Wildlife Field Technician

• Company Name: WEST ULC
• Company Website: https://west-inc.com/careers/
• Opening Date: 2023-01-30
• Closing Date: 2023-03-31
• Location: Calgary

Western EcoSystems Technology (WEST), founded in 1990, has grown to be one of the premier environmental and statistical consulting firms in the United States. In 2017, WEST expanded into Canada by opening an office in Calgary, AB, with staff now in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. In our continued drive to provide outstanding professional consulting services and original solutions to a wide range of natural resource obstacles, Western EcoSystems Technology, ULC. (WEST) has an opening for a Wildlife Field Technician.

Job Type: Work is temporary and can be full or part-time hours, may occur on weekends, and will likely require overtime.

Primary duties may include:

- Conducting standardized bird migration, breeding bird, sharp-tailed grouse lek, burrowing owl, or other avian use surveys;
- Conducting amphibian, reptile, and mammal surveys;
- Performing amphibian salvages;
- Conducting species-specific surveys for Species of Management Concern (SOMC);
- Setting up and maintaining bat acoustic analysis projects;
- Monitoring construction, and conducting pre-disturbance nest surveys;
- Monitoring bird and bat fatality at operating renewable energy facilities (post-construction monitoring);
- Summarizing and entering data;
- Providing reporting support as needed: compiling tables and figures, report writing.

This position consists of 85-95% fieldwork, and travel between the field and the Calgary office. Fieldwork will require long days (8-12 hours), in a range of temperature extremes and wind speeds. Candidates must be comfortable with hazards typical of rural environments (e.g., driving a four-wheel drive vehicle, dust, mud, snow, extreme heat, and cold). Fieldwork can also occur in remote locations, which will require candidates to be comfortable and able to work and operate vehicles in rugged, steep terrain within grizzly, black bear, cougar and wolf ranges. Lastly, fieldwork often occurs in areas with little to no cellphone signal. Candidates must be comfortable using satellite and radio devices for regular communication.

Staff may work independently or in small crews, and must be able to communicate and coordinate effectively with site management and WEST supervisors.

This is a general description of the functions for this position and is not inclusive of all duties, which may be associated with this position.

Job Requirements:

- Legally allowed to work in Canada (i.e. Canadian citizen, Canadian permanent resident, or have an existing VISA with no work restrictions) Please note: US citizens require a Canadian work visa to work in Canada;
- A completed technical diploma in the biological sciences, environmental sciences, or a related discipline;
- Possession of a valid driver’s licence with no restrictions;
- Ability to rent a vehicle from a rental agency (e.g. Enterprise);
- Strong wildlife identification skills for avian species in boreal, parkland, and prairie habitats;
- Ability to work long days (up to 12 hours) in the field and sometimes long shifts (up to 22 days);
- Ability to hike in rugged, steep terrain for long periods of time;
- Capacity to work independently and interact positively with project managers, supervisors, clients, field partners, and landowners;
- Excellent time management and organizational skills;
- Ability to work well under time constraints and meet deliverable targets and deadlines;
- Highly-developed ability to follow protocols and work efficiently in the field and office;
- High level of initiative and ability to think critically to solve challenging problems.

Desired Skills:

- Experience conducting avian use point counts and other biological fieldwork;
- Strong interest in working with wildlife, in various sectors.

As this job will require working in close proximity to others (e.g., travel in vehicles or helicopters for extended periods), it is a condition of this position that the successful candidate be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Prior to making any offer of employment, the successful candidate will have to provide documentation to WEST that they have been fully vaccinated. If the successful candidate cannot be vaccinated due to a protected ground under applicable human rights legislation, WEST will abide by its obligations under human rights legislation to provide accommodation, if possible, up to the point of undue hardship.

Successful candidates must be able to provide a driver’s abstract that meets WEST’s minimum criteria to operate a motor vehicle on behalf of the company. Successful candidates must also be able to pass periodic drug and alcohol test that meets the minimum criteria of WEST and our clients. Candidates must be capable of adhering to all health and safety requirements, outlined by WEST and our clients, for the duration of their employment.

WEST provides equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, mental or physical disability, marital status, family status or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, or local law.