Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Program Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires an experienced Wildlife Program Consultant to lead and deliver conservation, monitoring, and compliance programs for public and private sector clients. The ideal candidate combines scientific rigor in wildlife ecology and population assessments with practical field experience, regulatory knowledge (ESA, MBTA, NEPA/CEQA), strong project management, and stakeholder engagement skills. This role supports decision-making for habitat restoration, development mitigation, and long-term species monitoring while ensuring regulatory compliance and delivering high-quality technical products.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wildlife Technician or Field Biologist with 2–4 years of field survey experience
Natural Resource Specialist or Environmental Planner with habitat assessment experience
Entry-level Conservation Scientist or Biology Graduate with internship experience in wildlife monitoring

Advancement To:

Senior Wildlife Program Manager / Senior Wildlife Biologist
Principal Environmental Consultant or Technical Lead (Wildlife)
Program Director for Conservation or Natural Resources

Lateral Moves:

Environmental Compliance Specialist (NEPA/CEQA)
Habitat Restoration Project Manager
GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist for Conservation

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and oversee comprehensive wildlife monitoring programs and study designs (population surveys, occupancy modeling, abundance estimates) tailored to client objectives and regulatory requirements.
Conduct and supervise field surveys for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates using standardized methods (point counts, transects, camera traps, mist-netting, acoustic monitoring, spotlighting).
Perform habitat assessments and ecological evaluations to identify critical habitat features, connectivity corridors, and restoration priorities; translate findings into actionable management plans.
Lead species-specific inventories and status assessments, including threatened and endangered species (ESA-listed) and migratory bird assessments (MBTA), and prepare technical documentation for permitting.
Prepare and manage biological resource reports, feasibility studies, technical memoranda, and peer-reviewed quality deliverables that support environmental permitting and decision-making.
Conduct impact assessments and mitigation planning for land-use projects, renewable energy, transportation, and infrastructure, including design of avoidance, minimization, and compensation measures.
Coordinate and prepare environmental compliance documentation (CEQA/NEPA checklists, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements) in collaboration with planners and legal teams.
Design and implement long-term monitoring and adaptive management frameworks, analyze temporal trends, and recommend management adjustments to meet conservation objectives.
Use GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis to map species distributions, prioritize restoration sites, analyze landscape connectivity, and present geospatial results to stakeholders.
Apply statistical and population modeling techniques (R, Python, MARK, Distance) to analyze survey data, estimate population parameters, and quantify detection probabilities.
Write and submit permit applications and supporting materials to local, state, and federal agencies (USFWS, NMFS, state wildlife agencies) and manage consultation processes.
Manage project budgets, scopes, deliverables, and schedules; ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and with high scientific integrity.
Oversee field crews and subconsultants: recruit, train in standardized protocols, ensure safety and data quality, and supervise logistics (vehicles, boats, ATVs).
Develop mitigation monitoring programs and ensure contractor compliance with terms and monitoring protocols during construction and post-construction phases.
Lead stakeholder engagement with landowners, tribes, regulatory agencies, NGOs, and the public; present technical findings at public meetings and stakeholder workshops.
Prepare grant proposals, secure funding, and manage grant reporting to support conservation projects and monitoring initiatives.
Conduct risk assessments and develop species- and site-specific contingency plans, including human-wildlife conflict mitigation and emergency response during fieldwork.
Ensure compliance with health and safety standards, field safety plans, and permit conditions; maintain certifications (WFA/WFR, boating safety) and ensure crew training.
Coordinate laboratory and sample processing workflows (genetic sampling, eDNA, disease screening) and oversee chain-of-custody and quality assurance for biological samples.
Review and critique biological reports and technical plans prepared by third parties; provide senior-level technical review and verification for regulatory submittals.
Integrate climate vulnerability and resilience considerations into conservation planning and monitoring to inform long-term program sustainability.
Mentor junior biologists and technicians, provide professional development, and build organizational capacity in wildlife science and natural resource management.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests, perform exploratory data analysis, and deliver concise summaries and visualizations for internal teams and clients.
Contribute to the organization's monitoring and data management strategy, including standardizing field data collection, metadata, and database design.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (engineers, planners, hydrologists) to translate biological findings into design-based mitigation and engineering requirements.
Participate in project scoping meetings, proposal development, and agile-style project tracking to align wildlife workstreams with client milestones.
Maintain and update species databases, GIS layers, and monitoring dashboards to support adaptive management and reporting.
Represent the organization in professional forums, workshops, and stakeholder advisory committees to maintain visibility and share best practices.
Assist in procurement and contracting processes for subcontract field teams, laboratory services, and specialty consultants.
Develop outreach materials, educational curricula, and public-facing content to promote conservation objectives and community engagement.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wildlife biology and field survey techniques for terrestrial and avian species (point counts, transects, camera trapping, mist-netting, netting and banding).
Habitat assessment and restoration planning, including native plant community identification and invasive species management.
Regulatory compliance expertise: Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and related state/local regulations.
GIS and spatial analysis (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) for mapping species distributions, suitability modeling, and habitat connectivity.
Statistical analysis and population modeling using R, Python, MARK, Distance, or similar tools; strong quantitative data interpretation skills.
Remote sensing and use of aerial/satellite imagery, LiDAR, and orthophotos for habitat mapping and change detection.
Telemetry and tracking technologies: radio/GPS telemetry, PIT tagging, acoustic telemetry, and analysis of movement data.
Camera trap deployment and image processing workflows, including automated image classification and occupancy modeling.
Environmental permitting and consultation processes, including preparation of biological assessments, biological opinions, and take avoidance plans.
Project management: budgeting, scheduling, vendor management, contract administration, and deliverable oversight.
Grant writing, fundraising, and experience managing externally funded conservation projects and grant reporting.
Field certifications and safety training: Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder, boat/ATV operation, sampling safety protocols.
Laboratory familiarity with genetic sampling, eDNA workflows, specimen handling, and chain-of-custody procedures.
Data management skills: relational databases, metadata standards, and cloud-based data repositories for large monitoring datasets.

Soft Skills

Excellent written communication and technical writing skills for clear, compelling biological reports and permit narratives.
Strong verbal presentation and public speaking skills for stakeholder meetings, public hearings, and client briefings.
Collaborative team leadership and mentorship abilities with experience supervising multidisciplinary field crews and junior staff.
Problem-solving and critical thinking to design robust monitoring approaches and resolve field logistics and sampling challenges.
Client-focused orientation with the ability to translate complex technical findings into actionable recommendations and accessible summaries.
Cultural competency and experience working effectively with tribal governments, landowners, and diverse community stakeholders.
Time management, prioritization, and organizational skills to handle multiple projects and shifting client demands.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for managing stakeholder concerns and aligning competing interests.
Attention to detail and commitment to data quality, QA/QC processes, and scientific rigor.
Adaptability and resilience to work in remote field conditions, variable weather, and dynamic regulatory environments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MS) or higher in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or related discipline with thesis or applied research experience.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology
Ecology / Conservation Biology
Natural Resource Management
Environmental Science / Restoration Ecology
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) / Remote Sensing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–10+ years of progressively responsible experience in wildlife fieldwork, monitoring, and environmental permitting.

Preferred:

5+ years in consulting or agency roles with demonstrated experience leading projects, preparing regulatory documentation (ESA/NEPA/CEQA), managing budgets, and delivering technical reports.
Proven track record of successful stakeholder coordination, grant-funded project management, and published or peer-reviewed technical products.