Beaver Conflict Resolution Technician

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has grown into America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, padders, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world.

We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

To support our mission, NWF and partners are seeking to hire three Beaver Conflict Resolution Technicians to join our Western Water Team in Kalispell, Bozeman, and Lewistown/Great Falls, Montana. As part of a small, high-impact team, these positions will work in partnership with local watershed groups, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Conservation Districts, Montana Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and other non-profits/agencies to design, permit, and implement human-beaver conflict resolution projects.

These positions are locally-based, fulltime term (40 hour work week), starting in April 2026 and ending in October 2026. If additional funding is secured, there is a possibility of extending this term, expanding the scope of work, and/or rehiring in 2027.

Our goals are to build greater tolerance for beavers on our landscape, reduce beaver conflicts, and increase awareness through outreach and education. Specifically, we aim to:
1) provide a cost-share and technical assistance program for landowners/land managers who experience beaver-related conflicts;
2) train local partners on how to assess beaver conflict and address them with appropriate mitigation strategies;
3) develop a strong working relationship with local partners as a basis for achieving watershed-scale restoration goals that foster healthy ecosystems.

Scope of Responsibilities:

The Beaver Conflict Resolution Technician position will work to develop tolerance for beaver in FWP Region 4 (Lewistown/Great Falls). This work will include community outreach and education, hosting training events for local partners, and constructing conflict mitigation projects and devices using non-lethal techniques. This work requires specialized knowledge and skills in wildlife conflict resolution and in techniques for non-lethal beaver management.

Building good relationships, credibility, and trust with landowners, agricultural producers, and key agency partners like MT FWP, USFS, and local government is vital for program success.

The Technician will work under the guidance of the National Wildlife Federation and learn about their goals to restore, enhance, and protect western rivers, streams, and wetlands while accurately representing their missions in all outreach. As part of a small, high-impact team, the Beaver Conflict Resolution Technicians play a significant role delivering on-the-ground conservation results and building an informed, engaged base of constituents who will advocate for and support the mission for healthy watersheds.

Principal Duties (major areas of responsibility):

• Assess beaver nuisance problems in FWP Region 4—scale, characteristics, seasonality, current practices, etc.
• Plan and build beaver conflict resolution projects and devices with at least one project acting as a “showcase site” for non-lethal beaver nuisance management on properties which can be easily visited on tours or other outreach events.
• Organize at least two trainings per Technician for partners and agencies, focusing on assessing beaver conflicts and non-lethal methods to solve beaver nuisance problems.
• Implement cost-share program for beaver conflict mitigation work.
• Submit monthly and annual status reports to partners and team members.
• Submit expense reports and invoices on the first of each month.
• Purchase and maintain equipment and supplies as needed with supervisor’s…