Director and Principal Scientist, Audubon Everglades Research Station; AERS

About Audubon

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet.

Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more ubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

The Audubon Everglades Research Station (AERS) is Audubon’s premier community ecology field station operating since the 1930s in Tavernier, Florida. The center’s efforts focus on the birds and ecosystems of Florida Bay and the Everglades and contribute to the design and operation of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects. The Director and Principal Scientist, AERS will be the next scientist to lead this important long-term ecological monitoring and research unit while also identifying new opportunities for the research to inform Audubon conservation and policy recommendations for the greater Everglades ecosystem.

This is essential work in Audubon’s Flight Plan vision to recover the hemisphere’s birds and at the same time, preserve the natural resources that support us all.

The Director and Principal Scientist is expected to represent Audubon Florida and contribute our unique historical perspective and current data to Everglades ecosystem science and restoration efforts in the broader community, with state and federal agencies, and other partners. The Director must be highly collaborative, able to connect with and communicate their work to multiple stakeholders, value the importance of long-term ecological monitoring, and be experienced in directing ecological research.

The Director and Principal Scientist will oversee an annual research budget of approximately $1.2M with expectations of obtaining significant external funding to support this important work through a combination of grants and other external funding in collaboration with Audubon’s fundraising team. The Director oversees one direct report (Senior Biologist) with a full team of 9 full-time and 1-2 seasonal staff. The position is full-time (40 hours per week) on-site at the Audubon Everglades Research Station in Tavernier, FL.

Only applications submitted with a cover letter will be considered.

$103,094 - $115,981 / year

• Act as primary investigator on applied research projects related to the Everglades watershed including currently funded Florida Bay projects monitoring prey base fish populations, submerged aquatic vegetation, hydrology, Roseate Spoonbills, and other important wading bird species.
• Drive the vision of the AERS in partnership with Audubon Florida leadership to ensure that the work is focused on the most impactful science to inform Everglades restoration and the conservation of Florida Bay.
• Lead current contract and grant‑funded efforts and continue to advance a robust portfolio of external funding for AERS including identifying new funding opportunities, writing proposals, tracking and fulfilling grant deliverables, participating in grant obligations such as quarterly meetings, and timely compliance with reporting requirements.
• Provide strategic and operational oversight of Center activities, delegating day‑to‑day execution to technical staff while maintaining ultimate responsibility for personnel decisions and the maintenance and operation of all AERS facilities, vehicles, vessels, and technical equipment. Participate as a scientific expert representing Audubon in the evaluation of restoration project design and operation recommendations on advisory bodies such as the Florida…