Botany Crew Lead (Eldorado National Forest)

The Great Basin Institute (GBI), in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), is recruiting a Botany Crew Lead to assist with invasive plant management and botanical surveys in the Sierra Nevada region. The Crew Lead and technicians will work alongside USFS staff to manage rare plants, control invasive plant species, and support 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.

Botany crews will assist with vegetation monitoring, data collection, botanical surveys, 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.

Lead – Essential Job Functions may include the following:

• Lead field crews in botanical surveys to determine species identity, population characteristics, environmental conditions, factors affecting vigor and extent of species and their habitat;
• Manage crew safety, coordinate daily tasks, and ensure data collection adheres to USFS management protocols.
• Photograph or collect specimens as directed;
• Produce maps of survey areas;
• Record, enter and summarize data;
• Use botanical keys to identify plants;
• Administrative duties such as meeting with GBI staff, leading report writing, receipt management, managing crew members and team dynamics; and
• Additional tasks may include survey equipment setup, data quality assurance, and training.

LOCATION

Eldorado National Forest; Multiple positions will be filled across the Forest.  Potential duty stations include: Georgetown, CA; Camino, CA; and Pollock Pines, CA

WORK SCHEDULE

Projects begin as early as March and end as late as September (3 – 6 months depending on position/duty location). Season schedules are project specific. 

Botany and timber/forestry crew positions typically follow 10-hour days, 4 days a week schedule (M – Th). 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Lead Wage: $26/hour with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate.  Full time, average 40 hours per week

Housing provided in the form of USFS barracks or rental properties.

In addition to a competitive base salary, this full-time,onsite position includes company-paid premium comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance, as well as $25,000 Life/AD&D policy. Voluntary short-term and long-term disability policies are available, and voluntary Life/AD&D policies for family members.  Mental health support resources are employer provided, competitive PTO accrual, and paid holidays. This exciting role contributes to GBI’s significant positive impacts within the fields of environmental research, education, and conservation.

TSA employees who serve a term under 52 weeks in duration, and have a thirty (30) day or less break between terms, and then sign a second term that (cumulatively) becomes greater than 52 weeks of employment, will be eligible for the >1-year TSA benefits (equivalent to Regular full-time employees).

QUALIFICATIONS

Requirements/Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, employees must be able to satisfactorily carry out each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Lead – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (up to 2 positions available): 

• Experience conducting botanical field surveys, including rare plant surveys
• Strong understanding of and experience conducting standard botanical survey methods, vegetation assessments, and habitat characterization, with the ability to ensure consistent application across field crews
• Ability to identify plants using technical keys to the species or subspecies level and support others in accurate identification
• Experience implementing, overseeing, and ensuring compliance with established data collection, inventory, assessment, and monitoring protocols
• Proficiency in GPS navigation, map reading, and supporting map production for survey and monitoring efforts
• Physical ability for fieldwork in remote areas, including overnight camping if necessary
• Ability to coordinate daily field operations, manage crew safety, and adapt work plans in response to field conditions and project needs
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to coordinate with multidisciplinary teams and project partners
• Physical ability to lead fieldwork in remote areas, including overnight camping if necessary
• Possess a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license with the ability to safely operate and maintain a 4WD vehicle on and off paved roads
• Experience leading crews in the field preferred

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Botany, Forestry or a related field with fieldwork experience OR two seasons of botany/forestry fieldwork experience.

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 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