Private Lands Biologist

Virginia Tech; Christiansburg (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech seeks a Private Lands Biologist to serve as an expert on wildlife habitat management across Virginia, evaluating habitat conditions and designing improvements for private and public landowners. The role emphasizes building partnerships to expand delivery of conservation incentives, conducting outreach, and participating in monitoring to measure program effectiveness.

Candidates should have a degree in natural resources and experience on private lands, with strong communication

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Natural Resources.
• Experience working specifically on private lands management.
• Experience leading teams including mentoring, supervising, and planning.
• Demonstrated professional experience in evaluating wildlife habitat conditions and developing and implementing habitat management plans.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills and demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision and with diverse clientele.
• Working knowledge of wildlife ecology principles, and the ability to apply those principles utilizing various habitat management tools, in order to develop NRCS, or other types of conservation plans.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate current habitat conditions and design wildlife habitat improvements for private and public landowners.
• Develop and conduct outreach programs for multiple audiences regarding wildlife habitat management.
• Participate in scientific monitoring to evaluate effectiveness of habitat enhancement programs.
• Build partnerships to increase delivery of financial incentives programs related to wildlife conservation.
• Review biological and sociological data to guide regulation and policy development.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Natural Resources

Job description

Job Description

The Private Lands Biologist (PLB) position serves as a technical expert on wildlife habitat management and supports wildlife conservation by evaluating current habitat conditions and designing wildlife habitat improvements to positively impact terrestrial wildlife populations for private and public landowners across Virginia. The employee works independently to build the partnerships necessary for increasing delivery and implementation of financial incentives programs related to wildlife conservation, be they USDA – NRCS, USDA – FSA, state Soil and Water Conservation Districts, DWR, Department of Forestry, etc. Employee develops and conducts outreach programs for multiple audiences regarding wildlife habitat management, participates in scientific monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife habitat enhancement programs, and serves on appropriate Department committees to review biological and sociological data to guide regulation and policy development.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Natural Resources
• Experience working specifically on private lands management
• Experience leading teams including mentoring, supervising, and planning
• Demonstrated professional experience in evaluating wildlife habitat conditions and developing and implementing habitat management plans
• Excellent communication and organizational skills and demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences
• Ability to work independently with little supervision and with diverse clientele
• Working knowledge of wildlife ecology principles, and the ability to apply those principles utilizing various habitat management tools, in order to develop NRCS, or other types of conservation plans

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with NRCS conservation programs and/or software
• NRCS Conservation Planning certification and/or Job Approval Authority and/or Technical Service Provider status
• Knowledge of federal and state agency conservation and wildlife programs such as the Farm Bill, the Endangered Species Act, or State Wildlife Agency Private Lands Programs. Also, knowledge of how these programs are implemented in an agricultural landscape
• Demonstrated experience working with agricultural land owners
• Experience with geospatial information systems

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Hours per week

40

Review Date

11/04/2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands‑on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem‑solvers. A comprehensive land‑grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kelsey Lester at [e-mail] during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.