Wild Turkey Program Manager

The primary objective of the Wild Turkey Program Manager (Program Manager) for Nebraska is to oversee and administer the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NGPC) Wild Turkey program, including research, management and harvest and season setting in the state of Nebraska in coordination with the NWTF, ensuring the delivery of the NWTF conservation mission, and the goals and objectives of the NWTF. This will be accomplished through strategic alignment of NGPC Wild Turkey Program goals and strategies in partnership with other NWTF field staff, NWTF volunteers, other state and federal agencies, other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and partners. The work of the Program Manager should result in the overall health and sustainability of the wild turkey and wild turkey hunting in the state of responsibility. The resulting oversight of the NGPC Wild Turkey Program, in coordination with NWTF conservation delivery in the state, should result in the maximization of NWTF funding in wild turkey management, research, in addition to robust wild turkey populations and hunting opportunities in the state of responsibility. This position reports to the NWTF’s Director of Conservation Operations for the Central Region. The position will serve as an agency contact with contractors working on wild turkey research projects and other project activities.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Represents NWTF and NGPC at NWTF state, district, regional and National meetings, serves as NGPC representative on state and regional technical committees related specifically to wild turkeys (e.g. Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Midwest Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies), as well as NGPC Management Council and NGPC Commission meetings

• Works closely with state and federal wildlife & forestry agencies engaged in wild turkey research, harvest management, and habitat management in Nebraska

• Serves as NGPC lead in research, survey and data collection & analysis for wild turkeys to include conducting investigations, utilizing data collected and analyzed to make management recommendation

• Specific to data collection, duties could include: summarizing harvest data of wild turkeys for both the Fall and Spring hunting seasons, conducting and analyzing wild turkey brood surveys and conducting and evaluating surveys of hunter harvests on an annual basis

• Collaborates and assists research partners with ongoing investigations for wild turkeys and their habitats to include, but not limited to, data collection (both spatial and non-spatial data), compilation, management, synthesis, analysis and reporting of analysis, surveys, monitoring. Assists with wild turkey trapping activities

• Provides technical assistance to a variety of stakeholders, including private landowners, agency and partner personnel, provides expert advice and/or training on fish and wildlife assessments, species and/or habitat

• Engages with identified partners to achieve shared objectives and broad coordination on program/project-funded activities across geographic areas and/or subject matters of shared interest

• Engages with individuals to achieve shared objectives and broader coordination across overlapping areas, to include individual landowners, NWTF members or volunteers, etc.

• Serves as wild turkey subject matter expert, assisting the NWTF District Biologist in providing technical advice on wild turkey management decisions, regional habitat and research priorities

• Provides news and relevant information coordinating with the NWTF District Biologist, to NWTF’s Communications Department, Directors of Development, and Regional Directors regarding wild turkey conservation & research projects in Nebraska in coordination with research leads

• Provision of technical information about wild turkey biology and management to agencies and NWTF members (e.g. information requests). Contributes to Turkey Call magazine, Turkey Call television, NWTF state newsletters, websites, blogs, etc. for promotion, marketing and awareness of NWTF’s mission delivery and the NGPC wild turkey programs

• Reviews and collaborates with state agency, partner, and NWTF staff on large-scale habitat conservation projects on public and private lands as requested. Assists with educating agency staff about relevant NWTF initiative-based conservation work

• Administers NGPC wild turkey projects and serves as Project Manager: Provides oversight and management of contractors, consultants, specialists and inspectors providing services for agreements and other wild turkey-related work for NGPC

• Assists with development and tracking of monthly budgets and budget forecasts for programs of responsibility and as needed by NGPC, possibly including developing and maintaining program and project funding support, and assisting in mentoring and training staff, and answering programmatic and procedural questions

• Assists NWTF District Biologist with State Chapter Super Fund Request for Proposal distribution, proposal reviews, and communications with state agency staff that our leads on funded projects

• Attend annual NWTF Convention, regional meetings and training opportunities, as necessary.

• Performs other related duties as assigned

 

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Must possess a working knowledge of wildlife habitat management, population management, harvest management and research techniques, as well as a working knowledge of wildlife population dynamics and accepted habitat management practices

• Ability to work independently without close supervision and ability to determine work priorities daily, weekly and monthly to maximize time efficiency as required

• Must have good public speaking and presentation skills for both technical and nontechnical audiences

• Must possess basic computer skills such as the use of e-mail and be proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), ArcGIS, video conferencing, etc.

• Experience managing landscape scale projects with multiple objectives

• Ability to read, understand and keep abreast of wildlife research and management peer-reviewed journals

• Meet the requirements for a The Wildlife Society (TWS) Associate or Certified Wildlife Biologist

• Sound, working knowledge of statistical analysis for wildlife research, wildlife capture, monitoring and handling techniques, wild turkeys, upland game birds, and their associated habitats is preferred

• Experience working with state and federal agencies, as well as Universities working with regulatory issues related to wildlife management and interacting with decision-makers at all levels of government is also preferred

 

Education and Experience:

• Position requires a Bachelor’s degree in a wildlife management, wildlife ecology, ornithology or a related natural resources field and a minimum of two (2) years of professional experience or a Master’s degree in one of the above fields

• Master’s degree and two (2) or more years of professional experience is preferred

 

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at a time

• Must be able and willing to work, often alone, in a diverse range of climatic and topographic conditions including extreme hot and cold temperatures, rain, snow, sleet, ice, biting insects, snakes, mountainous terrain, swamps, very remote areas with limited access and amenities and other extreme conditions as warranted.

• Must be able to walk several miles per day in the conditions described above.

• Must be able to drive and/or ride long distances frequently.

• May be required to ride in fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft or watercraft.

• Ability to navigate in remote and rural areas

• Must be willing to incur moderate travel including overnight stays up to five (5) nights or more

 

Remote or Telecomm Status

• Position is required to report to assigned work location, may be permitted to work remotely on a limited basis.