MT Mission Valley Seasonal Habitat Specialist

Pheasants Forever is hiring a Seasonal Habitat Specialist in Ronan, MT, for the 2025 field season (5/15/2025-9/1/2025). The role involves implementing habitat improvements, operating machinery, and coordinating with partners like US Fish and Wildlife Service. Candidates should have experience in farming, conservation practices, and effective communication. The position requires travel within Lake County and occasional evening and weekend work, emphasizing collaboration and project management.
Mission Valley Seasonal Habitat Specialist
Location: Ronan, MT
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Anticipated Start Date: 5/15/2025
Position Employment Dates: 5/15/2025-9/1/2025

Overview:
This is a collaborative position between Pheasants Forever (PF), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV), Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MTFWP), and other local partners.
This position serves as a seasonal habitat specialist during the 2025 field season (5/15/2025-9/1/2025) to implement habitat improvements such as grass seedings, cover crop plantings, irrigating, wetland management, and other practices as assigned. The position will be located in the Mission Valley and implement projects on USFWS, MT FWP, and PF owned lands. This position will be directly supervised and employed by Pheasants Forever with day-to-day guidance from USFWS and other local partners.

Duties:
• Implement and monitor habitat improvement projects on US Fish and Wildlife Service Waterfowl Production Areas, MT FWP WMA’s, and PF owned lands within the Mission Valley.
• Operate machinery required to implement habitat management projects such as tractors, ATV’s, UTV’s, pickups, trailers, seeders, irrigation, and others.
• Set up and maintain necessary equipment for implementing projects such as tractors, seeders, irrigation infrastructure, etc.
• Coordinate with and support partner organization (MT FWP, CSKT, USFWS) activities to implement conservation practices.
• Work with contractors and vendors to purchase services and equipment.
• Perform project site visits and checkouts to ensure work is completed on schedule.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Work within tight deadlines and manage conflicting demands while successfully operating in a dynamic work environment with minimal direction from supervisor.
• Share a vision and passion for natural resource management and conservation practices with diverse populations, using educational concepts and values along with strong communication skills.
• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with partners, PF, USFWS, LCCD, IWJV and NRCS staff, interns, private landowners and residents, and other community members and stakeholders to produce high quality, cost-effective work products.
• Write reports, track work progress, prepare and record program/project data and records.
• Travel to various locations throughout Lake County and occasionally throughout the State.
• Work occasional weekend and weekday evening events.
• Farming/implementation work must get done when conditions allow, long hours may be required to complete this work during field seasons.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities:
• Experience implementing farming work, conservation practices, irrigation systems, invasive species management, and machinery operation.
• Experience or knowledge of collaborative conservation and management and/or integrated wildlife management is preferred.
• Understanding of habitat management at a landscape scale preferred.
• Experience in knowledge and principles of project management, concepts of project constraints, and ability to manage and apply those principles preferred.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision and with diverse clientele.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with landowners, the public, and partner agencies.
• Knowledge of wildlife ecology and habitat management objectives is preferred.
• Excellent verbal/written communication, coordination, and organizational skills.
• Valid driver’s license and skillset to drive at high elevation, and often remote locations, on a regular basis and occasionally during inclement weather.
• Computer skills are required, and applicant should be familiar with ARC GIS, Word, and Excel.
• Physical ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time over rough terrain; lift and move material weighing up to 50 pounds; work in all types of weather conditions.
• Basic understanding/knowledge USFWS agency, policy, planning, clearances, regulations, etc. is preferred.

Training and Experience Guideline: Any combination of training and/or experience that will enable the applicant to possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities. A general qualification guideline for this position is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management or closely related natural resources field and/or related field experience.

Salary: $19-23/hr. (based on experience)

To Apply: Please include your cover letter, resume and three references in your application on our Recruitment website at: www.pheasantsforever.org/jobs. If you have questions about this position, please contact Hunter VanDonsel, MT State Coordinator at hvandonsel@pheasantsforever.org.

Pheasants Forever, Inc and Quail Forever is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as a qualified individual with disability, or any other category that may be protected by law.