Botanist/Riparian Vegetation Specialist, Battle Mountain, NV

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management’s Battle Mountain District Office, is recruiting an experienced botanist to work cooperatively as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Assignments will include proper functioning condition (PFC) assessments, multiple indicator monitoring (MIM), and drought monitoring. Information collected is used to maintain, restore, and/or improve riparian and upland resource values to achieve a healthy and productive ecological condition.

The successful candidate will perform field surveys of riparian habitat and condition; provide written documentation of data, conclusions, and recommendations to maintain/improve watershed conditions; convert field data to digital files via ArcGIS; identify soil types and comment on the relationships between site potential, current vegetation, and expected future conditions; collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to characterize riparian areas, develop conceptual models, identify trends, and fill data gaps. To meet these objectives, GBI is seeking an associate with a solid background in botany, including plant and plant community identification, more specifically riparian, wetland, and aquatic ecology. Additionally, the individual must have a solid understanding of soil science and the inter-relationship between soil type, water availability, and vegetative composition. The candidate’s primary responsibility will be to identify individual riparian plants, describe existing and potential plant communities using soil survey information, interpret vegetation, and detail successional sequences.
Location
Battle Mountain, NV is located ~220 miles east of Reno, NV and ~300 west of Salt Lake City, UT along Interstate 80. Battle Mountain and the surrounding area (pop. ~4,000) is predominantly rural; situated in the high desert (~4,500 ft. elevation) where ranching/mining are the local economic drivers. The Mount Lewis Field Office within the Battle Mountain District Office is responsible for managing approximately 4.5 million acres of public land typically of basin-and-range topography with Great Basin Desert/sage brush steppe ecotype.

Compensation & Timeframe
o Rate of Pay – $16.00/hour
o Medical benefits (health and dental)
o Timeline: Upon availability through 20 November 2015, with potential for extension pending funding and favorable performance review
o Full time, 40 hours per week

Qualifications:
o Bachelor’s degree in natural science field, with coursework and/or experience that demonstrate an understanding of the principles of botany;
o Knowledge of riparian soil characteristics and how they relate to plant communities;
o Knowledge of the Great Basin’s most common riparian/wetland plants (or willingness to learn prior to employment);
o Experience identifying riparian/wetland vegetation and ability to relate plant species to soil characteristics and water availability;
o Experience performing vegetation surveys, analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions;
o Ability to navigate and collect data using handheld GPS units;
o Ability to use a GPS, compass, and topographic map;
o Experience using ArcGIS to create maps, analyze data, and organize layers;
o Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license;
o Ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on- and off-road;
o Ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team;
o Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience;
o Ability to live and work in rural and remote field and office environment;
o Physically fit to work outdoors, carry up to 50 pounds of personal and/or field equipment, and withstand the rigors of the Great Basin in the summer, fall and/or early winter; and
o Willingness to assist staff specialists, if asked, to conduct wildlife surveys for Toiyabe spotted frog, Amargosa toad, raptors and greater sage-grouse lek surveys using established monitoring protocols.

How to Apply
Qualified and interested applicants should forward a cover letter, their résumé, and a list of three professional references to Amy Gladding, GBI HR Coordinator, at agladding@thegreatbasininstitute.org. Please include where you found this position posted.

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