Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST) is a dynamic medium-size consulting firm with offices across the United States and Canada. We are looking for energetic and experienced Wildlife Field Technicians to help with our 2026 field season.
WEST is driven by its principles and core values – providing scientifically defensible solutions, technical expertise, quality client service, satisfying careers, collaborative team approach, respectful atmosphere, and continual improvement. For over three decades, our employees have exemplified these principles and helped shape the foundation of what we do, who we are, and what we believe in. WEST employees are both collaborative and independent thinkers and doers that help develop solutions to natural resource and environmental problems, and those solutions have a real impact in the world around us. We invite you to be part of the solution.
Number of positions available: 2
Location: Calgary, AB
Job Type: Temporary Full Time
Tentative Start Date: Q2/Q3 2026, or as needed
Pay Rate: $25-$35/hour, based on experience
Benefits: WEST Benefits
Job Description:
Primary duties may include:
- Standardized bird migration, breeding bird, sharp-tailed grouse lek, burrowing owl, or other avian use surveys;
- Raptor nest monitoring;
- Construction monitoring;
- Amphibian, reptile, and mammal surveys;
- Amphibian salvages;
- Species-specific surveys for Species of Management Concern (SOMC);
- Bat acoustic detector and/or thermal camera setup and maintenance;
- Pre-disturbance nest surveys;
- Other ecological surveys (e.g., wetland, soil, and vegetation assessments);
- Field data QAQC, processing, and demobilization;
- Data entry and management;
- Weekly timesheet and expense report completion;
- Bird and bat fatality monitoring at operating renewable energy facilities (post-construction monitoring);
- Carcass handling and management in support of post-construction monitoring programs;
- Support reporting as needed: compiling tables and figures, report writing; and
- Office-based administrative assistance, as needed.
This position consists of 95% fieldwork, and travel between the field and the Calgary office. Fieldwork will require long days (up to 12 hours) with overnight stays in remote locations, sometimes for extended periods of time (up to 3-4 weeks).
Fieldwork will require candidates to:
- Demonstrate strong bird identification skills in boreal, parkland, and prairie habitats;
- Start survey work early in the morning (e.g., 3 AM), or late at night (e.g., 10 PM), as needed;
- Work through weekends and holidays, as needed;
- Work long shifts, up to 22 consecutive days, as needed;
- Work overtime hours (i.e., more than 8 hours per day or 44 hours per week) whilst in the field, as needed;
- Work effectively either independently or in small crews;
- Demonstrate effective communication, organizational, and time management skills;
- Walk long distances (up to 20 km per day) in uneven or difficult terrain;
- Work in a range of environmental conditions (e.g., heat, cold, wind);
- Demonstrate proficiency in operating a four-wheel drive vehicle in off-road conditions;
- Work around/in hazards typical of rural environments (e.g., livestock, dust, mud, snow, wind, extreme heat and cold);
- Work in rattlesnake, grizzly bear, black bear, cougar, and wolf habitat;
- Work in areas with little to no cellphone signal, and utilize satellite and radio devices for regular communication as required by safety protocols;
- Demonstrate due care of field equipment, vehicles, and office equipment;
- Collect quality legible field data, and adhere to administrative processes pertaining to fieldwork, safety, and HR;
- Work well under time constraints and meet deliverable targets and deadlines; and
- Follow protocols and work efficiently
This is a general description of requirements for this position and may not be inclusive of all duties.
