Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoology Program Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Zoology Program Assistant supports zoological research and conservation programs by coordinating field logistics, assisting with animal handling and sampling, maintaining lab and field equipment, managing data and records, and supporting outreach and regulatory compliance. This role is ideal for candidates with hands-on field or lab experience in wildlife biology, strong organizational skills, and the ability to translate scientific protocols into reliable operational outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Technician or Research Technician (wildlife/eco-focused)
Laboratory Assistant (biology or ecology labs)
Environmental Educator or Volunteer Coordinator

Advancement To:

Program Coordinator / Project Coordinator (wildlife research)
Wildlife Biologist or Zoologist (entry-level professional)
Research Manager or Lab Manager

Lateral Moves:

Environmental Education Specialist
Conservation Outreach Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate and execute daily field operations for zoology projects, including scheduling field crews, arranging transportation and lodging, preparing field equipment, and ensuring all team members have required permits and safety gear.
Assist principal investigators and senior researchers during capture, handling, marking, and release of vertebrate and invertebrate specimens, following species-specific protocols and minimizing animal stress.
Collect biological samples (blood, tissue, hair, feathers, feces, environmental DNA) in compliance with chain-of-custody procedures and preserve samples using appropriate buffers, cold chain, or cryopreservation methods.
Maintain, calibrate, and repair field and laboratory equipment (GPS units, telemetry receivers, mist nets, traps, microscopes, centrifuges), and track equipment inventory with purchase and maintenance records.
Conduct standard and repeatable data collection protocols in the field (point counts, transects, camera trap deployment, acoustic monitoring, nest monitoring), ensuring high-quality, reproducible datasets.
Enter, clean, and validate field and lab data using standardized database systems and spreadsheets (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Access, Google Sheets), and perform basic quality assurance/quality control to flag anomalies for PI review.
Operate GPS/GIS tools to map survey locations, tag recoveries, and habitat features, producing maps and geospatial layers for project reporting and presentations.
Assist with radio-telemetry or GPS-collar deployments and tracking, including pre-deployment testing, in-field antenna use, and downloading/processing relocations.
Prepare specimens for museum or lab deposition, including labeling, cataloging, preserving (ethanol, freeze-drying), and shipping under applicable permits and biosafety protocols.
Coordinate permitting and compliance tasks for field work, including permits for collection, state and federal wildlife authorizations, IACUC documentation, and adherence to institutional biosafety and animal welfare policies.
Support laboratory processing of samples (DNA extraction prep, slide mounting, morphological measurements), following SOPs and maintaining accurate lab notebooks and electronic records.
Manage volunteer and seasonal staff recruitment, onboarding, training, and scheduling; deliver hands-on training in field techniques, animal handling, data entry, and safety procedures.
Track project budgets and purchases for field and lab supplies, prepare requisitions, reconcile invoices, and maintain transparent fiscal records for principal investigators and grants administrators.
Produce regular progress reports, data summaries, and clear documentation for grant deliverables, including figures, tables, and methods descriptions used in proposals and publications.
Implement and enforce health and safety protocols during field seasons (vehicle safety, heat and cold stress mitigation, zoonotic disease precautions), maintain first-aid kits, and ensure staff hold required certifications.
Conduct routine lab and fieldsite maintenance such as cleaning of traps and nets, disinfecting workspaces, restocking consumables, and organizing sample storage to prevent cross-contamination.
Supervise and perform systematic camera-trap retrieval, image processing, and species identification workflows, employing automated / manual review tools where appropriate.
Participate in specimen identification and morphological measurements, using dichotomous keys, microscopes, and reference collections to support taxonomic accuracy.
Facilitate community and stakeholder outreach by representing the program at public events, delivering presentations to landowners and partners, and coordinating site access agreements.
Assist with grant writing support by collating preliminary data, preparing methods and logistics sections, and gathering budget quotes and permitting timelines to strengthen proposals.
Maintain detailed chain-of-custody and laboratory information management system (LIMS) records for all biological materials to support reproducibility and regulatory audits.
