Position Title: Botanical Technician

Organization: US Forest Service

Location: Reno, NV

Overview: The Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) of the United States Forest Service anticipates hiring two term Biological Science technicians to support research activities in the Maintaining Resilient Dryland Ecosystems Program (MRDE; RMRS 4255) stationed in Reno, Nevada. Duties involve performing a variety of recurring and complex duties in support of ecological research on forest, sagebrush and grassland ecosystems. The individual will support scientists who work on multiple projects on post-fire regeneration and restoration, forest silviculture, sagebrush restoration, invasive species impacts and general plant ecology research.`

Duties: Major duties of this position include but are not limited to: Plant community and seedling surveys, soil collection/sampling, collection of plant foliar material and litter, greenhouse work (germinating seed, repotting plants), out planting in the field, driving 4×4 vehicles, navigating with GPS to site locations in remote areas, soil processing, plant material processing (drying, grinding with rotary Mill), data entry and manipulation, progress report writing, other similar duties as assigned.

Qualifications: The position requires the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major study area such as biology, chemistry, statistics, botany, ecology, plant sciences, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled, such as botany, basic plant science, plant ecology, or specific techniques that are applied in field botanical work are acceptable. Those who are interested must meet the qualification requirements for the GS-0404 series that are covered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions – Professional and Scientific Positions. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook Manual is available for review at any federal personnel office or on the Internet.

Salary/pay: about $35,250/year

Application Opening Date: November 5

How to apply: Email stephanie.yelenik@usda.gov with questions about the position, or to be notified when it opens. Otherwise, the job will be posted on USAJOBS.