Start Date: May/June, 2020

End Date: August/Sept, 2020; 10 to 12 weeks of employment

Location: Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns, Oregon.

Number of Positions Available: 4

Technicians work with Dr. Jon Bates, a research scientist with the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). Fieldwork is oriented to ecological studies with emphasis in plant succession, plant community structure and composition, and post-fire ecology. Responsibilities are to assist in the collection of field data (vegetation and soils descriptions). Field work takes up about 80% of the position responsibilities.  Work is in rugged and remote areas of southeastern Oregon and southwest Idaho. Office and lab work is mainly data entry and sample processing.

Research projects include:

(1) Restoration of aspen and shrub steppe communities; southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho.

(2) Fire ecology in juniper woodlands and sagebrush steppe; southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho.

(3) Influence of fire and grazing on vegetation succession on sagebrush steppe.

(4) Prescribed fire applications – September (tentative)

Salary and Housing: about $10 to $16/hr depending on experience.  Workweek is 40 hours, consisting of 4 10-hr days.  Overtime hours are treated as credit or comp time.  A food allowance of $15.00/day is provided when staying overnight in the field. Housing, Wi-Fi and utilities are provided at the research station at no charge.

Requirements:  Prefer that applicants be undergraduates in ecology, botany, soils, wildlife, animal science or other natural resource fields. Students should be familiar with computer spreadsheets. Students must be capable of hiking over steep and rough terrain and on occasion camping 2 to 4 nights a week. Must be able to lift/pack up to 50 lbs. and able to squat/kneel for extended periods of time for sample collection. Applicants must be US citizens, have a valid driver’s license, and be able to pass a background check.

This is a federal job so it takes a couple months for the hiring process; to be hired you will need:

• Fingerprints (we will provide you with the necessary form (SF-87) and posted return mail)
• OF-306 Form, Declaration for Federal Employment (will email this too you)
• Social Security Card,
• Photo I.D. (driver’s license),
• Transcripts (non-official is fine)