Coordinate sample and specimen shipping with compliance to IATA, DOT, and other relevant transport regulations for biological materials and hazardous reagents.
Troubleshoot field and lab problems proactively, propose process improvements to increase efficiency and data quality, and document updated SOPs and training materials for staff.
Provide back-up administrative support for the program office, including calendar management for the PI, drafting email correspondence, and maintaining shared project files and repositories.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc analyses and visualization of ecological data (basic R scripting, Excel pivot tables, or GIS exports) to inform field decisions and outreach content.
Contribute to the program’s long-term data management strategy, including metadata documentation, file naming conventions, and data archiving for public repositories.
Collaborate with partner organizations, land managers, and academic labs to translate program needs into collaborative agreements and joint field schedules.
Participate in seasonal planning and resource allocation meetings, including contributing logistics insight for multi-site or multi-partner field campaigns.
Assist with recruitment and logistics for community science initiatives, training volunteers in standardized protocols and quality control for broad-scale data collection.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Animal handling and restraint techniques for small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or invertebrates as relevant to project scope.
Field sampling methods: live-trapping, netting, camera-trapping, acoustic surveys, transects, and nest monitoring.
Biological sample collection, preservation, labeling, and cold-chain management for DNA, tissue, blood, and other materials.
Radio-telemetry and GPS device setup, tracking, and data download; familiarity with GPS units and spatial data formats (GPX, shapefiles).
GIS competency (ArcGIS, QGIS) for mapping survey locations, habitat layers, and spatial analyses.
Basic laboratory techniques: pipetting, centrifugation, sterile technique, slide preparation, and microscope use.
Data management and QA/QC in Excel, Access, or lab databases, including experience with relational databases or LIMS preferred.
Familiarity with statistical or scripting tools for ecological data (R, Python, or similar) for basic data summaries and plots.
Permit and regulatory compliance knowledge: state and federal wildlife permits, IACUC protocols, biosafety, and shipment regulations (IATA/DOT).
Equipment maintenance and troubleshooting for field gear (traps, nets, telemetry antennas), lab instruments, and cold storage units.
Sample shipping experience, including packaging biological materials and preparing required documentation for transport.
Experience with camera trap image processing workflows and species identification procedures.
Budget tracking and procurement: purchase orders, vendor negotiations, and basic grant financial documentation.
Vehicle operation and field driving (4x4, trailers, ATVs/UTVs) with valid driver’s license and clean driving record; boat operation preferred for aquatic projects.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical reporting, outreach materials, and stakeholder coordination.
Strong organizational skills with demonstrated attention to detail in field protocols, data entry, and sample tracking.
Ability to work independently in remote field conditions and collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams.
Problem-solving mindset with the capacity to prioritize tasks and adapt to dynamic field schedules and weather constraints.
Leadership and mentorship: experience training seasonal staff and volunteers in technical protocols and safety best practices.
Cultural sensitivity and public-facing demeanor for interacting with landowners, community volunteers, and partner organizations.
Time management and ability to meet grant-driven deadlines while maintaining high-quality scientific standards.
Initiative to propose and implement process improvements to increase operational efficiency and data reproducibility.
Resilience and physical stamina to carry equipment, work in variable outdoor conditions, and lift moderate loads.
Commitment to animal welfare, biosafety, and ethical conduct in all research and outreach activities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Zoology, Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, or relevant research-focused graduate program.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Zoology
Wildlife Biology
Ecology
Conservation Biology
Marine Biology
Environmental Science
Natural Resource Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–5 years of progressive experience in field biology, lab support, or wildlife program operations.

Preferred:

2–4+ years of direct field and laboratory experience supporting vertebrate/invertebrate studies, demonstrated permit handling, and prior coordination of seasonal field crews or volunteers. Experience with GIS and basic data analysis preferred.

If you’d like, I can tailor this description to a specific species focus (e.g., avian, mammal, herpetofauna), organizational setting (academic, NGO, government), or geographic region to maximize relevance and SEO for your hiring posting.