Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoology Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Zoology Officer is a field-focused and research-oriented professional responsible for planning and delivering species and habitat monitoring, conducting ecological surveys, ensuring animal welfare and compliance with environmental regulations, and translating field data into actionable conservation outcomes. This role requires strong expertise in wildlife survey techniques, animal handling, data management, and stakeholder engagement, and is optimized for organizations working in conservation, government wildlife agencies, research institutions, and NGOs.

Primary SEO/keyphrases: Zoology Officer, wildlife monitoring, species surveys, habitat assessment, animal welfare, conservation research, telemetry, GIS, ecological reporting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wildlife Field Technician / Field Assistant
Research Assistant in Ecology, Zoology or Wildlife Biology
Wildlife Rehabilitation Technician or Animal Care Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Zoology Officer / Senior Wildlife Biologist
Conservation Program Manager / Species Recovery Coordinator
Research Scientist or Environmental Policy Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Wildlife Biologist
Environmental Education Officer
GIS Analyst (conservation focus)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead planning and execution of standardized field surveys to monitor species presence, abundance and distribution (including point counts, transects, camera trapping, mist-netting, live trapping and aquatic surveys), ensuring rigorous sampling design and field protocols are followed.
Conduct systematic population and demographic monitoring for target species, analyze trends, estimate population sizes using mark-recapture, distance sampling or occupancy modelling methods, and interpret results for management decisions.
Capture, handle, tag and release wild animals safely and humanely using approved restraint techniques, banding, PIT tagging, radio- or GPS-collar deployment while adhering to institutional animal care and use protocols and permits.
Operate and maintain telemetry and GPS tracking systems, deploy VHF/GPS collars, configure tracking schedules, retrieve movement data and perform home-range and movement behavior analyses to inform conservation actions.
Design and implement habitat assessments and ecological vegetation surveys to characterize habitat quality, identify critical habitat features, and quantify habitat changes over time for restoration planning.
Collect biological samples (blood, tissue, swabs, fecal, otoliths) and environmental samples following chain-of-custody and biosecurity procedures; prepare, label and ship samples to laboratories for genetics, disease surveillance or stable isotope analysis.
Coordinate, enter and quality-assure field data in relational databases and spreadsheets, apply metadata standards, and prepare datasets for analysis using statistical packages (R, Python) and GIS.
Prepare clear, peer-ready technical reports, permit applications, scientific summaries and management recommendations for internal stakeholders, funders and regulatory agencies; present results at stakeholder meetings, workshops and conferences.
Develop and implement site-specific species conservation and management plans, including threat assessments, mitigation measures and adaptive monitoring frameworks aligned with national conservation priorities.
Supervise and train field staff, seasonal technicians, interns and volunteers in safe field procedures, species identification, data collection protocols and equipment use while fostering inclusive team practices.
Coordinate with permitting authorities to secure research and handling permits, ethics approvals and land access agreements; ensure compliance with local, state and federal wildlife legislation and international conventions (e.g., CITES when applicable).
Conduct wildlife health assessments and disease surveillance, identify clinical signs, assist with necropsy or sampling under veterinary guidance, and report animal welfare or biosecurity incidents in accordance with protocols.
Implement and maintain field safety plans, risk assessments and emergency response procedures for remote work, including first aid, radio/phone protocols and incident reports.
Design and manage camera trap, acoustic recording and passive monitoring deployments, configure sampling intervals, manage large media datasets, and employ automated classification tools where appropriate to accelerate processing.
Use GIS and remote sensing to map species occurrences, habitat connectivity and threats; produce spatial models and distribution maps to support prioritization and landscape-level conservation planning.
Lead, contribute to and support applied research projects including experimental design, literature reviews, statistical analysis and publication of results in peer-reviewed journals and technical outlets.
Engage with local communities, landowners, Indigenous groups and stakeholders to incorporate local knowledge, coordinate access, deliver outreach, and build partnerships that support conservation objectives.
Manage field equipment, vehicles, boats or small aircraft logistics, maintain inventory and troubleshooting, and coordinate procurement of supplies and specialist services within budget constraints.
Support grant development and fundraising activities by contributing biological expertise, project scopes, budgets, and performance metrics to proposals for governmental and philanthropic funding.
Monitor and report on invasive species presence and impacts, design and implement control or eradication trials and evaluate outcomes to inform landscape biosecurity strategies.
Maintain high standards of animal welfare and ethics, contribute to institutional standard operating procedures for captive or temporary holding, and ensure humane handling across all activities.
Provide technical advice to policy-makers, land managers and partner organizations on wildlife management, restoration actions, species recovery planning and compliance with statutory obligations.

