Wildlife Biologist

Job Description Position Summary: Colorado State University and CEMML is hiring a wildlife biologist to support Cook Inlet beluga whale prey and habitat monitoring at JBER under the direction of a JBER Natural Resources Program Manager. The position will support an integrated monitoring program focused on beluga occurrence, habitat conditions, prey resources, ice dynamics, underwater acoustics, and related environmental data. The biologist will have a wide range of field, analysis, reporting, and supervisory responsibilities. Essential Job Duties: Coordinate and implement the JBER Cook Inlet beluga whale prey and habitat monitoring project, including work planning, scheduling, staffing, logistics, meetings, equipment tracking, and deliverable tracking. Supervise or coordinate field staff, technicians, students, subcontractors, and project partners conducting passive acoustic monitoring, visual observations, ice monitoring, environmental monitoring, eDNA sampling, GIS documentation, and related field activities. Coordinate with JBER Natural Resources, AFCEC ISS, USACE, Range Control, and other partners to ensure fieldwork is properly scheduled, approved, and conducted in compliance with installation procedures. Lead or support field operations in Eagle River, Eagle Bay, Knik Arm, and associated JBER coastal and riverine settings, including work from shoreline and vessel-based platforms, cold-weather settings, tidal environments, ice-affected areas, bear country, rough terrain, and active military training areas. Deploy, operate, maintain, retrieve, calibrate, and troubleshoot passive acoustic monitoring and environmental equipment, including CPODs, FPODs, LS1 recorders, SoundTrap systems, hydrophones, remote time-lapse cameras, HOBO depth or temperature loggers, GPS units, radios, and related field equipment. Conduct structured visual observations of marine mammal presence, abundance, group composition, movement, behavior, habitat use, environmental conditions, and anthropogenic or natural noise events. Implement ice monitoring protocols, including remote camera deployment, image review, ice classification, field observations, environmental sensor data collection, and integration with acoustic and marine mammal occurrence datasets. Plan and implement environmental DNA sampling for prey-resource and aquatic ecological assessment, including contamination-control procedures, sample handling, laboratory coordination, chain-of-custody documentation, and QA/QC review. Process, review, QA/QC, analyze, and summarize acoustic, visual observation, environmental, ice monitoring, eDNA, geospatial, photographic, and field-note data. Prepare and manage project data, GIS files, field records, photographs, laboratory reports, equipment records, metadata, and other raw and processed data deliverables. Prepare work plans, quarterly progress reports, draft and final technical reports, comment-response matrices, maps, tables, figures, data and analysis packages, and federal property inventory documentation. Ensure project compliance with safety requirements, installation access procedures, security review requirements, equipment inventory requirements, cooperative agreement terms, and timely notification of critical issues affecting safety, schedule, performance, or the environment. Conditions of Employment: Pre-employment Background Check (with driving). Valid Driver's License by the employment start date. Must be able to comply with all applicable regulations to obtain a Department of Defense Common Access Card (CAC) and public trust clearance. Candidates are required at a minimum to complete a NACI/SF85 and successfully pass a federal background check. The position is full-time and in-person/on-site at JBER. This position may require occasional travel and fieldwork. Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the proposed start date; CEMML will not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Supervision: Requires supervision or coordination of seasonal field crew members, technicians, students, volunteers, and/or subcontractors. Minimum Qualifications: B.S. in Biology, Marine Biology, Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Fisheries, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Oceanography, Bioacoustics, or a closely related scientific field. Minimum of 2 years of relevant marine mammal monitoring, wildlife biology, aquatic ecology, fisheries, natural resources, bioacoustics, environmental monitoring, or field biology experience. Demonstrated experience conducting biological or environmental fieldwork in Alaska or comparable northern, remote, cold-weather, coastal, riverine, tidal, ice-affected, or logistically complex field settings. Experience conducting or supporting marine mammal, wildlife, aquatic, or environmental monitoring using standardized field protocols. Experience with passive acoustic monitoring, soundscape monitoring, remote environmental sensors, camera systems, GPS units, field tablets, or related monitoring equipment. Ability to collect, manage, review, and summarize biological and environmental field data, including observational, acoustic, geospatial, photographic, laboratory, metadata, and/or long-term monitoring data. Ability to use GPS units, tablets, field data forms, radios, cameras, and related equipment to collect accurate field and geospatial data. Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and working knowledge of GIS software such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or a similar GIS platform. Experience contributing to or preparing technical reports, work plans, progress reports, data summaries, maps, tables, figures, comment-response matrices, metadata, or other project deliverables. Ability to work independently and as part of a field team in inclement weather, cold conditions, bear country, tidal areas, shoreline and vessel-based settings, rough terrain, and active military training areas. Preferred Qualifications: M.S. or Ph.D. in Biology, Marine Biology, Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Fisheries, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Oceanography, Bioacoustics, or a closely related scientific field. More than 2 years of professional experience implementing marine mammal monitoring, passive acoustic monitoring, wildlife biology, aquatic ecology, environmental monitoring, natural resources, or field biology projects, especially long-term monitoring programs. Experience working with the Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, USACE, AFCEC, JBER, or other military, federal, state, tribal, or regulatory partners. Substantial field experience in Alaska, particularly in coastal, riverine, estuarine, tidal, ice-affected, cold-weather, bear-country, remote, or Southcentral Alaska/Cook Inlet settings. Experience leading biological or environmental field crews, including field logistics, scheduling, safety planning, supervision, data quality control, and coordination of seasonal staff, students, technicians, volunteers, or subcontractors. Advanced experience with passive acoustic monitoring, marine mammal visual observations, soundscape analysis, underwater acoustic data processing, remote camera monitoring, ice monitoring, environmental sensor deployment, or eDNA sampling. Experience with specialized monitoring tools and methods such as CPODs, FPODs, LS1 recorders, SoundTrap systems, hydrophones, HOBO loggers, time-lapse cameras, GIS-supported data management, contamination-control procedures, chain-of-custody documentation, or laboratory coordination. Experience preparing technical work plans, progress reports, annual or final technical reports, acoustic or environmental data summaries, GIS deliverables, maps, figures, tables, comment-response matrices, property inventories, data packages, or other deliverables for agency, military, or regulatory clients. Salary Range $69,099-79,826 Required Application Documents To apply, please upload the following applicant documents. Ensure your materials fully address the required and preferred job qualifications of the position. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. Cover Letter, Resume/CV, Transcripts Employee Benefits Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact. Review our detailed benefits information here. Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here. For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator. Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in! Background Check Policy Statement Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so. EEO Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.