Biological Science Technician - AmeriCorps

Position Title:  Biological Science Technician - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program

Site Location: 777 NW 9^th Street, Suite 400; Corvallis, OR 97330

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by 2/1/2025

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: 5/5/2025
• End Date: 10/31/2025
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hour, 26 weeks

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC).

The Volunteer Biological Science Technician is an AmeriCorps position that will assist two programs at FRESC: the Herpetological Research Team with field sampling activities and the Science & Data Delivery Program (S&DD) with science support activities such as IT, science communications, data/records management, or web development. The USGS is a primary Federal source of science-based information on ecosystems, land use, energy and mineral resources, natural hazards, water use and availability, and updated maps and images of the Earth’s features available to the public. FRESC’s mission is to provide scientific understanding, approaches, and methods needed to support sound management, conservation, and restoration of the Nation’s natural resources, with an emphasis on ecosystems of the western U.S. and global applicability. The Center’s vision is that natural resource managers, policy makers, the scientific community, and the public will recognize FRESC as a premier source of unbiased and relevant scientific information.

The Herpetological Research Team focuses on issues related to conservation and management of amphibians and other aquatic and semi-aquatic species. The selected participant will spend 3-months working on a team to collect information about Oregon spotted frogs in Oregon’s Deschutes and Klamath watersheds. The work supports the information needed by resource manager to make decisions that conserve this threatened species.

The Science & Data Delivery Program oversees and supports the Center’s lead scientists on Communications, Data and Records Management, Geographic Information Systems, Website Development, and Information Technology needs and activities. The selected participant will spend 3-months working in a multi-disciplinary science support field – data and records management, web development, science communications. The work supports the collection, processing, analysis, communications, and archiving of scientific information for present and future generations to understand the world in which we live in.

Description of Duties:

For the Herpetological Research Team

• Conduct pre-designed field sampling activities dealing with population biology and survival of amphibians or reptiles via visual encounter, mark/recapture, habitat quantification, trapping, fungal screening, and canoe surveys.
• Conduct data entry and error-checking and required gear and equipment maintenance.

For S&DD, depending on the member’s interest, skills, and experience they may:

• Prepare USGS Data Releases for various data sets that support FRESC science. Write FGDC metadata records for data products. (data management)
• Inventory and organize FRESC legacy data and records. Prepare legacy data for public release. GIS and Python programming experience a benefit. (data management and records management)
• Create plain language content about FRESC science (science communications)
• Create computer code for continuous integration and continuous delivery of web tools. GIS and Python programming experience a benefit. (web development)
• Test user for newly developed web tools. (web development)

Qualifications:

• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions: 
• • Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States. 
  •  Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by completing BIA Form 4432.

• Able to work in a small group or with one other individual for several days at a time.
• Able to hike long distances over rough terrain carrying personal gear and field equipment.

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for Conservation Legacy and potentially for the host site.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• A valid Driver’s License
• Familiarity with Microsoft Suite tools – Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Teams.
• Primitive camping and backcountry experience.
• For web development tasks: GIS and Python or other programming language experience.
• For science communications tasks: strong writing skills and video/audio editing or graphic design experience.

Additional Position and Community Information:

• Corvallis, OR is the home of Oregon State University (OSU). FRESC offices are located on the OSU campus or off-campus nearby.
• Corvallis is a bike/walk friendly city, with designated bike lanes, sidewalks, and multi-use paths.
• All public bus routes in the city are free and can take you to the nearby towns of Albany and Philomath.
• Short-term rental housing is available.
• Access to a personal vehicle is not necessary if you can get to the office by other means, such as bike, walk, or bus.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697 awarded upon successful completion of position.
• Living Allowance of $600.00 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $100.00 per week.
• Professional Development fund of $2,255.00 for entire term.
• Option to choose Healthcare Coverage and Childcare Coverage
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

How to Apply:

Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions.  In addition to your resume, you must upload a copy of your Tribal ID proving you are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe, Band, or village. Please also submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by 2/1/2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on 3/15/2025.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

• Program Contact information: Gillian Watson at gwatson@conservationlegacy.org
• Service Site Contact information: Susan Kemp, USGS, skemp@usgs.gov, 541-750-1047

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Additional Details

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
• Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes program expectations and AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Several online training courses are required to work in field settings and will be completed the in the first week.
• Other online training course or meetings in the area(s) of interest, such as the Community for Data Integration or the Plain Language Community of Practice are available.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

Salary : $100 - $600