American Bird Conservancy

Motus U.S. Director

Title: Motus U.S. Director

Supervisor: Northwest Regional Director

Location: Remote; location flexible (must be located in the United States)

Salary: $75,000-$90,000 Based on experience

Position Summary:

This is a full-time position, 2-year term with possibility of extension, with American Bird Conservancy (ABC). ABC is a results-focused wildlife conservation non-profit seeking employees with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a difference for birds throughout the Americas. ABC takes on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation.

The Motus U.S. Director provides key leadership and coordination of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) in the United States. Motus is a program of Birds Canada in collaboration with a diverse network of organizations, businesses and individuals. The Director will work closely with Birds Canada, ABC and partner organizations to help lead the management and development of Motus and implement the new Motus strategic plan. The overall goal is to maximize science and conservation outcomes for migratory animals, focused on priority bird populations in North America. S/he will coordinate and secure new funding and partnership support for wildlife tracking research for conservation across the United States, integrated into hemispheric efforts. S/he will work with the wider Motus leadership group to attract new talent to the Motus team to fill priority needs in the development of data management and analytical tools, data products and services, and technology development.

Primary Duties:

1. Strengthen coordination of the Motus regional network in the United States, in close collaboration with Birds Canada and U.S. partners, by implementing priority elements of the Motus strategic plan.

2. Develop new, and scale-up existing projects, to close full life cycle gaps for conservation priority species in close collaboration with key networks including Partners in Flight, the Road to Recovery Coalition, and the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures.

3. Pursue and coordinate major funding proposals to meet science and conservation objectives, e.g., regional Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) funding, partner contributions, National Science Foundation, and other large foundation and corporate opportunities.

4. Engage new partners in government, non-profit and private sectors to fulfil Motus infrastructure maintenance and expansion objectives.

5. Work with the Motus leadership team, data and technology partners and collaborators, to increase capacity and align growth to needs in the following key technical areas of the Motus system:

a. open-source software, tag and receiver development

b. data quality and assurance improvement

c. analytics tool kits to promote use and reuse of data by researchers and decision makers

d. public visualizations, database and web tool management and development

e. publication of methods and priority results including conservation applications of Motus

6. Travel opportunistically for conferences, field- and office-based meetings.

Position Requirements:

· MSc., or Ph.D. in biology, ecology, spatial ecology, conservation-related field or computer science with a strong interest in biology required; 5-10 years of post-graduate experience;

· Wide network of senior research and management-level collaborators in the fields of movement ecology, ornithology, and conservation within government, academic, non-governmental organizations and/or corporate sectors in the U.S.;

· Demonstrated ability to design and complete research studies with proven track record of securing research and/or philanthropic funding;

· Field research experience with different types of animal tracking technologies and data, especially automated radio telemetry (Motus) and the Motus collaborator network;

· Working knowledge and scientific understanding of migration ecology and related conservation issues;

· High level of organization, initiative, interpersonal oral and written communication skills;

· Authorized to work in the U.S. or Permanent Resident;

· Background screening required

Preferred Qualifications:

· Technical knowledge of management and analysis of large databases, quantitative analysis and modelling of animal movement, expertise with software including R, Python, SQL, and/or other languages, relational databases and ArcGIS products, and advanced programming skills;

· Familiarity with threats to, and strategies for the conservation of migratory birds;

· Proven ability to produce high-quality scientific papers or reports;

· Demonstrated ability and strong interest in collaborating with other scientists and stakeholders;

· A self-starter who can think creatively about connections between birds, places, and people

Benefits:

• Benefits include medical, medical flex, and 403(b) plan.
• Paid vacation days (15), holidays (10+), and sick leave.

To Apply:

Please apply online at Bamboo HR: https://abcbirds.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=137

If you have any difficulties uploading your resume and cover letter, then please send them as ONE document to HR@abcbirds.org

At American Bird Conservancy, we believe that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills makes us more effective. We are committed to creating a respectful and inclusive work environment for all of our employees.

As an equal opportunity employer, ABC is committed to ensuring that employees and applicants for employment have equal opportunities regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other factor unrelated to the requirements of the position.