Pollinator Field Research Technician

The Cariveau Native Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota is looking for qualified applicants to fill multiple technician positions, May through September 2024.

Salary: $15-17/hour based on experience (UMN Work-Study students encouraged to apply)

Dates: Mostly late-May to early-September. 

Location: Location will be project specific. See project descriptions for exact locations and housing. Some positions are based in the Twin Cities metro while others are based in rural Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 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 nest searching; conduct native plant surveys; collect nectar samples; and process, pin, and label bee and plant specimens collected during the 2024 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. 

The work is partially sedentary and will include time spent in a stationary position. The person will also 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:

• Valid US driver’s license and legally able to work in the US.
• Experience with insect and plant identification, or 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 (we are open to discussing accommodations to make this work accessible).
• Experience entering data or equivalent tasks where attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy is required.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Commitment to safety.
• Commitment to being a respectful team member. 

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

• Understanding of basic bee biology with experience handling, collecting, or identifying native bees.
• Prior experience identifying tallgrass prairie species 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). 

Projects Hiring 

• Prairie Reconstruction and Adaptive Management (PRAM) Project – Multiple technicians (3-4 technicians) will conduct native bee sampling and plant surveys at field sites across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Extensive overnight travel and camping required. A typical work week would potentially include 4 or 5 days camping (or occasionally staying at field stations/hotels/motels/airbnbs) in rural MN/ND/SD with the possibility of one day working at the bee lab in Saint Paul, MN. 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 [email protected] with questions.
• Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Project – Technicians (2-3 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. Full-time position. Location: Position will spend majority of time traveling within the Twin Cities area with occasional overnight travel and 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 [email protected] with questions.
• Bumble Bee Occupancy Project studies occupancy and habitat associations of the endangered rusty patched bumble bee and other bumble bee species within the Great Lakes watershed. The technicians (3 technicians) will assist with rapid surveys of bumble bees and plant communities in habitats across a rural to urban gradient. Sites will be sampled multiple times to collect data to calculate detection probabilities for use in occupancy modeling. Full-time position. Location: Eastern Wisconsin. Extensive overnight travel will be required and will involve extensive camping with occasional stays at field stations/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. Contact Mary Powley at [email protected] with questions.
• Rare Bee Project studies how nesting resources and habitat type influence the presence of rare and specialist bees. Technicians (2-3 technicians) will conduct wild bee, plant, and soil surveys at field sites in prairies across Minnesota. Full-time position. Overnight travel will be required at times and involve staying at field stations/hotels or camping. 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 Marissa Chase at [email protected] with questions.
• Multi-Taxa Response Project studies how bumblebee, butterfly, grassland bird, and plant communities are impacted by the different seed mixes used in Conservation Reserve Program practices. Full-time position (3 technicians). Location: MN, SD, ND borders. Extensive overnight travel will be required and will involve extensive camping with occasional stays at field stations/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. Contact Maya Vellicolungara at [email protected] with questions.
• Floral Resources in Pollinator Habitat Project Technicians (2-3 technicians) will conduct floral surveys across prairie reconstructions in Minnesota. There may be limited bee surveys. Full-time position. Location: MN. Extensive overnight travel will be required and will involve extensive camping with occasional stays at field stations/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. Contact Rebecca Zerlin at [email protected] with questions.

The Cariveau lab is also tentatively hiring a technician for the following projects based on availability of funding. 

• Laboratory Technician – The technician (1 technician) will be a lab-based technician based out of the Native Bee Lab in Saint Paul. Tasks include: pinning and processing field samples, data entry, labeling species. May have opportunities to assist with fieldwork on different projects. 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 [email protected] with questions.
• Bumble Bee Nesting Project engages volunteers to conduct surveys to discover new locations for bumble bee nests in parks around the Twin Cities Metro area. Technicians (1-2 technicians) will conduct habitat assessments, conduct nest searches, and assist with radio tracking of bumble bees. Full-time position. Location: Study sites will be located within the seven county Twin Cities metropolitan area. Contact Elaine Evans [email protected] with questions.

Equity and Diversity:

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.