Title: Botanical Research Assistant
Official Domain: Grassland Systems Field Station, Clinton, Missouri
Pay Rate: $9.32-10.73/hr
Dates: April 1, 2014 – June 1, 2015*
Hours: 40 hours per week
Number of positions: 1
Supervisor: Dr. Elizabeth Middleton, Grassland Botanist, Missouri
Department of Conservation
Summary: The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Grassland Systems
Field Station located in Clinton, Missouri is recruiting 1 Botanical
Research Assistant to assist in collecting vegetation data in the tallgrass
prairies of West-Central and Southwest Missouri. The Assistant will play a
key role in establishing a new 15 year project investigating the effect of
patch burn grazing on remnant prairie plant communities. This position
offers an opportunity to continue to develop plant identification skills,
learn about tallgrass prairie ecology and large-scale project design, and
to interact with professionals in the field. The Assistant will be able to
gain additional skills through a variety of formal and informal training
opportunities (e.g., MS Access, ARC GIS, plant identification, ATV safety)
Duties: Project set-up tasks include creating site maps with ARC GIS,
locating and setting permanent plot points with Trimble GPS, evaluating
suitable plant communities for study, and assisting in the construction of
a MS-Access project database. Project tasks include identifying 200+
prairie plants to species, assessing presence/absence and estimating plant
coverage. The Assistant will be responsible for collecting
presence/absence data independently, as well as working with a botany
technician to collect plant community diversity data. The Assistant will
be responsible for some data entry, and checking all data for accuracy.
The botanical research Assistant will act as a collaborator with Dr.
Middleton to ensure the optimal set up and design of this long-term
project. Other duties include collecting and mounting plant specimens,
maintaining a herbarium database, assisting in training and leading a
summer botany crew, becoming familiar with the Heritage Database, and
volunteering for other Field Station projects, as time allows.
Qualifications: The Assistant must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany,
Ecology or related field and have completed plant taxonomy or similar
course. A completed field botany class or other relevant experience is
preferred. Experience in vegetative sampling, field research and data
entry in MS Access is highly desired. The Assistant must have interest in
learning about tallgrass prairie plant communities. The Assistant must be
detail-oriented, self-motivated, enthusiastic, possess a strong work ethic
and excellent organizational skills. The Assistant must also possess
leadership qualities and the ability to coordinate field efforts to
efficiently meet research project objectives in the allotted timeframe.
The Assistant must work effectively with minimal supervision and as part of
a research team. The Assistant must be able to hike 1 to 4 miles a day on
steep uneven terrain, endure heat and high humidity, and orient plots with
the use of a compass. In May-September, the Assistant will be required to
work long hours outdoors, often with work beginning at 6 am, and will be
expected to endure harsh field conditions (heat, humidity, ticks, chiggers,
spiders, briars, and steep terrain). The Assistant must be able to travel
statewide including occasional overnight stays. The Assistant must have a
valid driver’s license and be comfortable driving 4-wheel drive trucks,
hauling ATVs on trailers, and backing trailers. A field vehicle is
provided. The Assistant must be willing to live in a rural location with
no internet access in the available MDC-sponsored housing. The Assistant
must be able to share field housing with other botany crew members or other
field station hourly staff. The successful candidate must submit to a drug
screen following offer of employment.
*Disclaimer: Extension beyond June 15, 2014, will be pending approval of
the Department’s FY15 budget, and employee performance. Extension beyond
June 15, 2014 would include a pay increase to $10.73/hour.
Application:
Please send the following materials to Elizabeth Middleton
([email protected]). Please put ‘Botanical Research
Assistant” in the subject line of your email.
1) electronic cover letter,
2) detailed CV,
3) college transcripts (unofficial is ok, but must be able to obtain
official transcript on request), and
4) phone and email contact information for at least 2 professional
references, including a recent employer.
For more information, contact:
Elizabeth Middleton
Missouri Department of Conservation
Grassland Botanist
Phone (preferred): 660-885-6981 x 230
Email: [email protected]
Deadline: 5:00 PM February 10, 2014
