TPWD - Natural Resources Specialist IV (Wildlife Region 3 Migratory Game Bird Specialist) (00052169)

Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Mangement; Town of Texas (WI); Remote; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A wildlife research organization is seeking a Fruit Bat Field Technician for a project in Madagascar starting January 2026. This challenging one-year role includes field expeditions to capture and sample bats, and involves strenuous hiking and living in remote conditions. Responsibilities include working closely with Malagasy students, conducting biological analyses, and receiving professional development opportunities. Applicants must be US citizens and prepared for demanding fieldwork.

Benefits

All expenses funded

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must be a US citizen.
• Willingness to travel and work in remote areas.
• Ability to entertain oneself during downtime.

Responsibilities

• Organize and participate in biweekly field expeditions.
• Capture and sample Madagascar's fruit bats.
• Conduct basic molecular analyses of biological samples.

Skills

Fieldwork experience

Ability to work under strenuous conditions

Basic biological sample handling

Job description

Fruit Bat Field Technician in Madagascar

Description

This one-year position, open only to US citizens, will involve organizing and participating in biweekly field expeditions for Ekipa Fanihy (ekipafanihy.org) with one additional tech (also from the US) and a team of Malagasy PhD students from the University of Antananarivo. This position will take over from one of our outgoing techs and overlap a current tech who will remain through August 2026 and be replaced in September 2026.

Ekipa Fanihy carries out capture and sampling of Madagascar's fruit bats (Pteropus rufus, Eidolon dupreanum, and Rousettus madagascariensis) at roost sites in the District of Moramanga, Madagascar, with possible extensions to field sites elsewhere. This work supports a long-term field study aimed at deciphering the mechanisms underpinning persistence of potentially zoonotic RNA viruses in wild, Madagascar fruit bats. Bats are reservoirs for several important, highly-virulent zoonoses. This work also contributes data to population viability analyses and assessments of the conservation status of threatened fruit bats in Madagascar. See the Brook lab research page (brooklab.org/research) for more details.

Field technicians will be trained in the field in January 2026 by the Brook lab manager, Martin Roland, and one current technician on the job, then supervised remotely (from UC Berkeley) for the duration of the year, interspersed with regular visits from Dr. Brook and other members of the Brook lab. Techs will spend approximately 70% of their time in the field. During each field mission, techs will travel with University of Antananarivo PhD students for up to 1-2 days to remote field sites in vehicles with hired drivers. While in the field, the team will reside in tents provided by the project for up to two weeks at a time. The work will necessitate strenuous hiking and hauling heavy equipment, sometimes in adverse weather conditions. All expenses (including food) will be funded by the project.

While in the field, the field team will capture bats, collect biological samples (blood, urine, feces, saliva, ectoparasites, wing punches), and undertake basic sample preparation and storage in liquid nitrogen. The work will be unevenly paced with periods of intense work interspersed with downtime; techs will need to be prepared to entertain themselves during this downtime with reading, writing, personal research projects, studying Malagasy, etc. Many field missions will overlap traditional weekends, and techs will be expected to work during these periods.

In between field missions (30% of the time), techs will live in a shared house in Antananarivo. They will work with Ekipa Fanihy to further treat, organize, and conduct basic molecular analyses of samples at our laboratory at Madagascar Biodiversity Center. Together, the two field techs will be additionally responsible for restocking, packing, and preparation of field supplies for recurring field missions. When weekends overlap with periods of time in the city, techs will have free time to travel locally, take Malagasy lessons, and reset as needed.

When not in the field, techs will have opportunities to take part in professional development in the form of remote lab meetings with the Brook Lab at UC Berkeley, as well as receive guidance on the graduate school application process if desired. Field technicians will be acknowledged on publications arising from this work and may or may not be included as co-authors depending on the duration of their employment and the extent of their intellectual contributions to data analysis and interpretation after the field work concludes. Opportunities for independent work may be pursued on a case-by-case basis. Please visit our Brook lab news page for more examples of life in the field. Questions may be directed to former and current Ekipa Fanihy field technicians.

Location: Madagascar; Start date: January 2026; End date: 12/2026.

Kissimmee Snail Kite Nest Monitoring Technicians (Lead and Technician)

University of Florida (State)

Details and responsibilities for this and other positions are listed under the separate postings below; this section focuses on the Madagascar field technician role described above.