Important Bird Areas Program Biologist
Location: Ivyland, PA
Immediate Supervisor: Assistant Director, Important Bird Areas Program
Division/Department: Science

Purpose of Position

The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program works to identify, prioritize, monitor, and engage a broad community of stakeholders in the conservation of sites essential for birds.  As Audubon’s centerpiece conservation program, the IBA Program integrates science, education, and policy to deliver site and community-based conservation.  This is an integral part of the organization’s mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. 

As the U.S. Partner for BirdLife International, Audubon has the responsibility for identifying and working to conserve a network of Important Bird Areas throughout the U.S.  This network of sites is comprised of state level IBAs that are prioritized as continentally or globally significant by the IBA Program’s U.S.IBA Committee, a panel of nationally recognized bird experts.  The IBA Program Biologist is responsible for the management of IBA data and coordination with IBA staff at the state and national level to facilitate the prioritization of state level IBAs by the U.S IBA Committee.  In addition, the IBA Biologist will assist states with input, editing, and general management of IBA data using Audubon’s IBA Database.  This effort to prioritize sites as globally or continentally significant will greatly enhance Audubon’s overall efforts to focus our conservation actions to achieve our conservation goals.  The IBA Program Biologist will play a lead role in determining the highest priority conservation targets for the National Audubon Society.

• Manage and review species and site information on Important Bird Areas using Audubon’s IBA Database and the IBA Criteria developed by Audubon’s U.S. IBA Committee.
• Coordinate with the National IBA Staff and state IBA staff to enter and track data.
• Train and assist state IBA staff in the use and application of the national IBA standards (i.e. criteria), includes maintenance and further development of resources to assist with training.
• Prioritize sites based on data and established scientific criteria and track progress of prioritization.
• Organize, verify, and compile information for IBAs in preparation for review by the U.S. IBA Committee.
• Maintain and update information about species, as relevant to the application of global and continental IBA criteria.
• Maintain and update IBA criteria thresholds.
• Analyze and evaluate IBA data for technical reports, compilations, and other summaries as needed.
• As needed, develop and enhance existing means of data output from the IBA Database for purposes of tracking, review, and data analyses.
• Some national travel may be required.

Additional Functions:

• Assist in the development and enhancement of the IBA database.
• Assist in the development of standards for defining IBA boundaries, landowner engagement, and general IBA program protocol.
• Other duties as necessary.

Relationships:

Internal: Work with Audubon’s IBA staff at both the state and national level.  Coordination with the IBA Program’s U.S. IBA Committee.

External: Coordinate with IBA program partners in state government, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, other federal agencies, bird observatories, other non-profits, etc.  Additional coordination with BirdLife International and international program partners.

Equipment: 

Standard office equipment (i.e., phone, fax, copier, MS Windows operating system computer, etc.).  Familiarity with Microsoft Software products and ESRI software. 

Qualifications: 

• B.S. degree is required, M.S. preferred, in conservation biology, wildlife biology, ornithology, natural resources, or equivalent. 
• Keen interest in bird conservation, experience in avian monitoring and inventory methodologies desired. 
• Experience and interest in managing and analyzing data and working with databases.  
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to meet deadlines are essential. 
• Excellent public speaking and writing skills.
• Familiarity with a variety of software programs.
• Ability to organize and manage complex projects with a variety of partners.
• Willingness to travel. 

The National Audubon Society's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological diversity.

Audubon promotes a diverse workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the National Audubon Society to employ the man or woman best qualified for the job regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability (handicap) or marital status.