Wildlife Technician (Tahoe National Forest)

Job DetailsJob Location: Sierraville, CAPosition Type: SeasonalSalary Range: $21.00 - $21.00 HourlyJob Category: Wildlife Studies & Habitat Assessment The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the US Forest Service, is recruiting wildlife crew members (2) to support planning and implementation of vegetation management projects on the Tahoe National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains, California.

Description:

The crew member will be responsible for working alongside a small team of technicians (1-3 personnel) to ensure safe, efficient, and scientifically sound data collection in support of US Forest Service resource management objectives. The crew member will participate in daily field operations and will provide sound technical data collection for wildlife management programs including: Performing surveys for TES (threatened, endangered, and sensitive) wildlife species Gathering, compiling, and analyzing data to determine wildlife habitat

requirements:

and management needs Ensuring data quality and integrity Assessing habitat quality and quantity Interpreting biological

requirements:

for focal wildlife species and their habitat Inventorying and monitoring habitat populations Surveys will occur for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife with a focus on California spotted owl, American goshawk, and Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog. Surveys may also occur for Lahontan cutthroat trout, bald eagle, sandhill crane, a variety of aquatic species, and forest carnivores, among other taxa.

Frequent duties will include broadcast acoustical and reproductive (e.g., nesting and reproductive status) surveys for spotted owls, broadcast acoustical and reproductive surveys for goshawks, and survey and identification of aquatic species. Most spotted owl surveying will occur during evening or night hours, with the possibility of some early-morning surveys.

The crew members will gain exposure to US Forest Service processes, procedures, compliance measures and reporting, and technical

experience:

Opportunities to assist with other disciplines (e.g., archaeology, forestry, hydrology, range, etc.) and projects may exist. This is principally a field-based position (minimum 80% of time) with surveys often occurring in remote backcountry locations. Work will be physically demanding and will involve extensive hiking in steep terrain at high altitudes (5000 to 9000 ft.) on a daily basis, potentially during inclement weather conditions such as heat, snow, or rain.

Camping near a work site for several days may be required to meet survey objectives. LOCATION This position is based out of the Truckee Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest (TNF). Field work will be conducted in various locations across the Sierraville and Truckee Ranger Districts, which comprise the East zone of the TNF.

Field work will typically require traveling to remote sites, with occasional office work for data entry and reporting. The Tahoe National Forest is located in the northern Sierra Nevada (east of Sacramento) and extends from the foothills across the Sierra Crest to the California state line. It includes over 850,000 acres of public land interspersed with 350,000 acres of private land.

Rivers, snow-capped peaks and dense forests offer outstanding recreation year-round. A complex set of ecosystems are found as the terrain ascends from 1,500 feet along the western boundary to over 9,000 feet along the crest. WORK SCHEDULE The wildlife crew member position begins in early April 2026 and ends in late September 2026.

Extension of the position past late September is possible. Wildlife crew member position(s) follow a 10-hour day, 4 days a week schedule. Crews will work a varied daily schedule that includes nighttime surveys during much of the season. Temporary Special Assignment employees are eligible to receive holiday pay, if partner approved.

TSAs holiday schedule will comply with the project partner holiday schedule, unless otherwise specified in their employment offer. TSAs working five (5) eight (8) hour days per workweek will be paid eight (8) hours for all holidays. TSAs working four (4) ten (10) hour days per workweek will be paid ten (10) hours for all holidays.

Same with other approved/allowable workweek configurations; these can be accommodated accordingly with Banked Holiday(s).

COMPENSATION:

AND

BENEFITS:

Wage: $21/hour with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate. Full time, average 40 hours per week. Paid holidays. Shared housing is provided. In addition to a competitive base salary, this full-time, onsite position includes company-paid 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.

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 accommodation may be provided to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 1. Knowledge,

Skills:

, and Abilities:

Experience:

in conducting wildlife surveys; preferred

experience:

with California spotted owl, American goshawk, and Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, or some combination of the above Previous remote field

experience:

of at least one field season

Experience:

in standard field methods for wildlife surveys, status assessments, and habitat characterization

Experience:

with visual and/or auditory species identification Ability to understand, implement, and adhere to established data collection, inventory, assessment, and monitoring protocols Willingness to work on a variable schedule in response to project needs, including nighttime and early morning surveys

Skills:

in GPS navigation and map reading Ability to complete physically demanding field work in remote locations Effective communication

skills:

for coordination with multidisciplinary teams 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 2.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or related field, with fieldwork

experience:

OR two seasons of wildlife fieldwork

experience:

3. 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 accommodation may be provided 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 computer business equipment and other job/industry specific equipment.

TO APPLY Please submit an up-to-date resume, a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, any

qualifications:

not fully outlined in your resume, and contact information for three professional references. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. For questions regarding this position, please contact bcarlile@gbinstitute.org