The ecological monitoring program at GBI serves as an excellent professional development opportunity for burgeoning natural resource professionals looking for experience in botanical, soil, and rangeland surveys. This program is a component of our well-established Research Associate Program, which focuses on the conservation of natural resources in the Intermountain West. As an element of this program, participants implement the Bureau of Land Management’s national Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy, which is targeted at collecting standardized inventory and long-term vegetation data at multiple scales across western BLM districts. In accordance with this strategy and through a partnership with the BLM, GBI’s ecological monitoring program is dedicated to providing college graduates and emerging professionals with hands-on survey, inventory, monitoring, and reporting experience in natural resource management.
This video highlights the BLM’s AIM strategy for landscape-scale data capture across the western states. Position Objectives: The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is recruiting an experienced ecologist to work cooperatively as the Nevada AIM program coordinator. The overall objective of the GBI/BLM NV AIM program is to support land health assessments through inventory and monitoring of sage grouse habitat and other areas on NV public range lands and riparian systems. Biotic, hydrologic, and soil qualitative indicators are used in conjunction with quantitative data to inform conservation planning and adaptive management decisions. The overall objective of the available position is to coordinate all aspects of the GBI/BLM Nevada AIM program Duties and Responsibilities: The AIM Program Coordinator will work collaboratively with program staff (a full-time team of at least six district crew leads and one data specialist) to fulfill the goals and objectives for AIM projects in Nevada. Specific duties include: • Recruitment, supervision, management, training, and coordination of all AIM teams in NV; • Acting as liaison to BLM staff and other project affiliates; • Project planning, equipment organization and maintenance, vehicle coordination, field protocol and data QA/QC, and team deployment; • Promoting a culture of safety and maintaining safety communication and best practices with AIM crews during the field season; • Supporting data organization, processing and QA/QC; • Utilizing GIS to provide spatial analysis for reports and other mapping products preferred; • Occasional travel, camping, and site visits to BLM district/field offices in NV; • Budget management and financial reporting; • Processing timesheets, other paperwork, and payroll for NV AIM personnel; • Planning and coordinating with BLM staff on current and future projects; • Project reporting; • Participating in GBI or partner-sponsored training opportunities, and/or facilitating GBI workshops for Research Associates and AmeriCorps technicians and interns. Contract length: Beginning in April and renewable annually depending on funding and performance evaluation Salary: $1,440.00 bi-weekly salary for first 90 days, $1,560.80 bi-weekly salary thereafter Benefits: Full Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance; Paid personal leave Location: Based in Reno, NV Qualifications: • Advanced degree or equivalent experience in one of the major natural sciences; • 2 years minimum in a leadership position; • Experience in project management preferred; • Experience working with federal land management agencies, members of the public, or non-profit organizations; • Understanding of principles related to the fields of botany, soil science, wildlife biology, geology, hydrology, and spatial analysis; • Applicant should possess relevant or related field experience – knowledge of and/or experience in high desert and Great Basin ecology preferred; • Awareness of best practices for field safety, communication and risk management; • Applicant should possess a strong background in plant community ecology and plant identification; those with additional soil identification experience will be given preference; • Ability to lead and manage the collection of field data according to protocol guidelines followed by a detailed QA/QC process; possess experience and confidence analyzing geospatial data and creating map products; • Willingness to travel for multiple days at a time to the six BLM district offices in Nevada to meet with crews and agency partners, which typically involves camping with crews in the field for 1-2 nights per visit during the field season; • 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 Nevada; • Ability to navigate and set a bearing using a compass and to read a topographic map; • 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 (e.g., FBI criminal and National Sex Offender Public Registry, Department of Interior Security Screening). To Apply: Please follow this link to apply directly through our online portal: http://crcareers.thegreatbasininstitute.org/careers/careers.aspx?rf=ECOLOG&req=2016-RAP-072 We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose discrimination.
