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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Analyst

💰 $50,000 - $85,000

WildlifeConservationEcologyGISData Analysis

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Analyst is an applied ecology professional who plans and conducts wildlife and habitat monitoring programs, synthesizes biological and spatial data, builds population and habitat models, and delivers clear, actionable products (technical reports, maps, and presentations) that support conservation planning, regulatory review, land-use decisions, and adaptive management. The role requires a mix of field sampling and high-level data analysis using GIS, remote sensing, and statistical software, and frequently involves collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, Indigenous groups, and private-sector clients.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Field Technician (Wildlife or Ecology)
  • Research Assistant in Ecology or Conservation Biology
  • GIS/Spatial Technician with ecology exposure

Advancement To:

  • Senior Wildlife Analyst / Senior Ecologist
  • Wildlife Biologist / Conservation Scientist
  • GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist (Ecological focus)
  • Program or Project Manager – Conservation Projects

Lateral Moves:

  • Environmental Consultant (Wildlife Focus)
  • Data Scientist / Ecological Modeler
  • Regulatory Compliance Specialist (Wildlife & Habitat)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Design and implement rigorous wildlife monitoring and survey programs (point counts, transects, camera trap grids, acoustic stations, live-capture or visual encounter surveys) that meet scientific, regulatory, and client requirements while minimizing disturbance to target species and habitats.
  • Develop statistically robust sampling designs and power analyses to estimate population abundance, density, occupancy, survival, and trend metrics, ensuring adequate spatial and temporal replication to meet study objectives.
  • Process, clean, and manage large ecological datasets (GPS/telemetry fixes, camera trap images, acoustic recordings, field observations) using reproducible workflows and metadata standards to ensure long-term usability and compliance with data-sharing policies.
  • Lead spatial analyses and habitat mapping using ArcGIS, QGIS, and remote-sensing tools to delineate habitat types, identify corridors, calculate landscape metrics, and produce publication-ready maps for reports and presentations.
  • Build and validate species distribution models (SDMs), occupancy models, resource-selection functions, and habitat suitability models using R, Python, MaxEnt, or other appropriate modeling frameworks to forecast species distributions under current and future scenarios.
  • Analyze telemetry and movement data (VHF/GPS collars, biologgers) to estimate home ranges, movement corridors, utilization distributions, and connectivity using tools such as adehabitatHR, move, or ctmm and provide management recommendations based on results.
  • Conduct remote-sensing analyses (Landsat, Sentinel, LiDAR) to quantify habitat change, disturbance, and vegetation structure, and integrate these layers into ecological models and monitoring reports.
  • Process and analyze camera-trap imagery and automated image classification outputs using Timelapse, CameraBase, or AI-assisted platforms and maintain quality-control procedures for species ID and detection histories.
  • Carry out bioacoustic data analysis for species detection and occupancy (bat echolocation, bird song, cetacean calls) using Kaleidoscope, Raven, or custom signal-processing pipelines and integrate results into multi-method monitoring assessments.
  • Perform population viability analysis (PVA) and demographic modeling to evaluate species extinction risk, the effects of management scenarios, and to inform recovery and conservation strategies.
  • Prepare technical reports, environmental impact assessment sections, permit applications, and peer-reviewed manuscripts that clearly communicate methods, results, uncertainty, and recommended actions to scientists, regulators, and stakeholders.
  • Translate complex scientific findings into accessible materials for non-technical audiences, including policy briefs, stakeholder summaries, maps, and visualizations for community engagement and decision-makers.
  • Coordinate field logistics, procure and maintain monitoring equipment (telemetry units, camera traps, acoustic recorders), ensure proper calibration and data backup, and maintain inventory and safety compliance.
  • Provide on-the-ground supervision and training for field crews and seasonal technicians in safe handling protocols, survey protocols, species identification, and data entry best practices to ensure consistent data quality.
  • Design and implement quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocols for data collection, entry, and analysis to reduce bias, document limitations, and support defensible conclusions for regulatory reviews.
  • Consult with regulatory agencies, Indigenous communities, landowners, and stakeholders to integrate local knowledge and regulatory requirements into study design, mitigation planning, and monitoring strategies.
  • Support grant writing and proposal development by contributing technical sections, budgets, monitoring plans, and timelines that align scientific objectives with funder and client priorities.
  • Monitor project budgets and timelines, coordinate subcontractors and collaborators (laboratories, GIS vendors, modeling consultants), and ensure deliverables meet contractual and regulatory deadlines.
  • Evaluate and recommend mitigation and adaptive management measures (e.g., habitat restoration, exclusion fencing, seasonal restrictions, wildlife crossings) based on monitoring outcomes and best available science.
  • Participate in interdisciplinary teams for environmental impact assessments, land-use planning, and renewable-energy siting by providing wildlife risk assessments, species-at-risk evaluations, and mitigation performance metrics.
  • Publish and present findings at scientific conferences, stakeholder workshops, and public meetings to support knowledge transfer, stakeholder buy-in, and evidence-based conservation actions.
