Natural Resources Job Board

We are recruiting a technician to assist with animal care of masked bobwhite at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge near Arivaca, Arizona. The Buenos Aires NWR is approximately 118,000 acres and was established to be a recovery site for the federally endangered masked bobwhite. The Refuge has a captive population of more than 300 birds, and we need assistance to care for our captive population. There are no known populations of this species in the wild and care of our captive population is critical to recovery efforts. The position will be on the Buenos Aires NWR and supervised by Refuge staff but the appointment will be through the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance through a contract with the USFWS. 

Duties will involve changing food and water for captive masked bobwhite daily, observing captive birds for signs of injury, and providing basic care for injury or illness under the supervision of the captive breeding facility manager and/or a wildlife veterinarian. Workdays are 8-10 hours/day, 40 hours/week. Weekend and holiday work is required when necessary to make sure the facility is fully staffed each day. Work will be indoors at the masked bobwhite breeding facility. A valid driver’s license is required for this position.

Work in this position will be during the time when we are breeding masked bobwhite in our captive assurance population. Our assurance population is held in captivity to make sure the species does not go extinct. Breeding season can be hectic as we are pairing specific individuals, collecting eggs for incubation and hatching, and caring for chicks before adding them back into the assurance population. The ability to pay close attention to detail, follow instructions, and ask questions when things are not clear is critical for success in this position and making sure we have a healthy assurance population.

The successful applicant must be able to work in a team environment and independently after being trained and be able to adapt to changing conditions. This position will last for 6 months and applicants should be able to commit to the entire period. During the term of this appointment, we expect to be able to announce a permanent animal care positions, and the successful applicant will be welcome to apply for the permanent position.

The pay for this position is $18.00/hour. Temporary housing, including utilities, and a vehicle for use during work hours will be provided by the Refuge at no cost to the successful applicant. There are no pets allowed in temporary quarters and quarters might be shared with other technicians during all or part of the term depending on seasonal staffing levels at the Refuge.

Position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. Interviews will be conducted during the open application period, immediate start date available. Please submit current resume and cover letter to Stephanie Dosch (stephanie_dosch@fws.gov) to be considered for the position.