Position Description: Klamath Bird Observatory (www.KlamathBird.org) seeks to fill a position with primary responsibilities to support ongoing avian long-term monitoring and applied ecology studies that advance bird conservation. The Bird Banding Research Biologist will oversee all aspects of our long-term (>25 years) bird banding program which currently includes running six constant-effort bird banding sites May-Oct. In addition, the Research Biologist will provide project support for species-specific studies that include color-banding and tagging and assist with programmatic development of a burgeoning Motus program. Job duties include recruitment, oversight and ongoing banding training for a seasonal crew of international student interns, management of KBO multi-facility Upper Klamath Field Station, data management and quality control, statistical analyses, report and manuscript writing, community and scientific presentations, grant writing, and ongoing partnership building. Field crews are based in the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon and field work requires regular camping at remote banding sites. This position has split duty stations: Klamath Basin, Oregon (May-Oct) and Ashland, Oregon (Nov-Apr) and requires regular travel throughout southern Oregon and northern California. Annual salary $42,000 to $44,000 plus benefits.

Job Duties (to include, but not limited to):

• Oversees all aspects of KBO’s long-term bird banding program
• Coordinates and manages field work including scheduling, data collection, data quality control, data entry, and data management
• Recruits and supervises seasonal interns including international students
• Coordinates a rigorous, academic-style intern training program based on the North American Banding Council (NABC) Curriculum
• Coordinates annual bird banding workshops and individual training instruction for external participants, also following the NABC Curriculum
• Collaborates with partners to implement NABC certification sessions
• Coordinates and oversees regular community outreach visits to banding stations
• Manages Upper Klamath Field Station, including of 3-4 facilities dispersed in the Upper Klamath Basin
• Manages a fleet of field vehicles throughout the year
• Facilitates permit needs for bird banding including application and annual reporting requirements
• Contributes to development, design, and review of research studies
• Assists with programmatic development and operations of a burgeoning Motus program
• Provides project support to species-specific color-banding and tagging projects
• Performs data analysis including banding, point count, and other avian monitoring data types
• Completes annual project reporting
• Produces manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Presents research findings at scientific conferences
• Is responsible for grant writing and contract acquisition
• Markets science projects to partners and community
• Communicates bird conservation objectives and scientific findings to land managers
• Participates and holds leadership roles in local and regional professional networks
• Collaborates with the Science Director to set annual program-specific goals and objectives and develop and manage program budgets

Minimum Qualifications

• Combination of education and experience equivalent to a Master’s or PhD in the Natural Sciences and an additional two years of project management
• North American Banding Council Trainer-level certification, or the equivalent in songbird banding and mist netting training ability and experience
• Must provide and maintain reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and meet minimum driving record and insurance requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced written and oral communication skills
• Experience in personnel management and supervision of field crews
• Beginner to intermediate Spanish speaking skills
• Proficient with data entry and data management (Access, Excel, Bandit)
• Proficient with current statistical methods and analytical programs (e.g. R, ArcGIS) for advanced analyses of avian banding and count data
• Excellent scientific writing skills; experience with report and manuscripts
• Experience with study design and multiple avian monitoring methodologies (point count, area search, mist-netting and bird banding, and species-specific survey protocols)
• Must have good organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Good attention to detail and ability to multi-task in a busy work environment
• Ability to represent KBO’s non-advocacy approach of conservation-relevant science to partners and the public
• Comfortable with public speaking in field, community, and professional settings
• Ability to develop, implement, track, and manage a budget for multiple projects within a program
• Ability to represent KBO to partners and the public, and within professional networks
• Knowledge of avian natural history and ecology
• Experience with grant writing
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude while working long days in the field, beginning before sunrise
• Willingness to live in a remote area and camp on a regular basis from May-October annually
• Willingness to manage multiple field residences including regular maintenance and rigorous implementation of established pest management protocols
• Good physical condition with ability to work in rough terrain in inclement weather, in areas with poison oak, ticks, biting/stinging insects, rattlesnakes, black bears, and cougars