LTE Wildlife Research Scientist; Madison

Position: LTE Wildlife Research Scientist (Madison)
Position Summary

This position will support applied research and development of population metrics from Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera data to inform management of deer, turkeys, and other Wisconsin wildlife species.

The position will be responsible for producing and improving upon the annual decision support products from Snapshot data. The incumbent of this position will work on quantitative model development (e.g., hierarchical models, GAMMs) and communicating research findings through writing peer-reviewed manuscripts and creating dynamic reports in R. This position works under general supervision.

40% Produce and improve upon annual decision-support products

* Pull and process Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera data from an Oracle database using custom R functions and packages

* Generate workflows for pulling covariate data, especially those that change in space and time (e.g., temperature and precipitation)

* Contribute to custom R packages, especially adding documentation and new functions

* Create procedures to visualize and understand raw data

* Assess data quality and identify inconsistencies in data that require further checking

* Create data workflow graphics and documentation to ensure consistent pulling and processing of data

25% Model development

* Assess patterns in data to separate noise (e.g., sampling issues, classification differences, detection differences) from abundance trends

* Analyze trail camera data using a range of models with covariates (e.g., occupancy, N-mixture, Poisson regression, generalized additive mixed models, etc.)

* Running frequentist and Bayesian models with various fixed and random effect structures

* Assess model fit and model predictions

* Visualize model predictions spatially and temporally

25% Research communications

* Contribute to analysis and writing of peer-reviewed manuscripts, edit manuscripts, respond to reviewer comments, create graphs, tables, and supplemental material for manuscripts

* Conduct literature review and participate in reading group discussions of manuscripts

* Lead in writing of annual reports and developing PowerPoint presentations and posters for technical and lay audiences

* Generate dynamic reports to communicate annual decision support products

* Contribute to oral presentation for technical and lay audiences

10% Other duties as assigned

Salary Information

This position pays between $27.68 per hour and is in pay schedule and range 15-03 in the Natural Resources Research Scientist-Senior classification. Compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan.

Job Details

This is a Limited Term Employment (LTE) position and will not automatically lead to permanent state employment or be entitled to the same benefits as permanent employees.

More about LTE positions:

1) Offer a great opportunity to gain experience and learn about careers at the WI Department of Natural Resources.

2) Provide opportunities for individuals to enhance their resumes with skills learned on the job.

3) May accommodate flexibility for part-time or full-time work hours and seasonal schedules. Work schedules are dependent on business needs.

4) Allow individuals to hold multiple LTE appointments concurrently. If both LTE positions are at the same agency, the positions must be bona fide different positions. Each individual LTE position allows for maximum of 1039 hours in a twelve-month period.

Special Requirements :

1) Residency:
To be considered for this position, you must be a resident of the State of Wisconsin.

A Wisconsin resident is a person who:

a. Has established a residence, as defined in s. 6.10(1), in this state not less than 10 days earlier;

b. Has resided in this state for not less than a total of one year out of the immediately preceding 5 years;

c. Is eligible to register to vote in this state; or

d. Is the spouse of a person meeting the requirements of par. (a), (b), or (c)." s.), Wis. Stats.

2) Background Checks:
The Department of Natural Resources conducts criminal background checks on final applicants prior to a job offer. Please note that a criminal charge or conviction on your record will not necessarily disqualify you from state employment. In compliance with the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, the DNR does not discriminate on the basis of arrest or conviction record.

3) Eligible to work in U.S.:
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. The Department of Natural Resources does not sponsor work visas at the time of hire or anytime during employment. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required Employment Eligibility I-9 form upon hire.

Equal Opportunity

Employer:

The DNR is an equal opportunity employer that promotes and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

Qualifications

In addition to the…