An ecologist position is available at the USGS Canyonlands Research Station located in Moab, Utah. The successful candidate will work on a series of rainfall manipulation experiments that examine ecosystem resilience to drought and altered precipitation patterns on the Colorado Plateau. This position offers an exciting opportunity to examine how changes in water availability will affect plants and ecosystem function of the region. Moab is a small town offering a variety of outdoor adventures – more information can be found at www.discovermoab.com.
This project includes maintaining, collecting and analyzing ecological data from three ongoing rainfall manipulation experiments. The incumbent will work closely with USGS scientists on project coordination, data collection, analysis, and reporting results. The incumbent will have four general classes of duties: 1. maintain experimental infrastructure and sensor networks, 2. lead field data collection, 3. prepare and analyze data, 4. assist with the preparation of scientific papers. The field locations are generally within 2 hours driving distance of the duty station (Moab, Utah) and will require multiday trips to field stations and possibly camping trips during the field season. Field work involves heavy exertion; withstanding extreme heat and potential hypothermia conditions; climbing; walking over rough, rocky, or uneven terrain; lifting and carrying heavy equipment and supply; long hours; driving a 4WD vehicle across unimproved roads. Qualifications: A Master’s Degree and background in ecology, rangeland ecology or a plant-related field is preferred. Prior experience with maintaining experimental infrastructure and sensors networks (e.g. micrometeorological and soil moisture sensors), ecophysiology, plant community ecology and/or range monitoring and assessment techniques, data management and preparation of datasets for analysis, and basic statistical analysis in programs such as R or SAS is highly desired. The incumbent must be in excellent physical condition to withstand the rigors of the environmental conditions and must pass a physical fitness test and a background check. A valid US driver’s license is required. Salary and start date: Salary is $40,033/year plus full benefits. A start date of Dec 2016 – Feb 2017 is preferred. Application: Applicants MUST be U.S. citizens. If you have any questions send an email to [email protected]. This job will be announced on www.usajobs.gov.
