Program Coordinator, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

To apply for this position, please use this link:  https://jobapply.page.link/fUCjf

Organization Description:

Since 1981, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (Parks Conservancy) has served as the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, collaborating with the Presidio Trust, partners, donors, and the community to support the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The GGNRA stretches across three Bay Area counties north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge and includes iconic places such as Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, Alcatraz Island, Crissy Field, Mori Point, Lands End, and the Presidio of San Francisco.  

The Parks Conservancy engages at the intersection of national park sites, local communities, social justice, and climate resilience. Collaborating with partners, our staff are dedicated to enhancing public awareness and providing volunteer and educational opportunities in the parks. We are park builders, caretakers, ambassadors and educators, all working to connect people to parks in support of our vision Parks for All Forever. Join us.  

Department Description:

The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) is a program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service and is made up of approximately 200 community volunteers plus a small staff. The GGRO’s mission is to inspire the preservation of California birds of prey, collectively referred to as raptors. Our primary focus is to study and monitor the Pacific Raptor Flyway, particularly at the Marin Headlands, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We are dedicated to the conservation of raptors through both careful data collection and by engaging the public in our research.

The GGRO is housed under the Parks Conservancy’s Conservation and Community Science (CCS) department. CCS supports the climate adaptive work of the Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and agency partners by engaging our local communities and regional conservation practitioners in efforts that address the information needs of park scientists. We develop and carry out conservation science studies designed to fill critical data gaps, spark curiosity, and engage a more diverse cross-section of Bay Area residents to understand how to improve the climate resilience of our parks as temperatures and seas rise. We work to demystify the scientific process by building bridges between community members, land managers and practicing scientists. We also work to rectify historic injustices built into the practice of science by expanding our collective understanding of what it means to “do science’ and by re-connecting with non-institutional ways of understanding our relationship to the natural world.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

General

• Acts as Senior Program Manager or Hawkwatch Program Coordinator in their absence
• Leads daily/monthly safety trainings for volunteers
• Leads and coordinates the training of 120 volunteers and volunteer leaders
• Support for GGRO trainings and meetings, both on-site and Zoom-based
• Supports vehicle maintenance and upkeep
• Prepares social media content and reviews content for accuracy

Banding

• Supports the Senior Biologist/Senior Program Manager in:
• Purchasing/maintaining trapping equipment/field sites, banding research tools and equipment
• Assisting with and training volunteer banders how to band and trap raptors using GGRO techniques
• Taking and organizing biological samples (feathers, blood, swabs, etc.)
• Assists with data entry and proofing, writing end of the season reports
• Leads husbandry management at bird facility as advised by Senior Program Manager
• Coordinating off-peak season volunteers, ensuring daily bird care coverage and other volunteer tasks are scheduled and supported
• Keeping volunteers updated with safety protocols and seasonal changes
• Maintaining equipment and supplies in good working order and conducting seasonal inventories
• Updates and reviews Job Hazard Analyses, procedure, and project documents

Hawkwatching

• Supports Hawkwatch Manager in:
• Data collation and field corrections
• Maintaining hawkwatch research tools, and data devices
• Assisting with and training volunteers in raptor identification and counting
• Assists with the specimen collection including upkeep and record keeping, permit reporting

Position Terms:

• This is a full-time, benefitted, position for a 7-month term.
• Start Date: May 1st, 2024
• End Date: December 31st, 2024

Schedule:

• Full-time (40 hours a week), 5 days per week
• Some evenings and weekends for trainings and work days, schedule will be adjusted accordingly
• During the field season (late July to early December), the work schedule will be 5 consecutive days that will include weekend days, and may include holidays
• Work days may include working overtime
• Field season scheduling will vary based on program needs

Location: This position involves a mix of in-person office work at Fort Cronkhite, and field work in the Marin Headlands, Marin County, CA.

Transportation: Must have reliable transportation to the Marin Headlands.

