This position is a full-time 2-year renewable contractual position. Salary is US$30-$32,000. Benefits include transportation and reimbursement for shipping personal effects to American Samoa, subsidized housing and health care in American Samoa, and numerous opportunities for professional training and exchange.
American Samoa is part of the Samoan archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean and is an overseas territory of the United States located east of independent Samoa, between Fiji and French Polynesia. It comprises five volcanic islands (Tutuila, Aunu’u, Ofu, Olosega, and Ta’u) and two coral atolls (Swains Atoll and Rose Atoll, which is a National Wildlife Refuge). The islands collectively cover a land area of ~200 square kilometers and include some of the best protected rain forest remaining in the tropical Pacific. Samoan and English are the principle languages spoken. The Wildlife Division of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR), American Samoan Government, carries out numerous short- and long-term wildlife research, monitoring, and management programs on tropical forest birds, seabirds, fruit bats, sea turtles, invertebrates, invasive species and wildlife habitat.
DMWR is seeking a Wildlife Biologist III to lead the Tropical Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (TMAPS) and Bird Population Monitoring programs. S/he will lead or assist in other Wildlife Division projects as needed.
Duties
• Lead the TMAPS bird banding project, including training and supervising interns, logistical planning, and reporting.
• Lead the point count based bird population monitoring project. Included duties: conducting quarterly point counts, improving project design to meet monitoring goals, reviewing, revising and drafting protocols, data analysis, grant writing, and reporting.
• Collaborate with and/or provide scientific and technical guidance to other Division biologists in the development, implementation, and write-up of wildlife projects.
• Assist in preparation and submission of grant proposals and reports.
• Conduct or supervise ecological impact assessments as needed.
• Represent the Wildlife Division and DMWR in professional meetings, workshops, and working groups within and outside of the Territory.
Qualifications
• Graduate degree (MS/MSc or PhD) in Biology, Zoology, Ecology or Wildlife Biology, or a related field; 3 years of supervisory research experience will substitute for a master’s degree.
• Avian project management experience, preferably in tropical ecosystems.
• Experience with mist netting and bird banding and/or leading MAPS stations.
• Experience with bird population monitoring, including point counts and analysis of point count data to detect trends.
• Proven skills in report writing and statistical analysis of data, publication(s) in peer reviewed journals.
• Applicants must be willing and able to accept off island work assignments and be able to work in rugged conditions (involving backpacking, camping) for periods at a time; ability to operate manual transmission vehicles is a plus.
• Experience working/living internationally, a strong work ethic, both independently and as a team player, a sense of adventure, the ability to be flexible when conditions require it, and a good sense of humor are all valuable assets.
Contact Information:
Send a cover letter, CV and list of three references in a single document (PDF or Word) to Adam Miles at email address: wildlife.amsam@gmail.com. Please include the following subject line in the email: Wildlife Biologist III 2014 Application. Applications will be reviewed as received until a suitable candidate is found, so highly interested applicants should apply ASAP. Applicants should be available to start by October 2014.