Bio Science Research Tech 2: HJA Weather & Ecology Technician (Internal Employment Opportunity)

This is an internal employment opportunity. Transcripts must be submitted for all required and/or related courses from accredited colleges, universities, or private vocational schools.

For additional information, please contact Mark Schulze at mark.schultze@oregonstate.edu.

About the Role

This recruitment will fill one part-time (approximately 25 hours per week) Biological Sciences Technician 2 position for the College of Forestry’s Forest Ecosystems and Society department at Oregon State University (OSU). This is a limited-duration appointment expected to last approximately seven months from the appointment begin date.

The College of Forestry’s Forest Ecosystems and Society department explores how forests shape—and are shaped by—people, policy, and the environment. Teaching and research span ecology, conservation, recreation, restoration, and environmental policy. Students learn through participating in research and field experience in Oregon and around the world.

This position will assist with field work, data management, and operations of long-term research projects at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. The primary emphasis will be on maintaining long-term weather and microclimate monitoring projects. Duties are split approximately equally between field and office work, though any given week may be weighted more toward one or the other depending on needs. The position will be located at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest near Blue River in the western Cascades.

Responsibilities

• Conduct field work to support ongoing weather and microclimate monitoring.
• Assist with other field projects, such as phenology and planting experiments.
• Enter, organize, and proof weather and phenology data.
• Assist with research infrastructure repair, upkeep, and operations.

Requirements

• Two years of college-level courses in ecology, forestry, atmospheric sciences, or related field and one year of experience related to the area of assignment at the Biological Research Technician 1 level; OR an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Experience conducting field work in remote settings.
• Experience with data entry and organization, and facility with Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions regarding safe conduct of field activities.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively and cooperatively with other field station employees on a wide range of operational tasks and responsibilities.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in ecology, forestry, atmospheric sciences, or related field.
• Experience downloading and troubleshooting Onset and Campbell Scientific dataloggers and sensors.
• Experience conducting field work in inclement weather in the Pacific Northwest or a comparable climate, where steep terrain, snow, treefalls, and hypothermia are inherent risks that must be mitigated.
• Familiarity with the roads and landscape of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and demonstrated capacity to navigate the landscape without becoming lost or disoriented, even in inclement weather.

Schedule

The position will have variable hours depending on seasonal demand. From August through September, part-time work of 8–20 hours is anticipated. Beginning in October and through the duration of the appointment, the expectation is full-time, with 40-hour work weeks.

The Biological Sciences Technician will be expected to conduct field work as part of a team and independently in remote country, in steep terrain, and in inclement weather. Field work may require lifting up to 50 pounds and traversing steep terrain on foot, including in snowshoes. Office work will require full days of computer work, in which repetitive motions, prolonged sitting/standing, and eyestrain must be managed safely. Hand tools and power tools will be needed for some field tasks and for work with upkeep and repair of research infrastructure.

Pay

Salary range: $18.06 – $26.20 per hour.