Great Basin Seeds of Success (SOS) Crew Lead

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is recruiting a Great Basin Seeds of Success (SOS) Crew Lead, housed within the FWS office in Reno, NV. The lead will work directly with the FWS Restoration Ecologist/Botanist and partners and will coordinate and manage regional components of SOS Seed Collection on behalf of the Department of Interior (DOI). 

Duties include: 

• Coordinate 10 to 15SOS collection crews (teams of two) working throughout the Great Basin ecoregion; 
• Assist with recruitment of seasonal SOS Botany Field Technicians;
• Train crews in SOS and other seed collection protocols, safety, working in the field, offroad and defensive driving, and relevant GBI and agency policies;
• Provide day-to-day oversight of SOS Botany Field Technicians; 
• Work closely with the FWS Restoration Ecologist/Botanist, GBI Senior Ecologist, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Great Basin Ecoregional Lead all located in the BLM Nevada State Office/FWS Reno Field Office. 
• Regularly work with the SOS national curators and GIS specialists to update and review data entered by SOS crews in SOS ArcGIS Online database;
• Maintain relationships with field office, refuge, and park contacts to ensure proper support of crews in the field;
• Coordinate with land managers adjacent to the Great Basin Ecoregion to avoid duplicate scouting and collections;
• Perform regularly scheduled field visit audits of crews working in the field to ensure adherence to collection and safety protocols;
• Conduct field data quality assurance/control;
• When needed, assist crews with scouting and identifying populations of target native plant species suitable for the program, including monitoring the phenology of plant populations to identify optimal seed collection times; 
• Assist crews with collections in the field when appropriate;
• Assist with the coordination of volunteer seed collection and restoration events; 
• Maintain and organize accurate records of field collection activities; 
• Coordinate the collection and proper processing of herbarium vouchers; 
• Work with DOI and state partners to ensure populations receive appropriate source identification (SID) through relevant state protocols and that crews are trained in and adhering to SID protocols;
• Report accomplishments and provide recommendations for program improvements, priorities, and future projects; 
• Approve OnCorps timesheets on time for SOS Botany Field Technicians;
• Regularly review expenses of SOS crews;
• Assist with FWS efforts to coordinate and communicate with internal and external stakeholders; 
• Serve as a liaison between and with GBI, FWS, National Park Service (NPS), and BLM staff;
• Ensure that all administrative paperwork is completed and submitted on time and correctly; and 
• Ensure GBI and agency equipment are maintained and treated properly;
• Support in developing and managing a DOI/GBI Alumni network.

As an employee of Great Basin Institute’s Research Associate (RA) program, the RA is expected to satisfactorily complete the following tasks: 

• Adhere to daily/weekly work schedules that are subject to change in response to project needs;
• Participation in GBI and/or DOI training opportunities; 
• Complete and submit quarterly progress reports to GBI staff. Reports are due on January 5th, April 5th, July 5th, and October 5th; a final report, describing activities during your last quarter, will be due no later than one week before the end of contract; 
• Other duties as assigned by GBI and agency staff.

This position is 50% office and 50% field based.  During the field season (April through October) the Great Basin SOS Crew Lead will conduct regular field visits to crews working across the Great Basin ecoregion. Field work will require moderate to strenuous physical exertion, including hiking with 20 to 30 lbs. of gear up steep slopes and/or over uneven terrain. Field work involves driving and navigating a vehicle up to 8 hours a day to field sites and will include overnight camping.  Some work may occur along busy roadsides or popular trails. Common environmental hazards associated with field work include ticks, strong winds, heat, and inclement weather. FWS will provide a computer and office space. This position will work with software including, but not limited to Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Sharepoint and Teams, ArcPro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS FieldMaps and ArcGIS Survey123.

Contract Timeline:

• 52-week appointment beginning in January/February 2024, pending availability and completion of DOI Background Investigation.
• Full-time (40 hrs./week)

Location:
Position will be based out of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office in Reno, NV.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Wage: $26/hr. with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate. Full time, average 40 hours per week.
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance premiums are covered 100% by GBI. Available on the first day of the month following the start of employment.
• Paid leave and holidays
• 401K

Job Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree with coursework and field experience related to biology, botany, ecology, plant science, taxonomy/systematics, or related field;  
• Experience identifying plants using taxonomic keys; familiarity with plants of the Great Basin, highly desirable;
• Experience with Seeds of Success protocols;
• Proven experience managing crews in the field in remote areas of the arid American West;
• Experience hiring and training field crews;
• Highly proficient in field safety – able to manage logistics of field crews, vehicles, safety protocols and equipment;
• Experience with ArcGIS applications such as Survey123, Field Maps, and ArcGIS online;
• Proficient with Garmin inReach devices, online platforms, and software including Earthmate; 
• Familiar with gear maintenance and inventory management;
• Comfortable driving long distances;
• Experience maintaining databases and summarizing data; 
• Excellent organizational skills; 
• Experience with data entry and QA/QC procedures; 
• Reliable, team-player with strong leadership and communication skills; 
• Ability to safely navigate to field sites using maps/compass and handheld GPS devices as well as train others;  

Additional Requirements: 

• Previous experience working within the Great Basin, highly desirable;
• Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness EMT highly desirable;
• Willingness and ability to work in harsh, ever-changing desert conditions, including extreme temperatures when in the field with SOS crews;
• Ability to work with a non-standard schedule, such as beginning at 5 am, to avoid heat-related issues when in the field with SOS crews;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience;
• Willingness to camp in remote, undeveloped sites for multiple days, if necessary; and
• Valid, clean, state-issued driver’s license and familiarity driving 4WD vehicles on- and off-paved roads.
• Experience operating All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) on difficult terrain and ability to train others.