Data Management Fellow, USFWS Conservation Science and Innovation program

Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one data management fellow to contribute to the data entry for the Landscape Recovery Tool alongside FWS Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit the usaconservation website.

Start Date: February 2025
Estimated End Date:  June 2025 (possibility for extension as funding allows)
*a 20-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 800 hours*

Location Details/Description: Remote. The Data Management Fellow will work from their own home/space.

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. 

• Review State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP) from states in the Southeast and Midwest regions. 
• Perform data entry following the existing SWAP Framework templates, ensure quality control and quality assurance for information that directly correlates with the eight critical elements that should be present in every SWAP. 
• Provide information for Species of Greatest Conservation Needs (SGCN) that are occasionally outside the scope of the SWAP documents, for example, species’; State/ESA listing status, ITIS_TSN, Global ranking status, IUCN listing status, and habitat association. 
• Crosswalk state specific habitats to regional and national habitat classifications and record Global rankings.
• Develop or enhance QA/QC workflows for large data sets, assist with editing user interfaces for interactive web applications.
• Attend virtual planning meetings, project management and progress meetings, and others as appropriate.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule: Duties will primarily be carried out Monday through Friday, and biweekly totals should be approximately 80 hours. The fellow may have some flexibility with daily start and end times, but they will be expected to communicate their schedule with their FWS supervisor. 

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $723/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general information on the usaconservation website.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or FWS.

Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $100 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes, an external monitor, keyboard or mouse, computer hubs or stations, external hard drive, or other related electronic or home office needs, and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. 

Scholarship Funding Opportunity:  The selected candidate(s) for this position will be eligible to apply for ACE’s Access and Inclusion Scholarship. This is a $500 scholarship  which is intended to make participation in ACE positions more accessible to individuals who are underrepresented in the conservation field. Scholarship recipients will be able to allocate this funding to financial need(s) of their choosing. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Qualifications 

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required two-part criminal history check.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation. 
• Ability to effectively communicate both written and verbal.
• Proficient in English.
• Ability to work in an office setting and at a computer for extended periods
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our usaconservation website.

Preferred:

• Holding a 4-year degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource   management, or disciplines related to the position.
• Knowledge of natural sciences and a strong professional interest in wildlife and habitat management.
• Basic skills in scientific writing and data entry and management
• Ability to keep work organized and communicate orally to determine needs and follow procedures.
• Ability to manage, organize, and clean data using programs including MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerBI, ArcGIS, ArcPro, R, Python or other programming languages.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Manual dexterity required for use computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus. 
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position does not require unique travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety:  If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.