Wildlife Technician

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Job Category:

Employment Type:

Job Profile:

Job Summary:

We are looking for two Wildlife Technicians to conduct surveys for California spotted owls in Tahoe National Forest. Positions will begin April 13 2026 and end August 7 2026 and technicians must commit to working through the entire period. Pay starts at $20.00 per hour depending upon experience. Housing will be provided if technicians agree to live in housing that UW has secured prior to hiring. Bedrooms may be shared.

Wildlife Technicians will conduct surveys for spotted and barred owls assess their reproductive status locate nest and roost trees assist in the capture/recapture and deployment of radio telemetry/GPS data loggers on owls monitor movements of GPS tagged owls program/deploy/retrieve Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) care for equipment/lures and record sightings of other animals encountered. Wildlife Technicians will also record/transcribe handwritten data into computer databases and help validate data that was collected in the field.

A typical work week is 40 hours and frequent camping is will be irregular. For example owl work will occur from the afternoon and in the hours surrounding twilight and occasionally during nocturnal involving the placement and maintenance of ARUs will be diurnal. Technicians may be required to rotate between owl and ARU duties. Work involving owl captures will be in pairs but most other work will be solo. Work will often involve strenuous off-trail hiking in steep forested terrain during day or night. Snow may be encountered during April and early May.

Our results will be translated into recommendations to land management agencies responsible for maintaining viable spotted owl populations such as the US Forest Service.

Applicant interviews will occur after the closing date. Applicants must apply through the UW-Madison website.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Collects data and monitors test results according to established research requirements and specifications

• May assist with literature reviews and/or report writing

• Performs lab and/or field test materials and samples according to established research requirements and specifications. Performs lab or field tests

• Reviews data to summarize results for presentations or reporting

• Inspects and maintains equipment supplies inventory and facility spaces

Department:

Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology

Compensation:

$20 - $25

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience safely operating and using discretion while driving 4-wheel-drive vehicles on backcountry roads in adverse conditions like rain.

• Demonstrated experience employed as a technician field assistant researcher or related position where data collection was a part of the job.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience handling raptors.

• Experience with radio telemetry or related electronic wildlife tracking.

• Experience navigating unfamiliar areas using GPS compass and/or topographic maps both in a vehicle and on foot while off trail.

• Demonstrated experience hiking multiple miles while carrying a heavy pack in occasionally steep terrain.

• Experience working in remote areas.

Education:

Bachelors degree in Wildlife Biology or related field or multiple seasons of relevant field experience.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position please provide:

Cover letter (required) Refer to your related work experience as it relates to the qualifications listed for the position.

Resume (required) - Detail your educational and professional background as they relate to the qualifications listed for the position.

Its important that your cover letter and resume reflect your experience for this position and clearly outlines how you meet the items listed in the qualifications section. Your application materials will be used during our evaluation to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job.

Contact Information:

For questions please contact Amy Ducy at

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Diversity is a source of strength creativity and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity culture background experience status abilities and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching research outreach and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students faculty and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to including but not limited to race color religion sex sexual orientation national origin age pregnancy disability or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodationfor any step in the hiring process (e.g. application interview pre-employment testing etc.) please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR)in the division you are applying make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

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