Wetlands Delineation Mapping Analyst 1

Colorado State University•Fort Collins, CO

2d•$60,000 - $65,000•Hybrid

About The Position

A Wetland Delineation Mapping Analyst position with the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) assigned at Fort Collins, Colorado. Under direction from the Project Manager, this position provides support to wetland delineation projects as well as vegetation mapping projects using protocols set forth by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The successful candidate digitizes and interprets aerial imagery, develops maps and GIS feature data layers for field deployment, manages and prepares field equipment for data collection, identifies flora species and vegetative communities, soil types, and hydrologic conditions. The analyst may also train students, technicians, or other employees in field data collection, and develops final deliverable maps and technical documents. This is a position that often requires travel to U.S. Air Force bases and/or Army National Guard bases for field data collection. The Wetland Delineation Mapping Analyst collaborates as part of a team to complete project objectives but can also work highly independently as an expert lead on field crews and final deliverables. This position has also completed training to conduct wetland delineations for Department of Defense (DoD) installations in accordance with wetland delineation protocols set forth by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This position is a subject matter expert in a variety of inter-related disciplines that includes high levels of botanical, hydrologic, soils and geospatial knowledge with the ability to apply such knowledge to identify and classify complex wetland systems, plant communities, along with rare, exotic, or endangered species, and specific and special habitats.

Requirements

BS/BA in Ecology, Forestry, Environmental Science, Geography, Botany, Plant Ecology, or a related field; MS preferred.
Minimum of five years of closely related professional experience (excluding coursework), including at least three years of wetland delineation experience using the US Army Corps of Engineers 1987 Wetlands Delineation Manual, or comparable wetland delineation and vegetation mapping projects; formal wetland delineation training preferred.
Demonstrated field experience identifying plants to the species level and classifying vegetation or land cover types using the U.S. National Vegetation Classification System.
Proven experience leading field crews, including managing conflict, meeting project objectives, and working effectively in dynamic and challenging field environments.
Demonstrated proficiency with GPS devices, field data collection equipment and software, including Avenza Maps, as well as environmental GIS applications, aerial imagery interpretation, cartography, geospatial documentation, Esri ArcGIS, and Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability and experience working outdoors in adverse weather and rugged terrain, including navigating backcountry environments using topographic maps, satellite imagery, and GPS.
Strong initiative, attention to detail, and superior verbal and written communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for all new hires).
Ability to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) (U.S. Citizenship is a prerequisite).
Must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. by the proposed start date, CEMML will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
Valid driver's license, or the ability to obtain a valid driver's license prior to the proposed start date.

Nice To Haves

MS preferred.
formal wetland delineation training preferred.

Responsibilities

Interpret aerial imagery and other source data to delineate wetland areas using US Army Corps of Engineers protocols.
Interpret aerial imagery to delineate vegetative communities using the US National Vegetation Classification protocol.
Verify data in the field.
Produce GIS data sets using ESRI's ArcGIS Pro, according to project and SDSFIE standards.
Create maps and GIS feature layers for use in field data collection.
Create and print physical maps as well as GIS feature layers deployed to mobile devices to prepare for field work.
Coordinate with military installation environmental program managers at field location.
Lead a team that travels to sites and collects field data.
Collect and modify data to determine relevant attributes (such as plant species, soil types, hydrologic indicators, additional notes, GPS data, and field photos) in order to improve the accuracy of spatial data and classify wetlands.
Collaborate with co-workers and junior level staff to determine which data need to be collected and then travel to sites for field verification.
In the field, use GPS devices to navigate to selected sites, identify if a wetland is present, determine and record relevant attributes, and collect any additional data that will be useful for refining spatial data in the office.
Act as the final authority in the field on all classification determinations, procedures and data collection methods.
Develop finalized, professional maps and technical reports to deliver to the sponsor.
Use field data collected, in collaboration with other team members, and defined project objectives to develop these professional documents.
Ensure quality control checks are performed on all project deliverables.
Train and oversee less experienced team members in any of the above tasks including interns, students, and junior level staff.
Collaborate with senior level staff on developing training resources, creating checklists for project tracking and task assignments.
Assist in making decisions on potential future wetland delineation and vegetation mapping projects.
Develop methods to crosswalk vegetation alliances between different classification schemes.
Confer with military installation environmental program managers on special projects and on-going field work.