About Us:

Think Wild is a 501(c)3 non-profit Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center located in Bend, Oregon. Our mission at Think Wild is to inspire the high desert community to protect and care for native wildlife through education, conservation, and rescue and rehabilitation.

Think Wild offers a rewarding and fulfilling work environment where every team member plays a vital role in our mission. From our dedicated staff to our passionate volunteers, we all share a common goal: to ensure that native wildlife and habitat are prioritized, protected, and respected as the region continues to grow. When you join Think Wild, you become part of a collaborative and dedicated team at a new, but quickly growing, organization that is actively gaining awareness and respect in the community. Our commitment to wildlife conservation extends beyond our programs and initiatives. We are equally committed to creating a positive, respectful, and fulfilling workplace for our employees, where growth and professional development are encouraged.

Position Overview:

The Habitat Restoration Coordinator is essential to the expansion of Think Wild’s conservation programming. Through the Beaver Works Oregon program, they will support and coordinate beaver habitat restoration, monitoring, data management and analysis, grant and report writing, volunteer and partner coordination, and outreach activities. There is also opportunity to develop upland and pollinator habitat restoration and consulting activities. This position will work directly with the Beaver Works Program Manager to ensure our habitat restoration efforts are efficient, accurate, and aligned with Think Wild’s objectives. This is a hands-on role, with significant fieldwork and public speaking, in addition to office duties, providing an opportunity to impact the well-being of Central and Eastern Oregon landscapes and people.

Work Environment:

This role involves a mix of office and fieldwork. Office work takes place in a well-lit, ventilated, and climate-controlled environment. Fieldwork, however, can be physically demanding and includes traversing rough, rocky, mountainous, and densely vegetated terrain that may be steep, wet, and muddy. Fieldwork often requires bending, hiking, and lifting or carrying equipment, including tools, personal protective gear, and supplies such as food and water for extended periods away from a vehicle. Employees may encounter extreme and adverse weather conditions and the potential for cuts, bruises, pests, and wildlife. In addition to this, traveling to site locations can be on remote roads that may be steep, narrow, and windy, sometimes with a UTV. While Think Wild offers flexible working hours to accommodate personal needs, flexibility in scheduling is essential during the busy monitoring season (spring and fall) to meet the needs of our partners and volunteer participants.

Key Responsibilities (may vary based on experience and qualifications) Restoration, Fieldwork and Habitat Services

• Support Beaver Works’s community-engaged habitat restoration program, including field-based instream and riparian restoration (plant harvesting, planting, fencing, Beaver Dam Analog installation), site monitoring, and qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Consult with urban and rural landholders and agencies on upland and pollinator habitat restoration opportunities to provide recommendations, services, and resources
• Collect, measure, and record biological and physical data, including plant growth, and stream width, adhering to established protocols to ensure accurate and reliable data collection.
• Inventory, maintain, operate, clean, and order field, monitoring and laboratory equipment, ensuring supplies are readily available and functioning efficiently.
• As needed, assist our Wildlife Services program with nest box building, humane wildlife co-existence solutions, and data analysis.

Data Reporting & Analysis:

• Maintain accurate records, validate data, and utilize computer-based tools (spreadsheets, GIS, R) to analyze and manage data.
• Compile and manage data in spreadsheets and databases; produce charts and reports for internal use and partner agencies, public presentations, and to satisfy grant reporting requirements.
• Utilize GIS tools to create maps illustrating collected data and support other program needs, such as maps for grant applications and reports.
• Conduct effectiveness monitoring for past and planned restoration projects.

Partnership & Outreach:

• Assist the Beaver Works Program Manager in writing and updating restoration plans in collaboration with regional partners
• Prepare guidance for property owners and managers on beaver, pollinator, upland wildlife habitat improvement strategies and opportunities
• Prepare presentations and deliver findings to partners, stakeholders, and the community.
• Assist with grant writing and budget management
• Aid in the development of our nursery and wildlife planting program

Volunteer Coordination & Training:

• Recruit, organize, and train community volunteers for restoration and monitoring activities. • Provide ongoing support and ensure volunteers adhere to safety protocols and quality project implementation standards.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in hydrology, botany, wildlife biology, ecology, natural resource management, environmental science, or a related field, or at least three years of relevant experience.
• Minimum two years of experience in environmental fieldwork, habitat restoration, volunteer management, and/or ecological research.
• Knowledge of beaver-related restoration standards and familiarity with environmental regulations.
• Strong coordination, facilitation, team building, and collaboration skills.
• Proficiency in communicating professionally, both orally and written.
• Experience with biological field data collection and hand and power tool use.
• Experience in and willingness to spend multiple days camping in the field where hazards (snakes, deadfall, lightning, poison oak, flash floods, fires, etc.) may be encountered.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Valid Oregon Driver’s License.

Preferred:

• Proficiency in ArcGIS and experience creating maps to visualize environmental data.
• Knowledge of high desert ecosystems, rivers, and streams.
• Knowledge of high desert plants, gardening, native landscaping
• Prior grant writing experience and the ability to plan and execute projects.
• Project or habitat plan coordination and execution
• Demonstrated success in securing grants and funding for environmental projects, specifically via OWEB.
• Familiarity with GPS technology and geo-referenced data collection.
• Experience with UAV: ability to remote-pilot a drone, following a specific flight plan
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, or ability to obtain certification
• Experience with databases and advanced data management.
• Strong ability to prioritize tasks and manage time efficiently.
• Reliable 4-wheel drive/all-wheel drive vehicle.

EEO Policy

It is the policy of Think Wild to afford equal volunteer opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizen status, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic or status that is protected by federal, state, or local law.