Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Lab Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Lab Technician supports field and laboratory operations that advance conservation, wildlife health, and ecological research. This role is responsible for receiving, processing and storing biological and environmental samples; performing standardized laboratory assays (microscopy, PCR, serology); maintaining chain-of-custody and laboratory quality control; assisting with necropsies and specimen preparation; and ensuring accurate data capture for statistical analysis and regulatory reporting. The ideal candidate combines hands-on lab experience, meticulous record-keeping, and the ability to coordinate with field teams, permitting authorities, and research scientists.

Keywords: wildlife lab technician, sample processing, molecular biology, DNA extraction, necropsy assistance, wildlife disease surveillance, field sampling, GIS, QA/QC, laboratory safety.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Technician (Wildlife/Environmental)
Veterinary Assistant / Animal Care Technician
Laboratory Assistant or Research Assistant (biology/ecology)

Advancement To:

Senior Wildlife Lab Technician / Lead Technician
Laboratory Coordinator or Lab Manager (wildlife/livestock diagnostics)
Wildlife Biologist / Research Scientist (with graduate education)

Lateral Moves:

Diagnostic Lab Technician (veterinary/public health)
GIS / Spatial Analyst for conservation organizations
Field Project Coordinator or Permitting Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Receive, inspect, log and triage wildlife and environmental specimens (tissues, blood, swabs, feces, ectoparasites, water, soil) following established chain-of-custody procedures and study-specific sample collection protocols to ensure traceability and data integrity.
Perform standardized sample processing workflows including aliquoting, centrifugation, serum separation, cryopreservation, and storage in −80°C freezers or liquid nitrogen, maintaining accurate inventory and sample maps in LIMS or spreadsheet systems.
Conduct molecular biology procedures including DNA/RNA extraction, quantification (e.g., Qubit, Nanodrop), PCR/rtPCR setup and thermocycler operation, and prepare libraries for sequencing under established SOPs and contamination-control measures.
Run serological assays such as ELISA and rapid diagnostics for pathogen surveillance, perform plate reading, standard curve generation and interpretation, and document results per quality assurance standards.
Assist with gross necropsy and specimen preparation under supervision: external and internal examination, tissue collection for histology, microbiology and molecular testing, fixation in formalin, and proper labeling and packaging for downstream analyses.
Prepare histological samples including embedding, microtomy sectioning, slide staining (H&E, Gram, special stains) and mounting while ensuring biohazard and chemical safety procedures are followed.
Perform parasitology and microscopy work: prepare fecal flotation and direct smears, identify ecto- and endoparasites under light microscope, record morphological identifications and capture photomicrographs for QA and reporting.
Maintain laboratory equipment: calibrate pipettes, clean and validate biosafety cabinets, autoclaves, centrifuges and freezers; schedule and document routine maintenance and service contracts.
Implement and document laboratory quality control and quality assurance measures: run positive/negative controls, maintain control charts, identify deviations, and escalate to supervisors when results fall outside acceptance criteria.
Manage hazardous materials and biohazards: follow biosafety level protocols, prepare, label and dispose of chemical and biological waste according to institutional and regulatory requirements, and maintain accurate chemical inventories and MSDS.
Accurately enter and manage experimental and sample metadata into LIMS, Excel or cloud databases; ensure consistent metadata standards for species, location (GPS coordinates), date/time, collector and permit numbers to support traceability.
Prepare sample shipments for domestic and international transport: follow IATA, USDA and CITES regulations, complete permits and customs documentation, and coordinate with courier services for temperature-controlled shipping.
Assist with field operations and sample collection: deploy to field sites for live capture, sample collection (blood draws, swabs), remote camera checks, radio-telemetry equipment deployment and retrieval, and ensure proper animal handling and welfare practices.
Perform routine molecular and serologic data analysis: basic sequence quality checks, run simple bioinformatics QC pipelines, prepare raw results for biostatistical analysis, and collaborate with analysts to deliver clean datasets.
Support design and implementation of monitoring protocols: contribute to sampling scheme design, power calculations, and development of SOPs to ensure reproducible data collection across projects.
Prepare reagents and media: make buffers, culture media, fixatives and staining solutions while following allergen, toxicity and storage guidelines and maintaining batch records for traceability.
Train and mentor junior technicians, interns and seasonal field staff in lab safety, sample handling, SOPs, and proper use of instruments to maintain consistent standards across teams.
Maintain specimen archives and museum-quality voucher specimens: label, catalog, and prepare tissues, skins, skulls or whole specimens for long-term storage and accessioning into institutional collections.
Generate written technical reports, lab notebooks and sample manifests that summarize daily activities, assay results, deviations, and recommendations for follow-up testing or sample recollection.
Coordinate with permitting and compliance offices to ensure all wildlife handling, possession and transport adhere to federal, state and local permits (e.g., animal care, endangered species, import/export).
Participate in interdisciplinary research meetings, present methodology and preliminary data, and communicate findings and sample status clearly to principal investigators, collaborators and stakeholders.
Implement improvements to lab workflows to increase throughput and reduce contamination risk; document process changes and assist with validation studies for new assays or instruments.

