Ecologist District Lead w/ Great Basin Institute (NV)

https://www.thegreatbasininstitute.org/job/land-health-assessment-district-lead-ely-nv/

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is recruiting an experienced ecologist to work as a District Lead on a three-person interdisciplinary field team. The overall objective of each team is to perform land health assessments through the inventory and monitoring of public range lands and riparian systems within the Ely BLM district. Biotic, hydrologic, and soil qualitative indicators are used in conjunction with quantitative data to inform conservation planning and adaptive management decisions. 

Duties: 
General field duties include implementing standardized assessment and monitoring protocols (Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring [AIM] Strategy, and Interpreting Indicators for Range Health [IIRH]), walking long distances over uneven terrain, recording GPS points, collection of photos at monitoring sites, backcountry navigation, and data organization. The District Lead will also coordinate with the Land Health Assessment Program Coordinator, the Data Specialist, and the BLM Technical Adviser for project planning, field protocol and data QA/QC, team deployment and supervision, equipment organization and maintenance. This is a supervisory position, thus the successful applicant must have strong communication skills (both verbal and written) and exhibit strong leadership and organizational skills, and safety awareness. Office tasks include reporting on a quarterly basis, generating sampling site locations using a randomized selection process in ArcGIS, database management, data processing and QA/QC, post-processing GPS points, utilizing geoprocessing tools in GIS to create and edit polygons as well as point and line data, creating queries in an Access database and creating reports with GIS maps, pictures, and concise field notes. This position requires advanced GIS skills in ArcGIS 10.x and related mapping software and will play a vital role in facilitating the effective and efficient collection of monitoring data. This position will require regular travel and camping during the field season in order to ensure that all transects are successfully completed during the field season and may require long hours including early mornings and weekends. 

Location:
This position is based out of the Ely, Nevada BLM district office. Terrain is typical of the Great Basin High Desert with wide, long valleys bordered by mountain ranges. Field conditions include hot, arid days with high exposure to the sun, as well as cold, damp winter weather. Resources of the region include threatened and/or endangered species habitat, big game habitat, Wilderness Study Areas, active grazing allotments, abandoned mine lands, historic and prehistoric cultural sites, and wild horse management areas. 

Contract length: Upon availability until 18 November, 2016. Potential for extension, pending positive performance review and available funding.

Rate of Pay: $1,400 biweekly salary

Benefits: 
• Health insurance
• Paid personal leave
• Field per diem

Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in one of the major natural sciences – applicants with advanced degrees preferred;
• Applicant must be able to demonstrate strong leadership skills; 
• Applicant must possess strong plant identification skills; those with additional soil identification experience will be given preference;
• Applicants should possess relevant or related field experience – knowledge of and/or experience in high desert and Great Basin ecology preferred;
• Understanding of basic principles related to botany, soil science, wildlife biology, geology, and/or hydrology;
• Ability to navigate and set a bearing using a compass and to read a topographical map;
• Ability to collect, QA/QC, and post-process data using handheld GPS unit and computer tablet;
• Possess a clear understanding of GIS theory and applications, including experience with ArcGIS 10.x to create maps, manipulate and analyze data, and generate reports; 
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience; 
• Physically fit to work outdoors, carry personal and field equipment, and withstand working and camping in inclement weather during late winter, spring, and summer in northern Nevada;
• Experience in best practices for field safety and awareness of low impact principles for living and working in the backcountry;
• Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license and the ability to operate a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads; and
• Meet requirements of federal agency security background checks (i.e., FBI criminal and National Sex Offender Public Registry, Department of Interior Security Screening).

How to Apply:
Qualified and interested applicants should forward a cover letter, their résumé, and a list of three professional references to RA Recruitment at RArecruitment@thegreatbasininstitute.org. Please write, “LHA Ely Lead” in the email subject line and include in your cover letter where you found this position posted.

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