Date of posting here December 03, 2009 Type of position This is a regular, full time position Employer The Nature Conservancy Description of Employer The Nature Conservancy is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in all 50 states and more than 33 countries. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Location Albany, New York Description of Location This position is with the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) in Albany, NY. The NY Natural Heritage Program is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) that facilitates the conservation of rare animals, rare plants, and significant natural communities. The program accomplishes this mission by working collaboratively with partners inside and outside New York to support stewardship of New York’s rare plants, rare animals, and significant natural communities and to reduce the threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. The program combines thorough field inventories, scientific analyses, expert interpretation, and comprehensive databases on New York’s flora and fauna to deliver high quality information for natural resource planning, land use decisions, and conservation of New York’s biodiversity. The New York Natural Heritage Program is based in the Central Office of the NYS DEC in downtown Albany, NY. Salary Commensurate with experience Benefits The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond. Closing date of competition January 4, 2010 Date position available Position anticipated to be available April 1, 2010 Description of duties The Invasive Species Biologist for NYNHP’s Invasive Species Database Program works to conserve New York’s plants and animals by supporting the work of individuals and organizations throughout the state working to prevent, manage, or control invasive species. The Invasive Species Biologist serves as a resource to the eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). The Invasive Species Biologist works closely with other staff and partners to ensure that the iMapInvasives on-line database (http://imapinvasives.org/) is as accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive as possible to serve the needs of the end-users. Tasks will include, but are not limited to: Utilize biology expertise to: Develop, update, and maintain the list of species to track in the iMapInvasives database. Together with the Database Specialist, ensure all fields for each species contain accurate and up-to-date information. Review species observations submitted on-line to iMapInvasives as needed, review digital photos, and follow-up on selected invasive species reports from the public and iMapInvasives users. Together with the Database Specialist, contact PRISM staff and other volunteers and experts to ensure that all submissions are processed in an accurate and timely manner. Conduct field work as needed and supervise summer field staff. Stay current on invasive species issues, read literature, attend conferences, and meet with scientists and natural resource managers. Utilize biology/ecology knowledge together with partnership building and networking skills to: Establish and lead a scientific review committee of state experts to assist and advise regarding which species to track in iMapInvasives. Location information from iMapInvasives will be one of the resources utilized by the teams charged with creating and maintaining the New York State 4-Tier Invasive Species List (http://nyis.info ). In coordination with the New York Invasive Species Research Institute (NY ISRI, http://nyisri.org/ ) and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Invasive Species Program (CCE-ISP), develop and maintain a network of experts to serve as resources for species identification. Contact experts as appropriate. Work to ensure that the data provided by iMapInvasives are as inclusive and representative of invasive species locations in New York State as possible. Develop partnerships with state, federal and municipal agencies, non-profit organizations and academic institutions. Work with partners to develop data-sharing agreements. Work with the Database Specialist to maintain periodic data exchanges. Together with other Invasive Species Database Program staff, conduct outreach to develop a network of iMapInvasives Key Education Collaborators. The Key Education Collaborators will include ecology and GIS college/university professors as well as high school teachers, middle school teachers, and camp directors. Each county will have one Key Education Collaborator, providing invasive species location information on a regular, on-going basis. Foster these relationships to ensure they are long-term, productive, and rewarding for the teachers and students. Work to develop the citizen-science aspect of the iMapInvasives project. Organize and lead the bi-annual Invasive Species Database Workshop. This workshop will serve as a forum to convene a larger set of database users, including representatives from neighboring states and provinces. Serve as the liaison to the New York Invasive Species Research Institute Advisory Committee. Utilize communication skills to engage in outreach activities: Write articles for a wide range of publications from newsletters to magazines, as appropriate. Provide content for iMapInvasives as needed. Give presentations at a wide range of venues across the state including PRISM meetings, conferences, conservation organization meetings, and other public meetings. Utilize presentation expertise to provide training and/or training materials for iMapInvasives: Develop on-line training modules for iMapInvasives. Provide "Train-the-trainer" training for PRISM and CCE-ISP staff. Conduct advanced training for selected modules (e.g. treatment). Qualifications sought Basic Qualifications: Graduate degree in science-related field 3 or more years of professional experience in natural resources, biology, ecology or related field Experience with and/or course work in the flora, fauna, ecology and/or natural history of the northeast Experience with invasive species issues Experience working with databases including quality control review Experience in developing and managing multiple projects, simultaneously Required Knowledge: Demonstrated expertise in biology/ecology Good command of at least one broad taxonomic area (e.g. plants, invertebrates, or mammals) Ability to use and understand technical manuals including identification keys Comprehensive knowledge of invasive species issues Knowledge of invasive species issues pertaining to New York Ability to communicate invasive species issues clearly to the lay public Knowledge of and appreciation for the power and usefulness of GIS Required Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills Attention to detail and strong organizational skills required Strong relationship-building skills required; both independent and collaborative work skills needed Demonstrated flexibility to changing situations and priorities Strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize multiple competing demands Experience with Microsoft Office Products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint Ability to synthesize, interpret, and communicate scientific information to influence conservation practice Ability to simplify and explain complex scientific information to general audiences Preferred Qualifications: Broad knowledge of many different taxonomic groups; ability to learn about new species Authoritative knowledge of select invasive species including taxonomy, identification, and management GPS and data collection experience Experience creating and interpreting GIS maps Demonstrated experience writing grants and researching proposals Strong teaching/training skills Familiarity with ArcMap; ability to produce simple maps 3-5 years of post graduate field experience Experience giving presentations to large audiences Experience with Access (or other relational databases) Application procedure   Submit what Please submit application on line at http://www.nature.org/careers. Please submit cover letter and resume as one document as part of your application. Submit to 1. Go to nature.org [http://www.nature.org/careers/work/art24244.html]. Upload your cover letter and resume as a single Word or PDF document [filename: Lastname_Firstname] 2. Complete an online application. Fill in all fields of the online application (even if the information is included in your resume) 3. Mail your cover letter, resume and contact information for three references: Shereen Brock NYNHP 625 Broadway, 5th Floor Albany, NY 12233-4757 Additional Information The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer