Delta Waterfowl is seeking to recruit a dynamic new Scientific Director to be based in Bismarck, North Dakota.

About Delta Waterfowl

Founded in 1911, Delta Waterfowl Foundation (Delta) uses science-based solutions to produce ducks, conserve prairie wetlands in order to ensure the future of waterfowl hunting. Delta’s vision remains steadfast – abundant ducks and endless opportunities for all waterfowl hunters. As the “The Duck Hunters Organization,” Delta works to produce ducks through duck production programs and conservation of breeding duck habitat. Delta conducts vital waterfowl research, trains the next generation of waterfowl biologists and scientists, and promotes and protects the continuing tradition of waterfowl hunting in North America. The four pillars of Delta’s organizational strategy are the following:

Duck Production: Delta delivers efficient, effective waterfowl programs such as Predator Management and Hen Houses to produce more ducks on the prairie breeding grounds. Based on sound science, Delta’s duck production efforts add ducks to the fall flight every year and in every flyway.

Habitat Conservation: Delta conserves critical breeding duck habitat through continual agricultural and public land conservation policy efforts. Delta works in partnership with landowners to create innovative, incentive-based programs such as Working Wetlands, which ensure strong duck production this year and long into the future.

Research & Education: Delta is a leading waterfowl research organization, with a legacy of leading-edge science. Delta bases the organization’s duck production and habitat programs on this research and continually seeks science-based solutions to issues facing ducks and duck hunters throughout North America. Delta also provides hands-on and incredibly important training opportunities to the next generation of waterfowl and wetland biologists and scientists.

HunteR3: Delta works to ensure the tradition and future of waterfowl hunting through programs such as First Hunt, the largest waterfowl hunter recruitment program in the world. Delta also ensures that future wildlife professionals appreciate the economic, ecological, and recreational importance of hunting through our rapidly expanding University Hunt Program. Delta rigorously protects hunting access and opportunity, defending waterfowl hunting anytime and anywhere.

The mission, vision, and values of Delta Waterfowl are clear and have never been more vital to ducks and duck hunters in North America. Acres of quality breeding waterfowl habitat continue to shrink every year, while more hungry predators than ever roam the landscape where ducks nest. Waterfowl hunters too, face mounting pressures. Hunting access and opportunities are continually being squeezed by changing land use and restrictive regulations.

Delta’s vision of abundant waterfowl and endless opportunities for duck hunters serves as a promise of a bright future — one with skies full of ducks and countless places to enjoy those magical mornings in the duck blind. With the launch of the Million Duck Campaign, Delta is uniquely positioned and poised to amplify the organization’s impact by dramatically increasing the scope and scale of work across each of its four pillars. Delta will maintain and incrementally expand delivery of existing programs to fulfill the mission to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting.

Delta is poised to build on its current strategic plan with sustained attention to the following goals:

Steward and Complete the Million Duck Campaign. Delta has secured $221 million of its long-term goal of reaching a $270 million endowment to fully and permanently fund the annual cost of producing one million ducks. Delta will focus its fundraising on securing the remaining capital needed to sustain the campaign’s long-term delivery.

Expand Access and Opportunity Under the Duck Distribution Banner. The Duck Distribution initiative is Delta’s vehicle for expanding waterfowl hunting access and reinforcing its value to duck hunters across North America. While the initiative includes national communications, branding, and marketing strategies, the programmatic impact will focus on improving access and habitat conditions on public trust assets.

Delta’s Scientific Leadership is a critical element in all aspects of the organization’s impact and value. Delta is investing in its research capacity and scientific leadership. This includes expanding studies on duck distribution, validating the return on investment in predator management and duck production, and setting the stage for a future campaign rooted in rigorous science.

Today, Delta Waterfowl remains true to James Ford Bell’s founding vision, ever evolving to respond to the new threats and challenges facing ducks and duck hunters.

For more information about Delta Waterfowl please visit www.deltawaterfowl.org.

Scientific Director

The Scientific Director comes to Delta at a remarkable moment in the organization’s history. Led by the vision and inspiration of its longstanding legendary waterfowl biologist and hunting advocate, Dr. Frank Rohwer, the new Scientific Director will collaborate with Dr. Rohwer in ushering the next generation of waterfowl research conducted by Delta. This means designing and implementing research that aligns with Delta’s strategic plan as well as having an independent research program of the candidate’s design, which is aligned with Delta’s strategic vision. Oversight of the research program includes oversight of the research staff, which currently includes two Delta staff scientists.

Delta research focuses on duck issues related to the breeding season. Delta has spent 90 years documenting basic waterfowl breeding biology, the importance of the prairie pothole region to duck populations, evaluating approaches to efficiently protect small wetlands in an agricultural landscape, and researching techniques designed to increase duck production in that agricultural landscape. We want a research program with a strong emphasis on applied work to enhance duck production, but there is plenty of room for basic science and great experimental work.

The research focus will continue to include both applied and basic research on waterfowl breeding biology. Delta especially values innovative work that utilizes experimental field research that could lead to advances in management, such as methods to create more super fields where nest densities and nest success are exceptionally high. In addition, Delta also places great value on large scale projects that utilize the massive waterfowl data sets, such as banding, BPop, harvest, wingbee, and other long-term data sets that have been underutilized. Finally, Delta would also look favorably on a long-term program on prairie ducks that mirrors some of the great long-term work by goose biologists such as Alisauskas, Cooke and Sedinger.

The Scientific Director will serve as a strategic leader within the organization. As one of the leaders of this mission-driven organization, the Scientific Director will possess an authentic conservation ethic. This person will embrace Delta’s belief in the hunter-conservationist model. The Scientific Director is expected to serve as one of Delta’s waterfowl experts and share knowledge of ducks with the entire Delta staff and major donors. Likewise, the Scientific Director will occasionally be called upon by the marketing and communications staff to explain or help communicate Delta’s science or management activities.

The broad goals for the Scientific Director include the following:

To continue to support Delta’s role as our nation’s pre-eminent waterfowl research organization.

To advance research and training programs to inspire and prepare the next generation of waterfowl researchers.

To advance the development and application of technological advancements in Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry markers which allow almost real-time observation of waterfowl movements and habitat selection.

To advise the CEO, Board, and organization on how to position Delta’s scientific program, through innovation and forward thinking.

To identify and implement necessary efforts to strengthen Delta’s science capacity to ensure that the organization remains a leader in waterfowl and water-based conservation.

To stand committed to science-based research and analysis in program development, delivery, and evaluation.

To support Delta Waterfowl’s commitment to scientific excellence in the development of policy recommendations.

To support and expand relationships with institutions, organizations, and individuals within the scientific community, including scientists within academia, relevant government agencies, private industries, and NGOs.

Professional Experience and Personal Attributes

In addition to the duties and responsibility at Delta, the Scientific Director will be encouraged to serve as “adjunct faculty” at one or more institutions of their choice. This will facilitate the inclusion of graduate students in their research programs. It will also allow for deeper collaboration with other leading waterfowl research programs and expand Delta’s visibility as a leading funder of waterfowl research.

The Scientific Director should ideally possess the following professional experience and personal attributes:

Professional Experience:

Ph.D. preferably in waterfowl ecology or biology, with a demonstrated understanding of science literature, research design, and data analysis.
Passion for waterfowl and waterfowl hunting,

Demonstrated organizational and leadership skills of teamwork, partnership, and collaboration.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Demonstrated ability to empower, inspire and motivate staff and volunteers alike.

Personal Attributes:

A commitment to Delta’s mission and a demonstrated conservation ethic.

Highly adaptive and able to work well in high stress situations.

Ability to think strategically, tactically, and creatively.

Visionary, articulate, and diplomatic.

Demonstrated collaborative, decision-making capabilities, and the ability to work with a broad diversity of partners.

Trustworthy and possessing the highest level of personal and professional integrity and quality standards.

High energy level and an optimistic outlook on life.

Strong work ethic and willingness to travel extensively, often for weekend and evening meetings.

Compensation

Delta will offer a salary that matches or exceeds what is offered by federal or university positions. They have generous pay advancement and terrific health insurance and retirement plans.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter, responding specifically to the experience and qualifications required, to Daniel Sherman, President, Explore Company at resumes@explorecompany.com. Refer to DW/SD in the subject line. No phone inquiries, please.

Delta Waterfowl is an equal opportunity employer and seeks a diverse pool of candidates. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

All correspondence will remain confidential.