Jobs and Careers

Individual Placement - Avian Monitoring Field Biologist

United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 2 Dec 2025

💰 $27,500/yr

About the role

Position Summary

SCA interns will work in team of two to support FFU Crew Leads and Team Lead to mobilize, then execute the avian deterrence missions in the lower Columbia River Estuary. This will entail working rotations of shifts that span early mornings and late evenings. Evening crews will boat to the islands, work until 1 hr after sundown, sleep in GOV furnished tents, then awake before sunrise and return to work implementing dissuasion until the morning crew comes to relieve them from their duty station. These rotations of morning and evening shifts will be staffed seven days per week excluding federal holidays. Work will be conducted 40-60 hours per week in all weather conditions. Dissuasion involves non-lethal deterrent technologies, physical labor, and, attention to detail. The goal is to deter all colonial waterbirds from roosting and nesting on the dredged material islands.

Location

Astoria, OR

Schedule

February 2, 2026 - August 7, 2026

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Incumbent interns will be expected to:

Operate ATVs, trucks, and boat trailers in a proficient and safe manner
Execute dissuasion tasks independently and safely with attention to requirements
Use VHF marine radio, GOV furnished cellphone, email, and MS teams to be in regular and as needed communication with team
Record data and communicate with team in a professional manner
Be self-sufficient with camping gear and self-care in a wilderness situation
Work as a cooperative team member under arduous conditions
Have environmental aptitude to understand that management requires the application of lethal and non-lethal tools.

Marginal Duties

Report times, safety hazards, and wellness issues in a timely and professional manner.
Co-habit a field house with four-five other staff members. Keeping cleanliness, mutual respect, and communication highlighted.

Required Qualifications

Background in wildlife ecology/management. Natural resources is sufficient, but an understanding or appreciation that management actions are directed and executed per rules and guidelines is a must. Further, incumbents must be comfortable with the fact that naturally producing populations of animals live and die, and at times management must intervene to accomplish the desired outcome
Strong communication skills, both inter-personal and intra-personal. Team dynamics and health are critical to ensure performance throughout the field season. Remote stationing for hours on end requires personal aptitude and self-care with excellent communication of needs and issues as they arise to ameliorate potential conflict
Troubleshooting skills. The equipment will break, materials will not always be available, and repairs will be slower than necessary. These are fundamental aspects of doing remote work. Incumbents will need to have efficient and proactive trouble shooting skills

Preferred Qualifications

Background in boating, heavy equipment operation, and vehicle repair.
Previous biological data collection and remote field positions.
Knowledge of colonial piscivorous waterbird colonies.
Ornithology and ichthyology.

Hours

Work will be conducted 40-60 hours per week in all weather conditions

Living Accommodations

A GOV furnished house will be provided and will house the SCA interns and FFU crew leads and occasional team lead and visiting staff. Shared cooking, bathing, and common areas is to be expected, but private locking bedrooms will be provided. Overnight sleeping arrangements will be provided on island in the form of tents, cots, and basic cook wear. These will be communal and shared.

Compensation