Reports To: Senior Program Manager, GGRO

Desired Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in ecology, wildlife biology or related field
• Two field seasons of raptor-banding and raptor identification/surveys
• Operated bownets, mist nets, and/or dho-gazas >50 times (in combination of the three techniques is acceptable)
• Experience aging and sexing raptors using molt and plumage
• Supervisory management experience with volunteers and/or field crews
• Extensive raptor banding/handling experience is required, including the ability to lead a crew of varied experience levels in all aspects of banding station operation
• Experience with banding demonstrations to the public (recommended but not required)
• A strong sense of ethics and knowledge of safety practices for raptor trapping and banding raptors are required 

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

People Skills

• Ability to work with, and supervise, a wide range of people and personalities with enthusiasm and skill
• Effectively manage time with multiple assignments and deadlines to ensure timely completion of projects
• Understands programs’ strengths and weaknesses
• Understands volunteers’ strengths and weaknesses, and how to support them in their path to improvement
• Maintains awareness of changing field conditions, adapts to maintain safety
• Exhibits sound and accurate judgement
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Understands the power of teamwork, balances team and individual responsibilities
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills and the ability to work in a team toward common goals 
• Demonstrates attention to detail, accuracy, thoroughness

Technology

• Strong knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, & SharePoint)
• Strong knowledge of Zoom, Teams, and other virtual online meeting tools
• Strong knowledge and ability to use social media platforms

Driving

• Valid Driver’s license and clean driving record
• Must drive 4WD vehicles over rough dirt roads
• Reliable transportation to and from the Marin Headlands, CA

Raptors/Birds

• Strong knowledge of bird husbandry, health, and handling techniques
• Strong knowledge of raptor biology and raptor research
• Strong knowledge of raptor trapping techniques, specific skills include using bow nets, mist nets, dho-gazzas and extracting raptors from these types of nets.
• Knowledge of binoculars and spotting scopes

Physical Requirements and Work Conditions:

• Ability to condense safety guidelines into field trainings and situations
• Adequate vision to spot and ID birds of prey, as well to read small fonts – may include corrective lenses
• Adequate hearing to be able to respond to situations where you may not have a visibility of the person speaking or animals that you are working with – may include hearing devices
• Frequently lifts, carries, and positions objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Field work will include sitting on a stool for up to 8 hours, squatting and kneeling, also standing for 6 hours
• Ability to walk up and down a rocky fire road ½ mile in length with a steep grade, carrying up to 20 lbs.
• Some work is performed sitting at a desk and in front of a computer
• Work location is Ft. Cronkhite and the Marin Headlands
• Work week will include working weekend days, some holidays, and some evenings
• Work days may include working overtime

Certifications or Licenses:

Additional Banding Resume is required (can be included within resume, or attached to resume upload), and must include:

• Dates and locations of experience/project
• The name of the master bander who was responsible for this project
• Please list the BBL bird banding permit number (recommended but not required)
• Capture techniques that were used and the species/species groups and approximate number of birds captured with each technique
• The species/species groups and approximate number of birds that were handled and banded
• If auxiliary markers were used in the project, the type of marker(s), the attachment method(s), species, and number of individual birds that were marked
• Any other banding-related activities such as blood sampling and feather sampling
• If any formal training courses have been taken, please list the course title, dates, location, instructor, and a short summary of the course content. Additionally, include the species and approximate number of birds that were handled during the course, capture techniques used, and any other relevant information

Pay Rate/Pay Grade/Benefits:

Pay rate: $28/hour (Grade 12)

Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision plans for employee and family
• Paid vacation and personal days, paid holidays, and sick days
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Employer-match Commuter Program
• Employee Assistance Program, employee discounts and more
• Work in a beautiful location in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Health and Safety:

It is the goal of the Parks Conservancy to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. We work to mitigate hazards and risks that may cause harm to employees, consistent with state and federal laws. Employees play an active role in creating a safe and healthy workplace and are expected to comply with all applicable health and safety rules. 

Based on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parks Conservancy requires all employees to be vaccinated and to provide proof of such vaccination as a condition of employment. 

Application Deadline Date: Applications will be reviewed as they come in. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by March 25, 2024. After that date, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please apply with a resume and thoughtful cover letter.  To apply for this position, please use this link:  https://jobapply.page.link/fUCjf

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Recruitment, placement and promotions are conducted without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical handicap, veteran status or sexual orientation, or any other classification protected by Federal, State, and local laws & ordinances.  We will consider qualified candidates with criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.