Faculty Research Assistant: Natural Resources

OSU Rec Sports - Sport. Leadership. Wellness. • Union, NJ

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center - Union Station is seeking a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term Faculty Research Assistant to support ongoing research on forest and rangeland ecology and management. The position integrates forest monitoring and environmental condition data to assess likely impacts of fuels thinning across the Meadow Creek watershed and Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, supporting restoration and multiple-use management objectives. It uses broad-scale monitoring efforts to inform watershed-level restoration recommendations and provides centralized support for integrating forest, riparian, and current environmental condition data into Research, Monitoring and Evaluation efforts across the Meadow Creek Restoration and Research Collaborative. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Department Head.

The position involves field data collection in the interior Pacific Northwest, including work in mountainous terrain and adverse weather. Alternative schedules, such as four 10-hour days, may be required during field data collection. Camping in rural or remote locations during the work week may be required during the field season. The employee may need to lift, carry, push, or pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or a related discipline.
• At least two years of experience working on natural resources-related issues in the Blue Mountains.
• Experience measuring and collecting natural resource and/or ecological data in field settings, such as soil, slope, aspect, richness, diversity, composition, or density data.
• Experience using GPS units to navigate to locations and record spatial data in the field.
• Experience and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Docs.
• Ability to kneel or squat for extended periods for data and sample collection.
• Ability and willingness to work in difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions, including heat, snow, and rain.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or a related discipline.
• Knowledge of Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, the Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the surrounding area.
• Familiarity with regional partners, including USDA Forest Service, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Experience working in multistakeholder projects with tribal, federal, state, and private stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of plant communities and plant species of the interior Pacific Northwest.
• Proficiency in GIS and statistical applications, such as ArcGIS, R, Google Earth, and Survey123.
• Experience writing reports and/or publications, and presenting and sharing findings with diverse audiences using a variety of formats.

Responsibilities

• Collect scientific data.
• Maintain research records.
• Communicate effectively with the research team.
• Collaborate with external research partners.
• Integrate forest monitoring data and environmental condition data to assess likely impacts of fuels thinning across the Meadow Creek watershed and Starkey Experimental Forest and Range.
• Support the integration of forest, riparian, and environmental condition data into Research, Monitoring and Evaluation efforts across the Meadow Creek Restoration and Research Collaborative.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level