Secondary Functions

Assist project managers with procurement, inventory control and budget tracking for reagents, consumables and field supplies.
Contribute to outreach materials and training guides for citizen science collection or partner organizations to improve sample quality and community engagement.
Support ad-hoc requests such as emergency disease response sampling, outbreak investigations, or rapid-turnaround diagnostic testing as needed.
Participate in institutional safety committees and contribute to incident investigations and corrective action plans for laboratory incidents.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Sample handling and chain-of-custody management for wildlife and environmental specimens.
Molecular techniques: DNA/RNA extraction, PCR/rtPCR, qPCR setup, contamination control, and basic library preparation.
Serology and immunoassays: ELISA setup, plate reading, and data interpretation.
Microscopy and parasitology: fecal floats, smear prep, slide staining, and species-level parasite identification.
Necropsy assistance and tissue collection for histology, microbiology and molecular diagnostics.
Histology support: tissue fixation, embedding, microtomy and common histochemical staining.
Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) or equivalent sample tracking and metadata entry experience.
Cold chain management: cryopreservation, −20/−80°C freezer and liquid nitrogen sample storage and monitoring.
Equipment calibration, preventative maintenance, and documentation (pipettes, thermocyclers, centrifuges).
Biosafety and hazardous waste handling: BSL protocols, PPE use, chemical safety and disposal regulations.
Permit and shipping compliance: IATA, USDA, CITES, and federal/state wildlife transport permit familiarity.
Basic GIS/GPS proficiency: recording and interpreting GPS coordinates, mapping sample locations for spatial analysis.
Basic data management and statistical tools: Excel, R or Python for data cleaning and simple analyses.
Laboratory QA/QC and SOP development experience.
Cold-chain and temperature-control shipping preparation and documentation.

Soft Skills

Strong attention to detail and meticulous record-keeping.
Excellent written communication for technical reports, SOPs and permit applications.
Team-oriented with experience mentoring or supervising seasonal staff.
Problem-solving orientation: able to triage sample quality issues and recommend corrective actions.
Ability to thrive in both field and laboratory settings with adaptability to changing priorities and environments.
Time management and organization skills to handle multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
Professionalism working with partners, permitting agencies and collaborative researchers.
Comfortable following strict safety protocols and promoting a safety-first culture.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree in biological sciences, wildlife technology, laboratory technology, or related field, plus relevant lab experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, molecular biology, microbiology, or related life sciences.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology / Wildlife Technology
Molecular Biology / Microbiology
Ecology / Conservation Biology
Veterinary Science / Animal Health
Environmental Science / Natural Resources

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of laboratory or field experience working with biological samples, preferably including wildlife, veterinary or environmental specimens.

Preferred:

2+ years of hands-on experience in molecular assays (DNA/RNA extraction and PCR) and histology or necropsy assistance.
Experience with institutional LIMS, permit compliance, and shipping regulated biological materials.
Prior fieldwork experience collecting wildlife samples, handling live animals under supervision, and using GPS/GIS tools.