FISHERIES/WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST II - Position #K0239173
If you’re looking for a rewarding career, working alongside dedicated colleagues in a conservation agency, you’ll feel right at home with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). As a member of the KDWP team, you’ll work together to conserve Kansas wildlife and its habitats, while also ensuring our citizens enjoy and appreciate the state’s diverse natural resources.
We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and experience because a diverse workforce makes us stronger. Please take a moment to read the job announcement below and consider the possibilities.
This unclassified, full-time position is located in the Ecological Services Division of the Pratt Operations Office; and is directly supervised by Mark Van Scoyoc, Fisheries/Wildlife Biologist Supervisor.
Please note that this position will have more emphasis placed on aquatic organisms such as fish, mussels, and other aquatic macroinvertebrates. This emphasis does not preclude conducting work in other faunal groups.
This Fisheries/Wildlife Biologist position provides the opportunity to experience many unique locations (including underground) throughout Kansas while leading a crew of individuals conducting both aquatic and terrestrial surveys. The opportunity allows the biologist to use their expertise in sampling protocols and techniques that include the use of electrofishing gear, setting and retrieving nets, using mist nets for mammals and birds, acoustic detectors, trail cameras, and other sampling gear as needed. This position will provide the biologist the ability to spend multiple nights away from the office during the survey season. This could result in 3-4 consecutive overnight stays per week, and weekly during the period of May through August. The agency will cover the cost of overnight travel, lodging expenses and reimbursement for meals according to the State of Kansas travel handbook. In addition, the biologist and crew will encounter many work conditions that include working in mud, wading in streams, working in high and low temperatures, and surveying in areas where poisonous plants occur. Most importantly, the position provides the opportunity to encounter and handle some of Kansas’ most imperiled species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and invertebrates.
The biologist will assist the division with data analysis and interpretation, evaluation of population trends and threats, and determine habitat associations related to non-game, threatened, and endangered species. The biologist will also assist with the research, development, and implementation of monitoring and management protocols. Other duties include the operation of and maintenance of lab facilities; assist Ecological Services Division members in the evaluation of habitat mitigation, restoration, and other landscape level projects. The biologist will also be asked and allowed to share their biological expertise through consultation with private landowners and participation in biological and environmental education and outreach with the public, especially school programs.
BENEFITS: Minimum hourly salary, $27.61/hour; immediate group health and life insurance coverage; retirement; optional deferred compensation, dental and vision options; holidays; and sick, vacation, and parental leave.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s Degree in fisheries science/management or wildlife science/management, but other degrees relating to this field may be considered as determined relevant by the agency. Applicants with experience in scientific survey methods and field survey techniques, leading a crew of survey biologist, and an applied knowledge of ecological assessments will be given preference. The successful candidate must be available for extended periods of overnight travel to various locations statewide, pass a background check, and maintain a valid driver's license.
HOW TO APPLY: Go to the State Employment Center at https://admin.ks.gov/services/state-employment-center and follow the directions below:
- Click in the middle of the page under the Sunflower. From there either Sign in to your existing account or Register for a new account.
- Review and complete your contact information on the My Contact Information page. Please make sure to include your email address.
- Upload documents listed in the Required Documents section of this job posting to the appropriate location.
- Complete and Submit your application.
- Check your email and My Job Notificationsfor written communications from the Recruiter.
- Email - the email listed on the Careers>My Contact Information page.
- Notifications - view the Careers>My Job Notifications page
The following are the required items to apply:
- a letter of interest
- a detailed resume; including a valid e-mail address
- transcript material, if applicable, (copies of official transcripts or unofficial student copies are acceptable as long as degree is conferred)
- Employment application – this is generated from the information which is inputted into the State Employment Center
- an Authorization to Release Information form** (this can be found at the following website): https://www.ksoutdoors.com/news/KDWP-Info/Jobs/Employment-Application-Additional-Info
**Please note, this form must either be witnessed and signed by a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks employee or signed in front of and notarized by a notary public. We reserve the right to conduct a background check on all qualified applicants.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. A complete application packet must be submitted for each position. We no longer make copies of previous applications. Submitted application materials will be reviewed in Pratt to assure that the position minimum requirements are met, and those meeting the minimum requirements will be forwarded to the respective division for interview selection.
Applicants are notified whether or not they are selected to interview. The interview is generally a one-time, panel interview consisting of position-specific questions for all applicants (same questions for each applicant), with the selection being made after all candidate interviews are completed.
Veterans’ Preference Eligible (VPE): Former military personnel or their spouse that have been verified as a “veteran” under K.S.A. 73-201 will receive an interview if they meet the minimum requirements of the position. The veterans’ preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job. Positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determined by the appointing authority. Additional VPE information can be found at https://admin.ks.gov/services/state-employment-center/veterans. Applicants claiming veterans’ preference for the first time must mail a copy of your DD-214 to the Office of Personnel Services, 900 SW Jackson, Room 401-N, Topeka KS 66612, or FAX to 785/291-3715.
DEADLINE TO APPLY – September 29, 2023
The State of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential elements that create and foster a welcoming workplace. All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, political affiliation, disability or any other factor unrelated to the essential functions of the job.
If you wish to identify yourself as a qualified person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request an accommodation, please address the request to the recruiter.
