Field Research Technicians

The Cariveau Native Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota (UMN) – Twin Cities is looking for qualified applicants to fill multiple technician positions, May through September 2026. These are full time, temporary positions.

Salary: $15.25 -18/hour based on experience (UMN Work-Study students encouraged to apply)

Dates: Start date May 18, 2026 through end of August/early September 2026

Location/Lab:  Most positions are based in the Twin Cities in the Cariveau Native Bee Lab on the St. Paul campus at UMN. The Cariveau Native Bee Lab, investigates questions related to bee ecology, restoration ecology, bee monitoring, taxonomy, and natural history. Travel and overnight trips for fieldwork will occur across Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, and/or Wisconsin. Projects with overnight travel will camp and/or stay in field housing. Location for field work will be project specific. See Project Descriptions below for exact locations and camping information. Cars for travel to field sites will be provided.

Responsibilities: Responsibilities are project dependent. Technicians will conduct field work such as: observe and collect wild bees via nets and/or pan traps and search for bee nests; conduct native plant surveys; collect nectar samples; and process, pin, and label bee and plant specimens collected during the 2026 field season. Technicians will also enter and check data. This work requires attention to detail and an eagerness to learn. Both independent and group work is required. 

While conducting fieldwork, technicians will need to traverse uneven terrain while in the field and bending is often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment up to 50 pounds) must be transported on a routine basis. The majority of the work will occur in outdoor weather conditions. 

Required Qualifications:

• Legally able to work in the US.
• Fieldwork experience in natural resources or a related field, or has taken relevant coursework.
• Effective communication skills with supervisors and small teams.
• Dependability, punctuality, and ability to complete high quality work during sometimes tedious tasks.
• Ability to work outside all day, in conditions that might include heat, humidity, stinging/biting insects, and noxious plants (please reach out with accommodation and access needs).
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Commitment to safety.
• Commitment to being a respectful team member.

Preferred Qualifications (see additional preferred experience under Project Descriptions below):

• Valid US driver’s license.
• Experience with insect and plant identification, or relevant coursework.
• Understanding of basic bee biology with experience handling, collecting, or identifying native bees.
• Prior experience identifying flowering plants  or other botany experience.
• Previous fieldwork experience (for projects that require extensive overnight travel, previous experience camping long term or living at a field station).
• Experience entering data or equivalent tasks where attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy is required.

Project Descriptions:  

• Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Project –  Multiple technicians  will conduct butterfly and bumble bee sampling and plant surveys across National Park Sites. Emphasis will be on threatened and endangered species including Monarch Butterfly, Karner Blue Butterfly, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee and associated host plants. Location: Position will spend majority of time traveling within the Twin Cities area with occasional overnight travel and backcountry camping in northern Wisconsin required. Travel and housing accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent outside the Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. Contact Rebecca Zerlin at rzerlin@umn.edu with questions.
• Mixed-Grass Prairie Remnants Project – Multiple technicians will conduct native bee sampling and plant surveys at field sites across western North Dakota and eastern Montana. Field housing will be provided for the duration of the field season and this project will not be based in the Twin Cities. Camping will be required. Contact Mary Powley at powle034@umn.edu with questions.
• Rare Bee Project (Tentative) – Multiple technicians will investigate how nesting and floral resources, as well as habitat type, influence the presence of rare and specialist bees. Technicians will conduct wild bee, plant, and soil surveys at field sites in prairies across Minnesota. Overnight travel may be required at times and involve staying at field stations/hotels or camping; however, the majority of fieldwork will occur at sites where overnight travel is not necessary. Travel and housing accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent outside the Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. If funded, this position will end June 30, 2026.
• Vegetative Area Measurement Project (Tentative)– Multiple technicians will conduct floral surveys across prairie reconstructions in Minnesota. Location: MN. Extensive overnight travel will be required and will involve extensive camping with occasional stays at motels/hotels. Travel and housing accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent outside the Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. If funded, this position will end June 30, 2026.