Secondary Functions

Maintain and update species and habitat databases, support ad-hoc data requests and prepare summary datasets for internal teams and external partners.
Contribute to organizational monitoring and evaluation frameworks, metrics and data governance; help define key performance indicators for conservation projects.
Assist grant administration and reporting by compiling monitoring data, preparing appendices, and tracking deliverables for funders.
Participate in cross-functional planning meetings, contribute scientific input to multi-disciplinary projects (e.g., restoration, biosecurity, fisheries), and align field activities with broader program objectives.
Deliver community outreach, training sessions and educational materials for schools, landowners and public audiences to raise awareness of local biodiversity and stewardship opportunities.
Support procurement, maintenance and calibration of field instruments (GPS units, telemetry receivers, camera traps, water quality meters) and maintain supplies of consumables.
Help develop data products (maps, dashboards, interactive reports) for communication and decision-making, frequently collaborating with GIS and data teams.
Assist with office-based administration such as scheduling fieldwork, maintaining compliance records, and documenting standard operating procedures.
Contribute to safety audits, equipment inspections and the continuous improvement of health and safety protocols for field teams.
Provide back-up support for related program areas (e.g., captive care, rehabilitation, rescue response) during peak activity or emergencies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Species identification and taxonomy across local flora and fauna, including bird, mammal, herpetofauna, fish and invertebrate groups relevant to the job area.
Field survey design and implementation: point counts, transects, camera trapping, acoustic monitoring, mist-netting and standardized aquatic sampling.
Wildlife capture, handling, sedation awareness, tagging (bands, PIT tags, tags), and safe restraint procedures with documented training and certifications.
Radio-telemetry, GPS collar deployment and analysis, experience with VHF/GPS data processing and movement ecology tools.
Proficiency with GIS and remote sensing software (ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine) for mapping, spatial analysis and habitat modeling.
Statistical analysis and data visualization using R, Python, or similar tools; experience with occupancy modelling, mark–recapture analyses, GLMs and mixed models.
Database management and data QA/QC: experience with relational databases, data entry standards, metadata and version control.
Laboratory sampling protocols and chain-of-custody for genetic, disease or contaminant analyses; familiarity with biosafety procedures.
Technical report writing, grant/concept note preparation, and experience producing peer-review or technical documents for diverse audiences.
Familiarity with environmental legislation, permit application processes, animal ethics and international conventions as applicable.
Camera trap and bioacoustics deployment & automated classification tools (e.g., machine learning-assisted workflows).
Boat, ATV or small aircraft operational awareness where fieldwork requires specialized transport; relevant licenses preferred.
First aid, wilderness first aid or remote-site medical certification for fieldwork safety.

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication — able to translate technical findings into clear, actionable management recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.
Team leadership and staff development — mentoring, supervising and motivating seasonal and volunteer field teams.
Problem-solving and adaptability — pragmatic decision-making in unpredictable field conditions and rapidly changing priorities.
Stakeholder engagement and diplomacy — building trust with landowners, Indigenous communities, regulators and partner organizations.
Attention to detail and high standards for data integrity, field notes and reproducible workflows.
Time management and project planning — juggling simultaneous field seasons, reporting deadlines and permit timelines.
Cultural sensitivity and ethical judgement — respecting local knowledge, cultural heritage and equitable engagement practices.
Resilience and physical stamina for extended remote field campaigns and challenging environmental conditions.
Collaboration and interdisciplinarity — working effectively across ecological, social and technical teams.
Continuous learning mindset and commitment to best practice in animal welfare and conservation science.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science or closely related biological science.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or PhD in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, Zoology or related discipline for senior or research-focused roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Zoology
Wildlife Biology
Ecology
Conservation Biology
Environmental Science
Veterinary Science (where animal health responsibilities exist)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of professional field experience in wildlife surveying, monitoring or ecological research.

Preferred: 5+ years of progressive experience leading field programs, project management, permit coordination and demonstrated technical expertise in species-specific monitoring and data analysis.

Additional desirable credentials: permits/licenses for animal handling, capture, boat/ATV operation, wilderness first aid, and evidence of peer-reviewed publications or successful grant-funded projects.