Bear Conflict Technician

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Expand educational and interpretive programs to Montana communities by providing bear awareness programs in communities and schools.
• Provide bear aware workshops with bear spray training, presentations, events, and other education in collaboration with local outdoor groups and partners (Forest Service, National Park Service).
• Identify different audiences (VRBOs, tourists, campers, etc.) and, working with supervisor, develop targeted outreach to those audiences.
• Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience with wildlife conflict prevention methods and tools, particularly electrified fencing, is preferred.
• Understanding of conflict resolution techniques and ability to convey information to the public through engaging with groups, school classes, organizations and landowners.
• Ability to maintain professionalism while working with challenging members of the public is required.
• Requires understanding of the different societal values of wildlife, particularly carnivores.
• Good written and verbal communication skills are required. Ability to speak at public events is required.
• Demonstrated understanding of managing large carnivores in urban and rural environments is required.
• Experience in human-wildlife conflict management is preferred.
• Ability to safely capture large carnivores, particularly bears, using culvert traps is preferred.
• Demonstrated training and/or experience in the safe use of chemicals to immobilize large carnivores, particularly bears, is preferred.
• Knowledge of collection of biological samples, including blood, teeth, and tissues, is preferred.
• Basic knowledge of wildlife biology, wildlife ecology, anatomy, and carnivore population dynamics are required.
• Ability to tolerate pungent odors and handle injured and/or dead wildlife is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in the use of ground telemetry equipment is required preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software and basic computer skills are required.
• Ability to safely tow and backup live-animal trailers is required.
• Ability to drive long highway distances and comfortably drive steep mountain roads utilizing a 4-wheel drive vehicle while towing live-animal trailers is preferred.
• The basic understanding of vehicle and trailer maintenance is preferred
• The ability to work under direct supervision and unsupervised is required.
• The ability to work alone and as a team member is required.

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):

The knowledge, skills, and abilities of this position are normally attained through combination of education and experience equivalent to a minimum of two years of college work towards a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, fish and wildlife management, animal ecology, biology, or a closely related field and related work experience.  Combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.