JOB OPPORTUNITY Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute TITLE: OPS Biological Scientist II POSITION #: 77907558 LOCATION: Port Charlotte, FL ANTICIPATED START DATE: June 1, 2016 RATE OF PAY: $17.00/hour, 40 hours/week FUNDING: This position is grant-funded. Funding for this position is guaranteed through 2020 and may extend into 2021. Subsequent employment will be contingent on requesting/receiving additional funding. DESCRIPTION OF JOB DUTIES: 60% Fielding calls from FWC Law Enforcement, other agencies, and the general public regarding marine mammals (sirenians and cetaceans); verification of mortalities and distressed marine mammals potentially in need of rescue; recovery and transportation of marine mammal carcasses to the Charlotte Harbor Field Lab (Port Charlotte) or the Marine Mammal Patholobiology Lab (MMPL) for necropsy; coordination of marine mammal rescues, triage, and transportation to appropriate facility; leading field necropsies; vehicle, trailer and boat maintenance; data entry using software such as ArcGIS, Excel, Access and Word; completing paperwork including time sheets, necropsy reports, and Level A,B and C data for cetaceans. Responsible for carcass disposal and cleaning of equipment and instruments. Assist with marine mammal response, rescue and capture operations along Florida's Gulf Coast, as needed. Work holidays in rotation with other staff members for the purpose of responding to marine mammal emergencies as needed or assigned. Responds to marine mammal standings outside of normal work schedule and area as needed or assigned. 20% Manage cetacean stranding data and entry into NOAA/NMFS stranding database (WebHealth Map), completes routine uploads to data portal; train and manage Florida Marine Mammal Stranding Network volunteers, manage marine mammal sample tracking, dissemination and compilation of results, specifically histology, cause of death determinations, Human Interaction (HI) and HI gear; manage photo-ID data and image uploads to GOMDIS; assist with marine mammal HI data collection and manatee HI gear analysis. Responsible for cetacean data requests. 20% Responsible for assisting with NFWF award administration including assisting with quarterly and annual grant reports, quarterly budget requests, and purchasing of grant-funded equipment. General cleaning of office and equipment. Attend trainings, seminars and meetings, and other tasks assigned by supervisor. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in one of the biological sciences and one year of professional biological experience in a field or lab research program PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Two or more years of marine mammal stranding-response experience. Previously obtained boat and trailer operation certifications and/or the demonstrated ability to safely operate and trailer boats up to 24 feet in length. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of: Marine Mammal Protection Act and NOAA/NMFS stranding protocols; methods of data collection; principles and techniques of research and analysis; marine mammal anatomy and necropsy techniques; SLR digital cameras, filters, and lenses. Skills: Familiarity with database, spreadsheet, word processing, and graphics software such as Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, and PowerPoint; use of scientific biomedical field equipment such as portable ultrasound, PIT tags, venipuncture kits, and biopsy equipment. Familiarity with capture, handling, and transport of marine mammals. Abilities to: perform daily manual labor requiring handling of heavy and sharp objects and working under unpleasant conditions; function independently and as a team; perform strenuous duties and lift at least 75 lbs; be able to swim sufficiently to save oneself in an emergency; write reports and scientific manuscripts; establish and maintain effective working relationships; communicate effectively verbally and in writing; safely operate vehicles, trailers and boats up to 24'; possess or acquire certification of completion of FWRI's trailering evaluation and a boater safety course within the probationary period; speak effectively to the public. The Commission expects its employees to be courteous and respectful while assisting Commission customers and stakeholders, ensuring each encounter is as positive as possible. Employees should promptly resolve questions or problems relating to the Commission, its programs and/or fish and wildlife resources. Employees should seek to gain public support for agency objectives and programs by serving Florida's citizens in a positive and proactive manner and by listening to what the customer wants and striving to meet their needs. When appropriate, employees will explain the reasons for agency actions or decisions while communicating a consistent FWC point-of-view. Responsible for following the provisions and requirements in Section 215.422, Florida Statutes, related to the Comptroller's rules and FWC's invoice processing and warrant distribution procedures. Work at FWC is cross-functional meaning duties may cross division/office lines. The Commission expects employees to function across FWC's organizational structure by providing their skills and expertise wherever needed through work on teams or as directed. WHAT IS OPS EMPLOYMENT? Other Personal Services (OPS) employment is a temporary employer/employee relationship used solely for accomplishing short term or intermittent tasks. OPS employees do not fill established positions and may not be assigned the duties of any vacant authorized position. OPS employees are at-will employees and are subject to actions such as pay changes, changes to work assignment, and terminations at the pleasure of the agency head or designee. WHAT BENEFITS ARE APPLICABLE TO OPS EMPLOYEES? * State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan* - mandatory * Workers' Compensation - mandatory * Reemployment Assistance (Unemployment Compensation) - mandatory * Participation in state group insurance (upon availability and you must meet eligibility requirements) * Deferred Compensation - voluntary * Employee Assistance Program - voluntary APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please submit a current resume, three references, and a cover letter along with your State of Florida Employment Application in People First, as an attachment. http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com<http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/> Direct job posting link: https://jobs.myflorida.com/viewjob.html;jsessionid=F35E6AA85E3993EBEC2895976... Applicants are required to submit a complete, up-to-date, State of Florida Employment Application Form electronically in People First (http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com<http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/>) or faxed to 1-888-403-2110 by the closing date listed. Resumes and supporting documentation may be submitted in People First, but do not replace the requirement for a completed State of Florida Employment Application Form. If you experience technical difficulties during the application process or when attaching documents, call People First staffing at 1-877-562-7287. If unable to attach supporting documents to your application, they may be faxed to the People First Service Center at 1-888-403-2110. Be sure to include the Requisition number for the position to which you are applying on each page of your faxed documents. The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or the People First Service Center (1-877-562-7287). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act. The State of Florida hires only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. An Employment Eligibility Verification Check will be conducted in the E-Verify System which is a federal government electronic database that confirms the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.