BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE TECHNICIAN (1 position) needed for studies of gartersnake-frog interactions in Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon national parks, as part of a collaborative effort between USGS, NPS, and University of California, Santa Barbara. One person will be hired by the USGS Western Ecological Research Center to complete a field crew that will conduct both snake and frog mark-recapture surveys and collect snake diet data at select locations in Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs. Applications will be accepted through January 10, 2016.
Successful applicants will have: - experience conducting field research with vertebrates, preferably reptiles and amphibians - strong outdoor skills that include hiking, backpacking, and camping in remote areas - fitness level that enables very strenuous hiking on steep off-trail terrain with heavy packs - ability to work well with a field partner under challenging conditions - experience with maps, PDAs, GPS, and orienteering USGS will supply all research equipment (e.g., PDA, nets, marking and measuring equipment, camera), camping supplies (e.g., tent, sleeping bag, stove), and a government vehicle. Housing will not be provided. However, the park typically provides a shared campsite at one of the park campgrounds. Availability of a campsite will not be known until just before work begins. The job will run from approximately mid-May to mid-September. For most of the season, the work schedule will be ten 8-hour days followed by four days off, but this varies depending on the needs of the field work. On occasion, it will be necessary to work a standard five day week (Mon-Fri). Undergraduate students not graduating by May 2017 are rarely competitive for these positions. The technician will work with, and be generally supervised by, a post- doctoral researcher from the University of California. A minor amount of office work and field prep work will be required, at the University of California Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and possess a valid driver's license. They must also be reliable, self-motivated, in good physical condition. Applicants must be able to work independently in remote locations, and able to work well with others. Field work will occur in an alpine environment at elevations from 8,000 – 12,000 ft. Applicants must be able to maintain a positive attitude under beautiful but challenging field conditions, including intense sun, heat, aridity, high wind, rain and snow, dense riparian vegetation, and biting insects. Work with Sierra Nevada amphibians and snakes requires frequent and sometimes extensive exposure to cool water (7-20 C). The backpacking will be strenuous. Successful applicants should be prepared to carry heavy packs (up to 70+ pounds) for long distances (up to 15 miles in a day) with considerable elevation gain (up to 6,000 ft in a day), on and off-trail, and to spend up to 10 nights in the backcountry regardless of weather. Wilderness first aid training is beneficial but neither required nor provided. To apply, send a resume or CV that provides sufficient detail to 1) evaluate your background and 2) contact key people. Include names and current phone numbers (not just email addresses) for all supervisors and at least three references. Applications with insufficient information, outdated contact information, or statements such as “references available by request” have a tendency to sink to the bottom of the stack. Also, please send your college transcripts (unofficial copy is sufficient). Applicant should detail in their resume/CV the specific dates worked for each previous position (not just the months), and the average number of hours worked each week for every job. This is information is required so the personnel staff can determine whether you qualify for the position. Salary is approximately $15.49 per hour (GG-05). A supplemental backcountry per diem is paid when you work in the backcountry. E-mail applications to Thomas C. Smith ([email protected], 805- 722-0729), or mail to Marine Science Institute, Bldg. 520, Floor 4L, University of California Santa Barbara 93106-6150. Applications will be accepted through January 10, 2016.
