What are the responsibilities and job description for the Botany Technician - Rare Plant and Noxious Weed (Eldorado NF) position at Great Basin Institute?
Job Details
Job Location
Placerville, CA
Position Type
Seasonal
Salary Range
21.00 - $24.00 Hourly
Job Category
Vegetation Research & Monitoring
Description
Position Description Summary :
The Great Basin Institute (GBI), in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), is recruiting two Botany Technician to assist with invasive plant management efforts in the Sierra Nevada region. The technician will work alongside USFS staff to monitor and control invasive plant species, supporting the recovery of native vegetation in forested areas.
This is a field-based position that will involve working outdoors in diverse and potentially challenging environmental conditions, including heat, cold, and insect exposure. The field season runs from April through Fall and focuses on the restoration of ecosystems impacted by wildfire, as part of a multi-year effort to improve forest resilience and enhance biodiversity.
Technicians will assist with vegetation monitoring, data collection, and invasive plant control methods, contributing to post-fire recovery and the broader goal of increasing forest health. These efforts are vital to protecting forest resources and reducing the threat of future wildfires.
Essential Job Functions may include the following :
- Contribute as an active member of the invasive plant management project team
- Assist with both manual and herbicide-based treatments for invasive plant species
- Properly identify vascular plant species using dichotomous keys and other identification methods
- Estimate plant cover for vascular species across various sites
- Collect and prepare voucher specimens of difficult plant taxa for later identification
- Support field data collection, data entry, and quality assurance / quality control (QA / QC) processes
- Maintain and ensure proper functioning of field equipment and tools
- Participate in Great Basin Institute (GBI) or partner-sponsored training opportunities
- Monitor site-specific environmental conditions and promptly report safety concerns to the crew lead
General field duties involve walking long distances over uneven and off-trail terrain, often through dense vegetation; navigating with a map, compass, and GPS; collecting vegetation data using established protocols; ensuring consistent data quality throughout the field season; performing invasive vegetation treatments; and maintaining a high standard of safety awareness and practices.
LOCATION
Eldorado National Forest, CA
Project activities will take place on the Eldorado National Forest (NF)
Located in the central Sierra Nevada, the Eldorado NF is bordered on the east by the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Humboldt-Toiyabe NF, and by the Tahoe and Stanislaus NFs to the north and south, respectively. Eldorado NF offers an abundance of outdoor activities including fishing, boating, hiking, biking, skiing and climbing. The forest is home to much of the American River headwaters and the stunning Desolation Wilderness, and is in the heart of California's historic Gold Country. People travel to Eldorado National Forest for its rich prospecting history, diversity of outdoor adventure and even beautiful vineyards.
WORK SCHEDULE
This position is seasonal, running from mid-March to mid-November, with start and end dates dependent on project and weather conditions. Botany Technicians typically work four 10-hour days per week. TSA employees are eligible for holiday pay, subject to partner approval, and will follow the partner's holiday schedule unless otherwise specified in the employment offer. TSAs working four 10-hour days per week will receive 10 hours of pay for holidays; those working five 8-hour days per week will receive 8 hours of pay for holidays.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The position offers a competitive wage of $21-24 per hour, with overtime compensation at 1.5 times the hourly rate. This is a full-time role, averaging 40 hours per week.
In addition to a competitive base salary, the position includes company-paid, comprehensive benefits :
TSA employees who serve a term of less than 52 weeks, with a break of 30 days or fewer, and then sign a subsequent term that, when combined, exceeds 52 weeks of employment, will be eligible for benefits typically provided to full-time employees.
This exciting opportunity contributes to GBI's significant positive impacts in the fields of environmental research, education, and conservation
Qualifications
Requirements / Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, employees must be able to carry out the essential duties outlined above. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :
Education / Experience :
Undergraduate degree in botany, ecology, environmental science, or a closely related field OR related fieldwork experience
TO APPLY
Please submit an up-to-date resume, a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, and any qualifications not fully outlined in your resume, and contact information for three professional references to the unique application link. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. For questions regarding this position, please contact nshahreyar@gbinstitute.org
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer business equipment and other job / industry specific equipment. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.
NOTE : This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs.
Disclaimer : Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice.
Salary : $21 - $24
