling, necropsy basics, transects, camera trapping, acoustic surveys, eDNA sampling.
Familiarity with laboratory methods (genetics, pathogen screening, stable isotopes) and lab safety protocols.
Experience developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks and adaptive management cycles.
Regulatory and compliance expertise: permits (ESA, state/provincial permits), IACUC procedures, health & safety for fieldwork.
Scientific writing and publication skills: drafting manuscripts, technical reports, and policy briefs.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and program management with the ability to set priorities and motivate cross-functional teams.
Clear, persuasive communication for diverse audiences (scientific, managerial, public, regulatory).
Proven stakeholder engagement and partnership-building, including negotiation and conflict resolution.
Mentoring and people development: coaching scientists, technicians, and students effectively.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
Problem-solving and adaptive thinking in dynamic field and research environments.
Cultural competency and ability to work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and diverse stakeholders.
Public speaking and science communication to translate technical findings into actionable recommendations.
Time management and decision-making under pressure, especially during field campaigns and emergencies.
Ethical leadership and commitment to scientific integrity, transparency, and inclusion.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Master’s degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Zoology, or a closely related field with a significant research component.

Preferred Education:

PhD in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Science, Population Biology, or related discipline with a record of peer-reviewed publications and independent research.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology / Population Ecology
Conservation Science / Applied Ecology
Zoology / Animal Behavior
Environmental Science / Natural Resource Management
Spatial Ecology / Remote Sensing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

7–15+ years of progressive experience in wildlife research, including at least 3–5 years in supervisory or program leadership roles.

Preferred:

10+ years managing large, multi-partner research programs, a strong record of externally funded grants, successful peer-reviewed publications, and demonstrated experience with regulatory permitting and stakeholder engagement.