The following position is currently posted with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Online applications close this coming Friday 12/23. See the following website for more detail and application instructions (click on Career Openings in bottom right corner of page):
http://www.mdc.mo.gov/ 2011-135 , Resource Scientist at Ozark Regional Office, West Plains Salary Range: $40140 - $70812 Beginning Salary: $40140 depending upon qualification. Duties and Responsibilities The principle responsibility of this professional position is to coordinate and administer a program of technical support and scientific research and assessment that fulfills information needs for maintaining and improving plant communities affected by land use in upland forests, woodlands, and savannahs in Missouri. Under the supervision of a Resource Science Supervisor (Forest Systems Field Station), this Resource Scientist performs the following: RESEARCH • Primary responsibility is leading a project describing the ground flora communities on upland forest sites under even-aged, uneven-aged, and no- harvest forest management (MOFEP http://mofep.mdc.mo.gov/overview/default_overview.htm). • Leads field data collection and management for MOFEP Soft Mast Project. • Develops and maintains plant databases for research projects. • Designs, budgets, and conducts research and management-evaluation projects on a variety of forest/woodland projects and assists managers with plant community management evaluations and other terrestrial topics. • Collaborates with the Forest Systems Field Station team of MOFEP field coordinator, two forest community ecologists, and a fire ecologist as an expert in forest/woodland plant identification. • Collaborates with MDC regional Forestry, Wildlife, and Private Land Services Division staff, Resource Science Field Station and Resource Science Center, and outside managers and researchers to develop and execute research projects. • Provides input during research project reviews and actively participates on project review teams for other research. • Maintains the capacity to conduct high-quality research and disseminate state-of-the-art information by reading current applicable scientific literature, attending and participating in scientific meetings. TECHNICAL SUPPORT • Serves as state’s expert on forest/woodland herbaceous plant identification and plant communities. • Trains seasonal field crews for other upland forest/woodland projects in plant identification. • Develops training materials and provides training to MDC staff in Forestry, Wildlife, and Private Land Services Divisions on topics in plant identification and plant communities. • Works comfortably in a team setting with MDC Forestry, Wildlife and Private Land Services resource managers to identify critical issues for evaluation, merging new principles of adaptive management with historically successful management techniques. • Collaborates with research and management staff from universities, other state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations on regional and inter-regional issues. INFORMATION TRANSFER • Analyzes and interprets data and prepares reports, scientific manuscripts, management notes, popular articles, and presentations to communicate research results. • Provides information to regional field staff regarding new technologies and research findings to improve efficiency and effectiveness of management practices, including continuing education workshops and training courses. • Keeps abreast of Adaptive Resources Management and uses the information as a basis for evaluating upland forest/woodland plant communities and answering information needs of regional staff. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT • Recruits, trains, coordinates and supervises MOFEP ground flora and soft mast crews. • Pursues external grants to augment management evaluations and research project funding. • Develops and manages an annual budget. • Develops an annual work plan, tracks accomplishment of work objectives, and assesses annual work performance. • Performs other duties as required to enhance the effectiveness of the Resource Science Division. Qualifications Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s Degree in Plant Community Ecology, Botany, Forest Ecology, Forestry, or closely related field, and two (2) years of progressively responsible professional experience in scientific research or natural resource management. Familiarity with common Ozark plants and experience in training and supervising field crews is desirable. Applicants not meeting the professional experience requirement will be considered for Career Development program as Resource Staff Scientist, with promotion to Resource Scientist upon successful completion of the experience requirement.
