Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Wildlife Research - Marine Mammals TITLE: OPS Biological Scientist I-FWC (two positions) POSITION #'s: 77907479 and 77902156 LOCATION: Port Charlotte, FL RATE OF PAY: $13.00-14.25/hour, 40 hours/week; one position is eligible for the higher salary level which is dependent on qualifications and expected renewal of grant-funded support; current grant expires 9/30/2016; if grant support is not renewed, the position remains but rate reverts to base pay of $13.00/hr. CLOSING DATE: 9/16/2015 DESCRIPTION OF JOB DUTIES: Duties include but are not limited to fielding calls from FWC Law Enforcement, other agencies, and the general public regarding marine mammals, particularly manatees and cetaceans; verification of mortalities and distressed manatees and cetaceans, potentially in need of rescue. Recovery of manatee carcasses from a ten county area in Southwest Florida and stranded cetaceans from a three county region. Conduct field necropsies on badly decomposed manatee carcasses and transport fresh to moderately decomposed manatee carcasses to the necropsy facility in St. Petersburg. Participate in the marine mammal stranding network, including coordination of capture and transportation of injured manatees and live cetaceans to the appropriate rehabilitation facility and conduct necropsies on fresh dead to badly decomposed stranded cetaceans. Conduct aerial surveys of manatees, track radio-tagged manatees and photograph manatees for photo identification purposes. Participate in aerial synoptic surveys for manatees. Operate a computer and software such as Arcview, Excel, Access and Word. Participate in data entry, office work, report writing and public outreach including working with the media. Perform tasks such as general cleaning of office and equipment, vehicle, trailer and boat maintenance and other tasks assigned by supervisor. Work long, unscheduled hours on short notice that include some evenings, most weekends and frequently on holidays. Occasional overnight travel required. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A bachelor's degree with a major in one of the biological sciences. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Applicant must obtain boater safety certification within the first six months of employment. Applicant must be able to swim proficiently. Field work is highly physical and applicant must be willing and able to lift 50 lbs on a regular basis. Must have the ability to work both as a team member as well as independently in various field situations. Must be able to work under adverse field conditions, potentially nights, on weekends and holidays. Must be able to establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships; think logically and apply problem-solving techniques; effectively communicate verbally and in writing; and maintain a valid driver's License. PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Marine mammal stranding-response experience; previous participation in NOAA's Marine Mammal Stranding Network is highly desirable. Knowledge and the ability to use personal computers, field gear, and cameras are preferred. Demonstrated writing ability, preferably in research-related areas. The ability to safely operate and trailer boats less than 30 feet in length is also highly desired. 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 WHAT BENEFITS ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO OPS EMPLOYEES? * Any form of paid leave * Paid holidays * Participation in the Florida Retirement System * Reinstatement rights or retention rights 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 via the People First website: http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com<http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/>. 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.