Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wildlife Program Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Wildlife Program Officer is a mid-level conservation professional responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating species- and habitat-level programs that advance biodiversity conservation goals. This role combines field-based wildlife monitoring, data-driven program management, grant and contract oversight, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance to deliver measurable outcomes for species recovery, habitat restoration, invasive species control, and human-wildlife coexistence initiatives. The ideal candidate demonstrates technical expertise in wildlife ecology (including field survey methods and telemetry), strong project management skills, and experience translating scientific findings into policy, management actions, and community outreach.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wildlife Technician / Field Biologist with 1–3 years of field survey experience
Conservation Biologist or Ecologist transitioning from research roles
Natural Resource Specialist or Environmental Planner with program support experience

Advancement To:

Senior Wildlife Program Officer / Lead Conservation Officer
Conservation Program Manager or Regional Program Manager
Director of Conservation, Head of Wildlife Programs, or Senior Policy Advisor

Lateral Moves:

Habitat Restoration Manager
Policy Analyst (wildlife/environmental policy)
Grants & Partnerships Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the design, planning and implementation of species recovery and habitat restoration projects, including scope development, timelines, deliverables, budget forecasts, and risk registers to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of conservation outcomes.
Develop and implement standardized wildlife monitoring protocols (e.g., point counts, transect surveys, camera trapping, acoustic monitoring, telemetry, mark-recapture) and ensure quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) for field data collection.
Manage and analyze ecological datasets using GIS, R, Excel, or other statistical and spatial tools to generate evidence-based reports, habitat suitability models, distribution maps, and adaptive management recommendations.
Prepare, submit and manage grants and cooperative agreements (public and private funders), including writing competitive proposals, preparing budgets and deliverables, tracking performance metrics, and ensuring compliance with donor reporting requirements.
Supervise, train, and coordinate field crews, seasonal technicians, interns, and volunteers in safe field methods, survey protocols, animal handling (when applicable), and data entry, including the creation of training materials and field safety plans.
Engage and maintain partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies, Indigenous communities, academic researchers, private landowners, and NGOs to align management actions, leverage resources, and coordinate multi-stakeholder conservation initiatives.
Oversee permitting and regulatory compliance for wildlife work, including endangered species act (ESA) consultations, incidental take authorizations, state wildlife permits, NEPA/SEPA coordination, and mitigation planning.
Design and lead monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks for programs, select appropriate indicators, set baselines and targets, and synthesize monitoring results to refine management actions using adaptive management approaches.
Manage program budgets and financial reporting, including contract administration, procurement processes, invoice review, cost allocation, and forecasting to meet financial stewardship standards and funder requirements.
Draft, review, and publish technical reports, peer-reviewed papers, management plans, policy briefs, and clear non-technical outreach materials to communicate findings, inform decision-makers, and support stakeholder buy-in.
Coordinate and oversee on-the-ground habitat restoration activities (e.g., native plantings, wetland restoration, invasive species removal, riparian fencing) and ensure contractors and crews meet ecological specifications and performance standards.
Lead human-wildlife conflict mitigation efforts by developing science-based interventions (e.g., deterrents, exclusionary measures, education campaigns) and collaborating with communities to reduce risk to people and wildlife.
Conduct risk assessments and site evaluations to prioritize conservation actions by integrating species distribution data, threat mapping (e.g., land-use change, invasive species, climate vulnerability), and socio-economic considerations.
Design and implement community engagement and environmental education programs that promote local stewardship, indigenous knowledge integration, citizen science participation, and equitable access to conservation benefits.
Serve as the primary point of contact for project-specific stakeholder consultations and public meetings, present technical information in accessible formats, and incorporate community feedback into management decisions.
Maintain databases and information management systems (e.g., ArcGIS Online, Google Earth Engine, custom SQL or cloud-based repositories) to ensure secure storage, version control, and accessibility of program data.
Conduct field safety planning and incident management, including developing emergency response protocols, maintaining training records, ensuring PPE availability, and enforcing safety standards for remote and maritime operations.
Monitor policy and regulatory developments relevant to wildlife conservation (e.g., local zoning, endangered species listings, agricultural policy) and advise leadership on implications for program strategy and advocacy.
Negotiate and manage contracts with consultants, laboratories, equipment vendors, and service providers; write scopes of work, evaluate bids, and ensure deliverables meet technical and contractual requirements.
Implement climate adaptation strategies within wildlife programs by assessing vulnerability, integrating climate scenarios into planning, and applying nature-based solutions that increase ecosystem resilience.
Synthesize multi-year results into actionable program recommendations, set priorities for subsequent funding cycles, and contribute to organizational strategic planning and annual work plans.
Lead data-driven habitat connectivity and corridor planning efforts, leveraging remote sensing, movement ecology, and landscape genetics insights to inform land-use recommendations and conservation easements.

