Avian Conservation Research Assistants (Seasonal) in Avon Park, Florida at Archbold Expeditions Inc

Position Summary:

We are seeking seven (7) Seasonal Research Assistants to begin work in March or April 2027 at Avon Park Air Force Range and DeLuca Preserve. These seasonal positions offer valuable hands-on experience working alongside scientists and conservation professionals in a dynamic field research environment. Opportunities for extension may be available based on project needs, funding, and employee performance.

Compensation & Benefits

• $15.25-$16.25 per hour
• Hourly, non-exempt position
• Shared lodging provided at no cost
• Paid vacation leave
• Paid sick leave
• Potential opportunity for extended employment based on project needs

Benefit Eligibility Health insurance and other employee benefit eligibility for seasonal employees are determined using the organization's Affordable Care Act (ACA) Look-Back Measurement Method. Seasonal employees who meet the applicable eligibility requirements during the measurement period may become eligible for benefits in accordance with plan provisions.

The assistants’ work will support the Conservation Science of Military Landscapes program’s mission of combining research, monitoring, and applied conservation to inform management of and conserve threatened, endangered, and at-risk species (e.g., Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, Florida Scrub-Jay, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker). Technicians will primarily assist with field research for their assigned project, with opportunities (time-allowing) to assist on other projects within the program and with collaborators from other programs and agencies (i.e. Florida Bonneted Bat emergence surveys with USFWS).

For more information about our program see our lab website: Conservation Science of Military Landscapes

Florida Grasshopper Sparrow Assistants (5)

Two assistants needed starting March 8, 2027 (at Avon Park Air Force Range) and three assistants needed starting April 1, 2027 (at DeLuca Preserve) through August 2027. Primary duties include finding and monitoring Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (FGSP) nests, conducting point count surveys, reading color bands, installing predator exclusion equipment, conducting presence/absence surveys, and treating invasive fire ants.

Our FGSP projects apply current best management practices in our efforts to bring this bird back from the brink. Once nests are found, we do everything we can to help them survive to fledgling. Successful applicants will get the chance to see their hard work make a real difference against mammalian and reptilian predators, floods, and fire ants. It’s an incredible feeling to know a nest would have been lost without your intervention. Learn more here.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Assistant (1)

One assistant needed starting March 8, 2027 through August 2027. Primary duties include identifying birds by reading color bands, monitoring cavities and nest attempts using peeper cameras, performing cavity maintenance activities (which involves climbing Swedish ladders up to 30 ft. high), conducting habitat assessments, and entering and managing data. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is an iconic species of the pine forests of the Southeast. Their cavity-nesting habits, cooperative breeding social structure, responsiveness to habitat management, and role as a keystone species within the ecosystem make them an interesting and rewarding species to work with.

Avian Point Count Assistant (1)

One assistant needed starting April 1, 2027 through June 2027. Primary duties include conducting point count surveys on private lands across the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape, entering and managing data, and assisting with Florida Grasshopper Sparrow conservation actions (outlined above). This work is part of a larger project identifying the effects of dispersed water storage on ranchlands throughout South-central Florida. Point counts will contribute to the understanding of how water management affects grassland bird communities in the region.

These positions are associated with Archbold Biological Station’s Conservation Science of Military Lands Program, directed by Dr. Todd Jones. Archbold researchers have been studying and conserving endangered species at the Avon Park Air Force Range since 1993. Avon Park Air Force Range is a 106,000-acre military installation that protects some of the best examples of native habitats in the region. DeLuca Preserve is a 27,000-acre Conservation Easement and working cattle ranch managed by Ducks Unlimited and the University of Florida located within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape (learn more) near Kenansville, FL.

Assistant positions require the following:

• Willingness to work on an active military base (Avon Park Air Force Range) and/or active cattle ranch (DeLuca Preserve)
• Ability to hike several kilometers over uneven terrain while carrying up to 40lbs of equipment
• Tolerance for Florida’s high heat and humidity, and abundance of biting insects
• Experience operating 4WD vehicles, excellent judgment when navigating poor roads (loose sand, mud holes, standing water)
• Willingness to work a non-regular schedule that may include some weekends

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Science, a related field (preferred), or equivalent experience through education and fieldwork
• US citizenship or a US work visa is required (Archbold is unable to sponsor work visas)
• Valid driver’s license and personal vehicle to access off-site housing. Field vehicles will be provided.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

All Assistants

• Ability to navigate and work alone in the field
• Ability to re-sight color banded birds
• Dedication, sensitivity, and attention to detail when working with threatened and endangered species
• Good and responsive communication with supervisors, coworkers, and housemates
• Diligence when following protocols and entering data

Florida Grasshopper Sparrow Assistants

• Ability to identify species of the Eastern flyway by sight and sound
• Experience conducting point count surveys
• Experience working with grassland birds and/or sparrows
• Experience nest-searching for ground nesting birds using behavior cues
• Ability to maintain focus during early mornings to detect elusive birds and collect behavioral information on reproductive status
• Experience tracking wildlife using radio-telemetry

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Assistant

• Experience reading color bands
• Experience monitoring bird nests
• Experience watching, recording, and interpreting bird behavior
• Experience conducting habitat assessments/forest inventories
• Experience entering, proofing, and summarizing data

Avian Point Count Assistant

• Ability to identify species of the Eastern flyway by sight and sound
• Experience conducting point count surveys
• Experience working with grassland birds and/or sparrows

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of their position with or without reasonable accommodation. These positions require sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, lifting and carrying materials, repetitive hand movements, and operating standard office, laboratory, field, and maintenance equipment. These positions involve working outdoors in varying weather conditions, traversing uneven terrain, and may involve occasional travel.

How to Apply

Please upload a one-page cover letter, resume or CV, and contact information for at least three references as a single pdf (please upload where you are asked to upload your resume) titled in the format of "Surname_2027". Cover letters should link the applicant’s experience to the job responsibilities and qualifications, highlighting relevant experience from their CV.

The deadline to apply is October 25th. Questions or concerns can be directed to Jesse Beck (Jbeck@archbold-station.org).