SEASONAL NATURAL RESOURCES TECHNICIAN

Seasonal Hourly - Marshbird Survey Crew Leader

9998

580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis

The Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife & Heritage Service in Annapolis, Maryland is currently accepting applications for one Seasonal Contractual position (Natural Resources Technician IV). The Department seeks a highly motivated individual to supervise a field crew and assist with the planning, implementation, data analysis and report writing for a project involving secretive marshbirds (e.g., rails, bitterns) surveys throughout coastal areas in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bays regions. Job duties will include: (1) supervision of a 3-person field crew; (2) assistance with planning, scheduling and conducting early evening and night time roadside surveys of secretive marshbirds using a standardized audio lure point count survey based on the North American Marshbird Monitoring Protocol; (3) maintain and deploy automated recording units (ARU’s) at roadside survey locations to estimate species detection probability and examine the efficacy of the two survey methods; (4) oversight and assistance with data entry and management, private landowner contacts and coordination, as needed, with other state and federal agencies; and (5) assistance with data analysis and report writing. The work will require early evening and night time surveys, occasional weekend work and possibly some overnight travel.

Experience: Five years of experience, three years of experience in technical biological work in the field of natural resources management and an additional two years of experience performing technical biological work in the field of forestry, arboriculture, wildlife, aquaculture, natural resources management, or fisheries.

• Excellent bird identification skills and the ability to identify all potentially occurring marshbirds in Maryland, especially secretive species by call, are strongly preferred.
• Prior bird survey experience required.
• Good technical writing skills and experience in statistical analysis (e.g., univariate statistics), Arcmap, Microsoft Access and Excel, and the use of GPS units are required.
• Experience with R statistical software and the use of Survey123 and eBird data collection platforms is preferred.
• Experience with Automated Recording Units, including set-up, maintenance, and use of software (Raven Pro, Birdnet) for call screening and identification, is preferred.
• A strong work ethic, good organizational and leadership skills, and the ability to work well both independently and in small teams in remote areas at night with minimal supervision is required.

Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

Contractual employees who work for an agency covered under the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program, have a current employment contract and work 30 or more hours a week (or on average 130 hours per month) may be eligible for subsidized health benefits coverage for themselves and their dependents. As a contractual employee, you will be responsible for paying 25% of the premiums for your medical and prescription coverage, including any eligible dependents you have enrolled. The State of Maryland will subsidize the remaining 75% of the cost for these benefits. You can also elect to enroll in dental coverage, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and life insurance, but will be responsible to pay the full premium for these benefits.

Leave may be granted to a contractual employee who has worked 120 days in a 12 month period. This leave accrues at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, not to exceed 40 hours per calendar year.

*Should benefits be available, this information will be discussed at the time of hire.

The online application is strongly preferred. If you are unable to apply online, you may submit a paper application and supplemental questionnaire to: Department of Natural Resources, Human Resources, 580 Taylor Avenue, C-3, Annapolis, MD 21401. The Human Resources unit is not responsible for applications sent to any other address.