Research Associate in Grassland Ecology/Field Crew Leader - Rapid City, SD

Rapid City, SD

Position is fully in-office/in-person

Yes

202500200AP

Admin Professional/ Research Professional

Research Associate I

1

40

$49,000 – $51,700

04/07/2025

02/24/2025

Housed within the Warner College of Natural Resources, the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University is an interdisciplinary academic program uniquely poised to advance education, research, and outreach in vegetation measurements and forest biometry. The existing programs in the department include forest ecology, forest economics and management, forest fire science, rangeland ecology and management, resource policy and planning, and geospatial sciences. The Warner College of Natural Resources is home to five academic departments and several centers and institutes such as the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, the WESTFIRE Research Center, the Colorado State Forest Service, Natural Resource Ecology Lab, Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. These programs, institutes and centers provide a foundation for research, education and outreach in this field. Linkages across department and colleges, and with federal and state land managers and research centers, form a broader interdisciplinary foundation for increased impact.

The plant ecophysiology lab, in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Rapid City, SD, is seeking applications for a 21-month biological science technician to act as a crew lead for a project investigating the response to- and recovery of plants from severe and seasonal droughts in the northern Great Plains. This position will focus on field crew management and plant data collection during the growing season and data management and lab work during the winter months. The responsibility of the biological science technician crew leader will be to organize, train, and lead a 4-5 person seasonal field crew in data collection of plant species composition, plant development, and biomass production. The crew lead will work in tandem with the site manager to maintain mowing treatments and rainout shelter infrastructure. We expect that in the winter months work will focus on data entry, preparing bud samples for dissection, protocol writing, and conducting initial data analyses. During the winter, the crew lead may assist the site manager with equipment repair and preparation. As times allows, the candidate may work on other projects occurring in the Rapid City lab that may include work with GIS, plant dissection, and/or scientific literature synthesis. The successful applicant will be based at the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Rapid City, SD. The candidate will be expected to plan the calendar and workflow for the seasonal crew, assist with crew hiring, training and management, assist with fleet and safety management, and write progress reports.

Reflecting departmental and institutional values, candidates are expected to have the ability to advance the Department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Research

Data collection, data entry, and managing field equipment

60

Supervision

Supervising and planning seasonal field crew

30

Project Management

Time management, Report writing

10

Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Valid Driver’s License

Troy Ocheltree, troy.ocheltree@colostate.edu

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The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, titleix@colostate.edu.

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The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.

Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education.

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.