Secondary Functions

Support development of organizational fundraising materials, donor stewardship updates, and impact dashboards to demonstrate program value and secure continued funding.
Provide technical support to other teams, offering expertise in wildlife survey design, sampling protocols, and statistical analysis to inform cross-functional projects.
Represent the organization at conferences, technical working groups, and inter-agency forums to share best practices, coordinate regional actions, and elevate program visibility.
Maintain inventories of field equipment, vehicles, and supplies; coordinate maintenance, calibration of instruments (e.g., telemetry receivers, acoustic sensors), and procurement in line with procurement policies.
Mentor early-career staff and interns, contribute to capacity-building workshops, and create knowledge transfer materials to institutionalize monitoring and management expertise.
Assist with GIS mapping and production of publication-quality figures, infographics, and interactive maps for use in reports, grant proposals, and stakeholder communications.
Facilitate internal project meetings, produce concise meeting notes and action items, and track follow-up tasks to ensure sustained progress across multi-partner projects.
Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis for leadership, funders, and partner agencies; deliver clear, visual summaries and recommendations.
Contribute to the organization's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts by integrating community perspectives into program design and ensuring accessible participation opportunities.
Participate in periodic internal and external audits, site visits, and compliance reviews; prepare documentation and implement corrective actions as needed.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wildlife survey methods: proven experience designing and executing point-counts, transects, camera trap networks, acoustic surveys, and mark-recapture studies.
Remote sensing & GIS: proficiency in ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar for habitat mapping, spatial analysis, and creation of conservation planning maps.
Telemetry & tracking: experience with VHF/GPS telemetry workflows, data processing, home-range estimation, and movement analysis.
Statistical analysis & data science: competence in R, Python, or statistical software for analyzing ecological datasets, occupancy modeling, population trend analysis, and visualizations.
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E): ability to develop indicators, set baselines, implement sampling designs, and synthesize monitoring results into programmatic recommendations.
Grant writing & fund management: demonstrated success preparing competitive grant proposals, budgets, funder reports, and managing donor compliance.
Regulatory compliance: working knowledge of ESA, NEPA/SEPA, state wildlife regulations, permitting processes, and mitigation planning.
Project and budget management: experience managing multi-year project budgets, contractual deliverables, procurement, and vendor oversight.
Habitat restoration techniques: practical experience planning and implementing invasive species control, native revegetation, erosion control, and riparian restoration.
Database & data management: experience with relational databases, cloud repositories, data QA/QC, metadata standards, and data sharing agreements.
Field safety & logistics: certifications or experience in field safety protocols, first aid/CPR, remote operations planning, and vehicle or boat operation as applicable.
Technical writing and communications: strong ability to produce technical reports, habitat management plans, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and accessible outreach content.
Species identification: taxonomic expertise relevant to focal taxa (e.g., birds, mammals, herpetofauna, invertebrates) and ecological community knowledge.
GIS web tools & dashboards: experience building interactive maps or dashboards (ArcGIS Online, Google Data Studio, Tableau) for stakeholder reporting and visualization.

Soft Skills

Stakeholder engagement: strong facilitation and negotiation skills to build consensus among government agencies, tribes, landowners, and NGOs.
Strategic thinking: ability to translate scientific data into program strategy, long-term priorities, and adaptive management cycles.
Communication: excellent verbal and written communication skills, comfortable presenting technical content to non-technical audiences.
Collaboration & partnership building: proven ability to coordinate across multidisciplinary teams and maintain productive partnerships.
Problem solving & adaptability: resourceful in field conditions, able to pivot project tactics when confronted with logistical or ecological challenges.
Leadership & supervision: experience mentoring staff, delegating tasks, and fostering a positive, safety-oriented field culture.
Time management & organization: strong prioritization skills to balance concurrent projects, field seasons, and reporting deadlines.
Cultural competency: sensitivity and experience working with Indigenous communities and diverse stakeholder groups, integrating local knowledge respectfully.
Attention to detail: meticulous approach to protocol adherence, data entry, and report accuracy.
Initiative & accountability: self-starter who takes ownership of projects and delivers results against measurable objectives.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MSc) in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Science, Environmental Management, or equivalent with demonstrated applied field research or program management experience.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wildlife Biology / Wildlife Ecology
Conservation Biology
Ecology / Landscape Ecology
Natural Resource Management
Environmental Science / Environmental Policy
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) / Spatial Analysis
Statistics / Data Science (applied to ecology)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in wildlife monitoring, conservation program implementation, or natural resource projects; field season experience preferred.

Preferred:

5+ years managing multi-partner conservation projects, including at least one complete project cycle (design → implementation → M&E → reporting).
Demonstrated grant-writing success and experience managing federal or state-funded contracts/cooperative agreements.
Prior supervisory experience managing field crews and seasonal technicians.
Experience working with endangered, threatened, or sensitive species and navigating permitting/regulatory processes.
Proven track record of applied ecological research or conservation outcomes linked to program activities.