AMPHIBIAN FIELD ASSISTANTS NEEDED

Employer:  USDA Forest Service, Region 5 (Pacific Southwest)

Location:  Field work is throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of California. Job location is Sonora, California.

Employment Duration:  Most are approximately 3 months (mid-June to mid-September);

Titles:  Biological Technician (Wildlife)

Grade Levels:  GS-04 (Temporary 1039)

Eligibility:  US citizens at least 18 years of age.

Background and Job Description: 

The U.S. Forest Service is hiring seasonal biological technicians for 2 projects:

1. Crews will participate in a pilot study to test protocols for Yosemite toad habitat monitoring in mountain meadows.  Crews will visit about 5 occupied meadows repeatedly through the summer.   Each visit will include toad surveys  and habitat data collection such as surface water measurements, cover, livestock utilization, and disturbance.   Work will require camping for up to 10 days at a time and travel to different locations in the Sierra Nevada.  This job is suited for those with interdisciplinary interests including amphibian ecology, hydrology, and meadow ecology.

2. Surveys of lakes, meadows, and streams for amphibians focusing on the Yosemite toad, Sierra yellow-legged frog, and southern mountain yellow-legged frog.    Many of the sites will be remote, requiring backpacking trips across rugged terrain of up to 8-days duration.  This job is suited for those with backpacking and backcountry experience.  Experience in amphibian surveys and identification are desired.

These jobs will predominantly consist of field work in the Sierra Nevada at elevations of 5,000-12,000 feet.  We are looking for applicants with a background and/or high level of interest in herpetology and/or aquatic biology who are in good physical condition and willing to endure high altitude, temperature extremes, rough terrain, and the occasional mosquito (ok, maybe thousands).  Ability to get along with crew members for prolonged periods in the backcountry is a must.

The application is an on-line process.

To apply go to:  http://www.usajobs.gov
The job has not yet been posted.  If you respond to this outreach, we will contact you with the announcement numbers when they are issued, which will be March 31, 2016 at the earliest.

The job will then will be open for only 7 days (possibly closing on April 6).  I encourage you to keep checkingwww.usajobs.gov.  You can search for series 0404 and grade level 04 also using key works like ‘temporary’ and ‘biological technician’.
Please send your resume (email or paper copy resumes are fine), transcripts (electronic copies are fine) and contact information for three references to: 

Cathy Brown, cathybrown@fs.fed.us

If you have questions, please email me.  Please, no phone calls. This is a great employment opportunity in an incredibly beautiful location.  We are looking forward to a very busy and exceptionally fun field season.  Join us!