  • Stay current with advances in wildlife monitoring technologies, statistical methods, and conservation policy to continuously improve study design, analytical techniques, and management recommendations.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc ecological data requests, exploratory analyses, and dashboard creation for internal teams and external clients to inform short-term decisions and permit responses.
  • Contribute to organizational knowledge by developing standardized protocols, templates, and reproducible analysis pipelines (RMarkdown, Jupyter Notebooks, Git) to improve efficiency and transparency.
  • Assist in the development and maintenance of species and habitat databases (SQL, PostGIS), including data ingestion, normalization, and APIs for internal use and public reporting.
  • Coordinate with communications teams to prepare outreach materials, social media summaries, and educational content that translate monitoring results into practical conservation messages.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary project planning sessions, agile sprint planning, and regular check-ins to align wildlife-monitoring activities with broader project milestones and client deliverables.
  • Mentor junior analysts and interns on technical skills (GIS, statistical modeling, field protocols) and professional development to build team capability and succession planning.
  • Act as a subject-matter expert during regulatory inspections, site visits, and compliance audits, providing technical context and corrective action recommendations when required.
  • Support health and safety programs by maintaining field safety plans, incident reporting, and ensuring field teams follow COVID, wilderness, and wildlife safety best practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expert proficiency with GIS software (ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap) and open-source tools (QGIS, PostGIS) for habitat mapping, spatial analysis, and cartographic product creation.
  • Strong statistical modeling and programming skills in R (tidyverse, lme4, unmarked, mgcv) and/or Python (pandas, scikit-learn, PyMC), including reproducible script development and version control (Git).
  • Experience developing species distribution models (MaxEnt, SDMs), occupancy and detection models, and population/demographic models (Vortex, IPM).
  • Practical experience analyzing telemetry and movement data (GPS/VHF) and using movement ecology packages and methods (home-range estimation, step-selection functions).
  • Remote sensing and imagery analysis skills using Landsat/Sentinel data, LiDAR processing, and classification workflows (ENVI, Google Earth Engine).
  • Competence in processing and classifying camera-trap images and automated detection outputs, familiarity with AI-assisted tools and manual QA workflows.
  • Bioacoustics analysis experience (Raven, Kaleidoscope, PAMGuard) for species detection and call classification.
  • Database management and querying skills (SQL, PostgreSQL/PostGIS), and familiarity with data ingestion and metadata standards (Darwin Core, Ecological Metadata Language).
  • Proficiency in data visualization and reporting tools (RMarkdown, ggplot2, Tableau, Power BI) to produce executive summaries and technical figures.
  • Knowledge of field survey equipment and protocols (camera traps, acoustic recorders, capture and handling procedures, GPS units) and ability to maintain and calibrate sensors.
  • Understanding of environmental legislation, species-at-risk regulations, permitting processes, and best practices for mitigation and monitoring compliance.
  • Proven ability to write technical reports, scientific manuscripts, and grant proposals with clear documentation of methods, results, and uncertainty.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills tailored for both technical audiences and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities with attention to methodological rigor and data quality.
  • Project and time management skills, able to balance concurrent studies, deadlines, budgets, and field logistics.
  • Collaborative team player who can work effectively with interdisciplinary teams, Indigenous partners, regulators, and clients.
  • Leadership and mentorship capability to supervise field crews, interns, and junior analysts safely and professionally.
  • Adaptability and resilience in variable field conditions, remote locations, and changing project priorities.
  • Ethical judgment and cultural sensitivity when working with Indigenous communities, private landowners, and stakeholder groups.
  • Detail-oriented with a commitment to reproducibility, documentation, and continuous improvement.
  • Public speaking and facilitation skills for workshops, stakeholder meetings, and community outreach events.
  • Initiative and creativity to identify new monitoring technologies, improve workflows, and apply novel analytical approaches to conservation problems.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology, Zoology, Forestry, or closely related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree (MS) or PhD in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Science, Spatial Ecology, Quantitative Ecology, or related discipline with a strong quantitative and GIS component.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Wildlife Biology
  • Ecology and Conservation Biology
  • Environmental Science
  • Spatial Ecology / Geographic Information Science
  • Biostatistics / Quantitative Ecology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of relevant professional experience (field surveys, GIS, statistical modeling). Entry-level candidates may have 0–2 years with strong internship or research experience.

Preferred:

  • 3–7 years of progressive experience in wildlife monitoring, habitat assessments, and ecological data analysis.
  • Demonstrated experience producing regulatory-quality technical reports and working with government agencies or NGO clients.
  • Field leadership experience supervising crews, familiarity with health and safety standards, and experience managing project budgets and timelines.
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