Field research/technician opportunity (US)

In the very near future, USGS will be advertising for temporary field
investigators/technicians to assist in research related to American pikas,
alpine ecosystems, and landscape climatology.  Technicians will work as a
team to travel to remote locations in Nevada and Oregon to retrieve,
replace, and re-deploy microclimatic sensors and make and record
observations of field conditions.  Although breathtakingly scenic,
accessing these locations is physically demanding, often requiring
sustained hiking in remote, rocky, high-elevation locations.  In
particular, logistics involve driving in a 4WD vehicle for up to tens of
miles on unmarked dirt roads per day, parking at the nearest road end, and
then day-hiking or backpacking (often without a marked trail) to locations
1-12 miles from the vehicle, and arriving at exact sensor locations, which
can be up to 900 m in elevation above the vehicle.  Equipment and
instruction in field techniques and safety practices will be provided.  Based
in Reno, Nevada, technicians will be paid a combination of technician wages
and per diem expenses.  Although the primary requirement of these positions
is for the collection of field data, there may be opportunities to continue
involvement with this and related research.

Please see qualifications below and, *if interested, please express your
interest in such an opportunity by providing three things by 1 June
2013: 1) a cover letter* *addressing these qualifications and your ‘fit’ to
the position, 2) your resume, and 3) contact information for three or more
individuals that can verify your qualifications.*.  Please send the
materials, and/or any questions, to project investigator Dr. Erik Beever
(USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; EBeever@usgs.gov; (406)
994-7670).  Thomas Albright (Univ. of Nevada-Reno, Lab for Conservation
Biogeography) is a co-PI and part of a large team for the research.
Expressions
of interest will be continuously accepted, but we prefer that you *please
express your interest by* *1 June 2013*.  After this date, the announcement
for these positions will be posted for a very short time; the PIs will
inform (in advance) all whom have expressed interest when and how to meet
that narrow application window.



*Requirements:*

-        Ability to hike on rockslides with a medium to moderately heavy
backpack in rugged, high-elevation areas.

-        Familiar with navigation by maps, compass, and GPS

-        Comfortable working and camping in remote backcountry locations;
solid decision-making in these contexts

-        Critical-thinking skills, attention to detail, and positive
attitude

-        Valid driver’s license with a good driving record.

-        Successfully complete a federal background check

-        Successfully pass a medical exam to ensure fitness for required
job duties

-        Submission of transcripts with final application materials



*Desirable qualifications:*

-        Experience in collection of field data, and identification of
Great Basin plant species

-        Interest in ecology, wildlife, climate, physical geography, and
scientific research

-        GIS, remote sensing, statistics, wildlife biology