Wildlife Biologist 1

Holland America-Princess (Holland America Dawson City Inn); Palmer (AK); On-site; USD 65,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, seeks a Wildlife Biologist 1 in Palmer, Alaska to care for captive caribou and oversee two technicians.

You will perform health checks, feed provisioning, pen maintenance, data collection, and support ungulate research; outdoor work in winter, irregular hours including weekends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology or natural resource management.
• Substitution options include upper-division biology courses and related sciences.

Responsibilities

• Care for captive caribou daily and monitor welfare.
• Lead two technicians in daily duties and field activities.
• Perform provisioning of food and water, keep pens clean.
• Collect fecal samples and behavioral observations.
• Assist with facility maintenance, feed ordering, and snow removal.
• Occasionally perform other duties to ensure animal welfare.

Skills

Team leadership

Field supervision

Construction tools

Livestock/wildlife work

Veterinary tech experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in biology or related field

Job description

Job Description

Effective July 1, 2026 the wage for this position increased by 3%. The wage listed in this job posting reflects the increase.

This position is open to State of Alaska Employees only.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation is recruiting for a Wildlife Biologist 1 located in Palmer, Alaska!

What you will be doing:

The Wildlife Biologist 1 will be responsible for daily care of captive caribou. The incumbent will lead 2 technicians in daily duties that include: daily welfare and health checks, provisioning food and water to captive caribou, maintaining and cleaning animal pens, facility maintenance and improvements, ordering animal feed, collecting fecal samples from animals, collecting behavioral observations of caribou, snow removal, and purchasing. Other duties may be assigned intermittently as needed to ensure high levels of animal care and welfare.

Our mission, values, and culture:

The mission of the Division of Wildlife Conservation is to conserve and enhance Alaska’s wildlife and habitats and provide for a wide range of public uses and benefits. Much of our work focuses on research to inform conservation and management of large game species in an effort to support subsistence and recreational harvest opportunities.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and respectfully.

The benefits of joining our team:

The incumbent will have opportunities to support science-based management of ungulates and gain experience collecting data and samples for ungulate research.

The working environment you can expect:

The position is based in Palmer, AK. The Wildlife Biologist 1 will work as part of a team of staff, including a Wildlife Physiologist and seasonal fish and wildlife technicians, at the ADFG Foraging and Wildlife Nutritional Analysis Lab. The incumbent will be on site daily for work, which will primarily occur outdoors with animals in their enclosures. Outdoor winter work will occur in snow, wind, and cold temperatures. Hours can be irregular and will include some weekends (1-2 per month depending on seasonal staffing levels), evenings, and holidays to cover animal care needs. Incumbents are expected to be willing to work as needed to meet animal care needs.

Who we are looking for:

We are looking for a candidate who possesses some or all of the skills listed below.

• Experience supervising or leading technicians in field or trail crews.
• Experience with light construction activities, including familiarity with a variety of power tools.
• Experience with livestock or wildlife projects requiring manual labor (e.g., fence building, fence repair).
• Veterinary technician experience or experience with chemical immobilization of ungulates.
• Experience successfully following checklists and procedures that require attention to detail.

To view the general description and example of duties for a Wildlife Biologist 1 please go to the following link:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

Special Note:

Valid Driver’s License is required.

Requires working in close proximity to wildlife that are unrestrained.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, or natural resource management.

Substitution:

• at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, or natural resource management (excluding courses that focus on agricultural husbandry techniques, human population dynamics, or the design and manipulation of landscapes), of which 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) are upper division courses; and
• at least 12 semester hours (16 quarter hours) in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, geology, hydrology, or GIS.

Special Note:

"Upper division courses" means courses that are specialized, in-depth and advanced. Such courses emphasize problem-solving, analytical thinking skills, and theoretical applications, with depth and rigor in a discipline's theories and methods; specialization in a particular field or profession; refinement of general education; and/or development of specific intellectual and professional skills. Upper division courses are commonly identified in college catalogs as 300 level and higher.

Some positions may require training in specialized areas such as hydroacoustics, microscopic analysis, underwater research, or fish habitat restoration or enhancement.

An individual who will complete the educational requirements and obtain the required bachelor's degree within six months may apply and be considered for a vacancy. Such applicants may be given a conditional job offer but may not be appointed until receipt of the required degree has been documented.

Additional Required Information

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

If selected, required at time of the interview:

A list of three (3) professional references with current contact information, with at least one being a current or previous supervisor.

Transcripts, if using to meet minimum qualifications (unofficial copies are accepted).

COVER LETTER

A cover letter is NOT required for this position.

Your complete application will be used to determine who proceeds to the interview stage.

EDUCATION

To verify education is being used to meet and/or support the required minimum qualifications/competencies, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials used to meet or support the minimum qualifications/competencies for a position and are required.

Unofficial is okay; please ensure the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts). Transcripts can be attached at time of application and if not then must be provided at time of interview.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university.

It is your responsibility to provide such evidence.

WORK EXPERIENCE

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer's name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting "see resume or CV" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

MULTIPLE VACANCIES

This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment no