Job Description

Internal Job Number: P05107CT

Description:

This recruitment will be used to fill 9 full-time, seasonal (March – December) Biological Science Research Technician 3 positions for the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University ( OSU ). These positions will be located in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and California.

Please be sure to enter all relevant employment and volunteer experience in the itemized employment experience section as that is how you will be evaluated for minimum qualifications and salary level.

These positions sit within The Institute for Natural Resources under the larger Division of Research and Innovation unit at Oregon State University. OSU welcomes students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective.

The Vegetation Field Ecology Team Lead is a seasonal (~5 month) position to collect Terrestrial Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring ( AIM ) data on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) across eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, northern Nevada, and northern California. INR will have numerous crews working across these areas, but the majority of plots will be SE Oregon (about 70%), with the remaining 10% in Washington and 20% in northern California and Nevada. Generally, individuals will be on a crew that is focused in one BLM district for the season, so that they can become familiar with the plants and geography of that area. Sometimes, particularly later in the season, crews may move around depending on project needs.

Data collected using the AIM strategy is used for land health monitoring to document the condition and changes of plant communities in the context of BLM management actions including grazing, burned area rehabilitation, and greater sage-grouse and other wildlife management. These data can be used by land managers to inform future management actions, monitor treatment effectiveness, and observe trends in the condition of public lands. The data also become publicly available for download. To learn more about the BLM's AIM strategy, visit

This work involves following standardized protocols for vegetation sampling, plant identification, and digging and describing soil pits. The Team Lead will coordinate two crews, including acting as a crew lead of a 2-person crew, and will be responsible for coordinating logistics with another 2-person crew (2 crews working in the same geographical area make up a team). Knowledge of native plants, sagebrush steppe, and field sampling methods are needed. The Team Leads need to manage the activities and logistics of two 2-person crews over each field hitch with assistance in planning from project leads, but with little interaction with project leads during their 8-day hitches. They also must conduct QA and QC and ensure proper data collection and management for their team. For the crew lead, and crew member positions, please see the associated BSRT2 and 1 positions.

The position is entirely field based, with crews working a Wednesday-Wednesday hitch schedule (hitch 1 will be April 30 – May 7) following a week-long mandatory training at the beginning of the season (April 17-18 online and April 21-25 in-person in Prineville, OR). We are also planning additional trainings the week of April 7th which are strongly recommended, but not strictly mandatory. On the first and last days of the hitch, crew members drive from their homes to the field sites in OSU vehicles. This allows crew members some flexibility in where they can live, but crews must be based within a reasonable driving distance of the sampling areas. In past seasons, crews have been based in western Oregon (such as Corvallis, Portland, and Eugene), central Oregon (such as Redmond or Bend), or central Washington (for crews based in Washington). Housing is not provided for this position, but a generous per diem is provided for food and camping while on hitch.

Minimum Qualifications (Staff) / Guidelines (Faculty):

A Bachelor's degree in (specific area of biological science) and two years of experience related to the area of assignment at a Biological Science Research Technician 2 level. Three additional years of experience related to the area of assignment at the Biological Science Research Technician 2 level may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree.

Requirements :

A bachelor's degree in biology, ecology, botany, soil sciences, environmental science or rangeland sciences and two years of experience related to the area of assignment at a Biological Science Research Technician 2 level.
Three additional years of experience related to the area of assignment at the Biological Science Research Technician 2 level may be substituted for the bachelor's degree.

Additional:

• Botany, ecology, or range science classes and a BA/BS degree in the biological sciences.
• At least 4 months (1 field season) of experience collecting vegetation data in the field.
• Knowledge of Oregon flora and geography desired, with the ability to learn is essential.
• Demonstrable ability to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in a team environment

This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess, and maintain a current, valid driver's license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030.

Type:

• Must work 10-hour days for 8 days at a time Wednesday to Wednesday followed by 6 days off in between.
• Typical workday starts at 7:00 am but may be adjusted earlier or later on a day-to-day basis for reasons including, but not limited to, avoiding afternoon thunderstorms, and working in cooler temperatures.
• Ability to work in a variety of harsh and quickly changing weather and environmental conditions including, but not limited to: sun exposure with limited shade, thunderstorms, smoky conditions (not to exceed OSU's maximum particulate exposure), rainy, windy, wintery mix, cold, and hot weather conditions
• Will be working and camping outside in remote field study areas.
• Involves spending a lot of time in a vehicle, and must have a valid driver's license.
• Routinely hike off trail across uneven/rugged terrain while carrying a backpack with research equipment and personal gear for up to 6 miles in a day (research plots are typically no more than 2 miles from a road, and almost always less than 3 miles).
• Regularly requires squatting, kneeling, and standing for extended periods of time.
• Requires lifting and moving around research equipment and gear (coolers, 7-gallon water jugs, etc.) in and out of work vehicles.
• Routinely dig 70 cm (2.3 ft) deep soil pits by hand with a sharpshooter shovel.

About Oregon State University

Oregon State is a leading research university located in one of the safest, smartest, greenest small cities in the nation. Situated 90 miles south of Portland, and an hour from the Cascades or the Pacific Coast, Corvallis is the perfect home base for exploring Oregon's natural wonders. Oregon State University has always been a place with a purpose - making a positive difference in quality of life, natural resources and economic prosperity in Oregon and beyond. Through discovery, innovation and application, we are meeting challenges, solving problems and turning ideas into reality.Founded in 1868, Oregon State is the state's Land Grant university and is one of only two universities in the U.S. to have Sea Grant, Space Grant and Sun Grant designations. Oregon State is also the only university in Oregon to hold both the Carnegie Foundation's top designation for research institutions and its prestigious Community Engagement classification.As Oregon's leading public research university, with $261.7 million in external funding in the 2011 fiscal year, Oregon State's impact reaches across the state and beyond. With 12 colleges, 15 Agricultural Experiment Stations, 35 county Extension off ... ices, the Hatfield Marine Sciences Center in Newport and OSU-Cascades in Bend, Oregon, State has a presence in every one of Oregon's 36 counties, with a statewide economic footprint of $2.06 billion. Oregon State welcomes a diverse student body of over 26,000 students from across Oregon, all 50 states and more than 100 countries. They can choose from more than 200 undergraduate and more than 80 graduate degree programs, including over 30 degrees online offered through Oregon State Ecampus. Oregon State increasingly attracts high-achieving students, with nationally recognized programs in areas such as conservation biology, agricultural sciences, nuclear engineering, forestry, fisheries and wildlife management, community health, pharmacy and zoology. Oregon State also ranks high in sustainability, fourth among universities nationwide for using renewable energy and first in the Pac-12 Conference. And our students literally help power the university: 22 exercise machines at Oregon State University has always been a place with a purpose - making a positive difference in quality of life, natural resources and economic prosperity in Oregon and beyond. Through discovery, innovation and application, we are meeting challenges, solving problems and turning ideas into reality. For more information visit 400-acre main campus in Corvallis includes a Historic District, making Oregon State one of only a handful of U.S. university campuses listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district includes such icons as Weatherford Hall, the Memorial Union and Benton Hall, the oldest building on the oldest building on campus.OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.

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