Southwest Botanist

IAE will support the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Plant Conservation and Restoration Program (PCRP) by maintaining a full-time staff member to support staff for the PCRP at BLM NMSO. The PCRP staff will lead projects related to native plant materials, restoration, and Special Status Plant Species for NM BLM. The PCRP staff will lead seed crew planning, hiring, training, reporting, and coordination of field scheduling and logistics. The PCRP will meet with BLM Field Office staff to advise on and increase awareness of native plant materials development and restoration practices. The PCRP staff will work with BLM staff, the Southwest Seed Partnership, and Seeds of Success to compile information on available seed quantity and geographic distribution of collections; assessing seed needs for different production scenarios (i.e. acreage, establishment methods, etc.); and synthesizing information into a stepwise strategy for seed collection and accession building including species, priority areas, and amounts needed. When time permits, this role will support other BLM and IAE projects, such as rare plant demographic monitoring, at-risk plant and pollinator recovery, and restoration research projects (e.g. RestoreNet).

Specific Responsibilities

Project management (55%)

• Develops and manages budgets and project work plans. Implements project work plans, including field work components, with support from supervisor and Southwest team. Types of projects include:
  • Lead Seeds of Success Crew Coordination
    • Develop and manage target lists:
      • Work with IAE and BLM staff to maintain updated Target Species Lists for priority ecoregions.
      • Coordinate with Field Office botanists and researchers to include targets throughout NM.
      • Prioritize crew safety while achieving crew seed collection goals.
    • Support scouting and collection efforts as needed; join NM SOS crews in the field.
    • Ensure SOS crews submit accurate reporting materials to the National SOS Coordinator at the end of the field season (perform final QA/QC).
  • Lead BLM Seed Production:
    • Work with the BLM PCRP lead to identify collection priorities and complete production planning for BLM native plant material development.
    • Coordinate with IAE staff to ensure that the seed inventory database is up to date and seeds are cleaned, as needed.
    • Builds accessions for BLM production contracts.
    • Query SWSP and SOS databases and coordinate partner data requests.
    • Help to ensure proper handling and storage of harvests.
  • May provide support on other projects, such as:
    • BLM rare plant demographic monitoring
    • At-risk plant and pollinator recovery
    • Restoration research (e.g., RestoreNet)
    • IAE projects outside of direct PCRP support related to plant conservation or plant materials development, restoration, and/or research.
  • Permits:
    • Work with SWSP coordinator and SOS crew leads to secure all necessary permits and permissions for access to lands where scouting and seed collection will occur.
    • Verify that crews are initiating proper contact with land managers, such as BLM Field Offices, Forest Service Ranger Districts, private landowners, range allottees, etc.
    • Assist with end-of-season reporting to landowners.
  • Partner coordination:
    • Coordinate with non-SOS and SOS teams collecting on DOI lands to make sure territorial boundaries are clear.
    • Verify with IAE staff that information regarding non-SOS collections from DOI lands is shared with the national SOS curator.
    • Coordinate with seed cleaning facilities and various agencies and programs that partner with BLM NM to communicate priority collections for cleaning, production, and restoration use.
    • Assist with the administration and development of the Plant Conservation & Restoration Program
    • Provide technical support to research partners working on BLM PCRP projects (USGS, universities, etc.).
    • Participate in annual field inspections and help facilitate certification of BLM production fields as needed.
  • Electronic Data Collection and Management:
    • Train technicians on data collection protocols.
    • Provide QC for SOS crew data.
    • Assist National SOS team in updating and testing electronic data collection forms.
    • Collaborate with BLM GIS staff on mapping and script writing for BLM PCRP projects and data.
    • Manage regular data integration and back-up in the BLM network
  • Outreach:
    • Provide content for BLM data calls.
    • Provide education/outreach presentations on BLM-NM Plant Materials Development, as well as occasional information requests from the public.
    • Other outreach may include web postings, newsletter content, etc.

Coordination or supervision of others (25%)

• Hiring & Training:
  • Facilitate crew hiring with input from IAE supervisor and New Mexico State Office BLM PCRP Lead (write job descriptions, review application materials, conduct interviews).
  • Coordinate BLM onboarding for any IAE-BLM support staff or seasonal BLM crews.
• Supervision
  • Facilitate regular check-ins with crew leads (monthly) and seed crews (weekly) throughout the field season.
  • Regularly collaborate with crews and SWSP personnel to update and/or communicate updates regarding collection and mapping tools and protocols for training purposes.
  • Oversee crew collection data entry and QA/QC and do final QA/QC before the end of the season.
  • Approve timesheets and expense reports for supervisees.
  • Supervise BLM NM seed collection crews and supervise technician(s) during winter/spring off-season to assist with season planning and hiring.
  • Guide crews to ensure they structure their schedules around plant phenology.
  • Ensure seed crew collection efforts meet production/research targets.
• Crew Safety:
  • During the field season, act as the point person for questions related to BLM-NM Safety Protocols and Dispatch/Check-in Protocols.
  • Actively monitor (text, email, and/or in-reach messages) check-ins to make sure crews are safe in the field.
  • Maintain contact with the Centralized Admin Dispatch Office (CADO), when necessary.
  • Ensure crew leads are maintaining adequate safety and first aid supplies for the crew throughout the season.

Writing (15%)

• Writes reports, including contributing to the annual PCRP report.
• Participates in reviewing and revision of documents with peers and supervisors, as needed.
• Effectively communicates in writing for a wide variety of audiences such as funders, members of the scientific community/peer-reviewed outlets, project partners, members of the public, etc.

Grant/Agreement proposal preparation (5%)

• Contributes to grants/proposal narratives and/or budgets as well as successful acquisition of program funding.
• Develops proposals, including project concepts, budgets, and schedules.
• Cultivates relationships and coordination with potential funders and project partners.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Experience managing and coordinating several projects simultaneously.
• Positive attitude and excellent oral and written communication skills.
• A minimum of three years of experience in plant ecology, or a related field.
• Familiarity with plant families of the Southwestern region.
• Experience using hand-held GPS units to navigate to field sites and/or record data.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) & Google Suite.
• Demonstrated proficiency with collecting and managing data with ArcGIS Online and ESRI mobile applications such as FieldMaps and Survey123.
• Experience with ecological data QA/QC
• Intermediate proficiency in seed biology, as well as collection and handling practices, and the experience of desire to instruct others on seed collection and handling.
• Ability to work long hours in adverse weather conditions (heat). Ability to hike up to 3 miles carrying a 40-pound pack and work in a bent-over/kneeling/sitting position for long periods.
• Current U.S. driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience making maps using ArcGIS desktop software with existing layers
• Proficiency with R for database queries and basic data analyses
• Experience working with native seed producers
• Familiarity with SOS protocols
• Familiarity with BLM protocols and policies
• Experienced using plant taxonomic keys
• Familiarity with restoration practices