Piping Plover/Shorebird Crew Lead

Position Description: One (1) Shorebird Field Crew Leader is needed to work as part of the Piping Plover recovery project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, based in Charlestown, RI. Crew Leader will be hired through Northwoods Stewardship Center and function as independent contractor at USFWS.  This project monitors federally-protected Piping Plovers, as well as Least Terns and American Oystercatchers during the nesting season. Fieldwork will occur on federal, state, and private property in southern Rhode Island. The majority of the work for these positions will take place outdoors. Under the supervision of Piping Plover Coordinator, the Field Crew Leader will be responsible for small team of 4 technicians in carrying out daily monitoring and management activities for beach-nesting birds. Activities will include posting and signing nesting habitat, nest searching, setting up nest exclosures, monitoring shorebird pairs and chicks, resighting color bands, recording, entering, and managing data, educating the public, and helping train technicians and volunteers. Fall activities will include equipment management, data analysis, report writing, mapping, migrating shorebird surveys, along with other field and administrative duties.

Applicants should have a strong background in wildlife or conservation biology, the ability to collect accurate field data, excellent attention to detail, and be a good problem solver who can adapt plans based on conditions in the field to accomplish work safely and efficiently. Applicants should also be comfortable working in a variety of scenarios- as part of a team supervised by a Wildlife Biologist, independently as crew leader responsible for overseeing others, co-leading a team of technicians with another crew lead, and alone. Applicants must be in good physical shape and able to hike long distances (up to 7 miles per day) on soft sand with a pack and scope, and lift up to 50 pounds on the beach in summer temperatures. Must be a team player, have a positive attitude, and be willing to work on other projects within the biological program as needed. Applicants also must be comfortable regularly interacting with private landowners, partner organizations, and the public in a professional manner. Technical writing ability, ArcGIS skills, and data management experience preferred. Work schedule will be 5 days per week, including weekends and holidays with two regular consecutive days off during the week. Outside of field season (March, April, and September-December), work schedule is Mon-Friday.

Requirements: Applicants are required to have a Bachelor’s degree in a natural resources related field.  Previous experience collecting detailed data in a field setting and previous experience monitoring beach-nesting birds, waterbirds, or ground-nesting birds is required. Applicants are required to have a valid U.S. driver’s license and must be willing to take a motorboat operator certification course. Previous experience in shorebird monitoring, operating boats, and resighting color-banded birds is strongly preferred but not strictly required.

Position Dates: One position available from ~early March-

mid December 2024 (some flexibility in end date may be available for well-qualified candidates).

Salary: $800/week. Housing is not provided. Non-local candidates must obtain their own housing within commuting distance of Charlestown, RI.

How to Apply: Send letter of interest, resume, and contact information for 3 references as a single PDF document with “Shorebird Crew Lead” in the subject line to ricomplex_seasonals@fws.gov by January 19, 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so you are encouraged to apply early.