Live In Ranch Hand Jobs in Arcadia, FL (NOW HIRING)

Requisition No: 877330 

Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Working Title: OPS F & W BS III - 77900167

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 77900167 

Salary:  $21.63 an hour 

Posting Closing Date: 07/05/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Position Number: 77900167

Position Title: OPS Fisheries & Wildlife Biological Scientist III

Rate of pay: $21.63 an hour

Supervisor: Cason Pope for inquiries: (941) 833-2555; Andrew.Pope@MyFWC.com

Broadband Code: 19-1023-03

Position location: Punta Gorda, Babcock Ranch Preserve

Region: Southwest

County: Charlotte

Working hours: 8am - 5pm with occasional assignments outside of normal daily working hours; maximum allowable hours per year - 1,920 hours.

List of any subordinates supervised: 1 Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist II, 1 part-time Fisheries and Wildlife Technician and seasonal check station operators as needed.

Residency Requirement: required to live within 25 miles of the field office at 29200 Tuckers Grade, Punta Gorda, FL  33955.

Agency information:

Our organization:

The FWC envisions a Florida where fish and wildlife are abundant and thriving in healthy and connected natural landscapes with vital working lands and waterways; where natural resources are valued and safely enjoyed by all; and wherein natural systems support vibrant human communities and a strong economy.

Our Mission: Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.

Every organization has an identity that is forged not only by what it does, but by how it conducts itself.  The values embedded in our mission and expressed in the vision of the FWC are to make quality decisions by being dynamic, science-informed, efficient, ethical, collaborative and committed to the vitality of the state and its environment.

The Division of Habitat & Species Conservation is comprised of six Sections and two offices. This position works within Wildlife and Habitat Management Section (WHM) of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Division of Habitat and Species Conservation.  

Minimum Requirements: A high school diploma and 6 years professional experience in a closely related biological field or laboratory program is required. A Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant field can substitute for four of the 6 years of required experience.

Preferred Requirement: A Bachelor of Science degree with a major in one of the life/physical sciences is preferred.

Preferred qualifications:

At least two years of experience in habitat and/or wildlife management. Supervisory experience. Strong familiarity with both native and invasive vegetation in Central Florida. Experience with habitat restoration work, wildlife surveys, and prescribed burning. Incumbent must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to work well with team members and members of the public. 

       Other required knowledge, skills and abilities include:

• Wildlife ecology.
• Game management.
• Ability to write technical reports.
• Wildlife and habitat survey and inventory knowledge.
• Ability to operate outdoors under inclement weather conditions.
• Ability to identify common and imperiled species.
• Ability to work productively unsupervised.
• Ability to design statistically sound projects.
• Strong GIS skills.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively interact with cooperators, coworkers, and constituents.

Description of Duties: 

An exciting opportunity exists for a Fish and Wildlife Biologist to join our team of employees within the Wildlife and Habitat Management Section of FWC. FWC's Southwest Region is seeking a motivated applicant that is willing and able to work outdoors in a variety of conditions throughout the year in fulfillment of their job responsibilities. As the cooperative area manager of Babcock Ranch Preserve, the incumbent will be responsible for coordinating with the Florida Forest Service in the development and implementation of management programs, managing and implementing a Tier I public hunt area and Tier II limited access hunt area, oversight and maintenance of Tier II hunting camps, managing and monitoring the red-cockaded woodpecker population, and supervision of one Biological Scientist and one part-time technician. 

Job duties will further include providing coordination of the development and periodic revision of long-range, comprehensive management plans, and include providing input and review for the preparation of programs, annual work plans, budget proposals, area regulations, brochures and reports. 

This position is responsible for accomplishing Commission/cooperator-planned activities such as controlled burning, roller chopping, resource inventories, road repairs, fence maintenance, public hunt management, implementation and maintenance of a multi-tiered hunting program, proposing regulations based on sound biological and sociological principles to control activities on the area, identification and protection of endangered species and habitats and documentation, recommendation and administration of invasive non-native plant and animal species eradication programs to ensure ecosystem integrity.

Persons applying for this position should have strong team leadership skills, be comfortable working independently in the field, and have experience in prescribed burning, plant identification, and invasive non-native plant control. The ability to operate ATVs and field equipment is preferred.

Answers to qualifying questions must be validated in application, resume and cover letter.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. 

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.