Biological Technician (Pollinators): Maryland and Virginia National Battlefields

Field Assistant (Student Service Contractor) Position with Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Duration: May through September, 2021. Exact dates are flexible and contingent on COVID-19 restrictions

Projects: Bee ecology, plant-pollinator interactions

Description: This position is in support of a native bee research project led by the US Geological Survey at Monocacy, Manassas, and Antietam National Battlefields, and C & O Canal National Historical Park. The project goals are to determine how native bee diversity varies between warm- and cool-season grasslands and quantify floral resources used by native bees. The field assistant will be working in a 2-person team alongside a lead biological technician. Duty station will be Sharpsburg, MD.

Knowledge and Skills Required for the Position:

•Experience identifying flowering plants to species including native and non-native forbs, invasive plants, and/or agricultural crops. 
•Skilled at entering data in Excel and/or Access. 
•Ability to communicate with a wide variety of people, including scientists and possibly land-managers. 
•Must possess a valid state driver’s license.
•General knowledge of native pollinator communities is preferred, but not required.
•Must be able to carry field equipment (up to 40 pounds), spend long hours walking through grasslands, and drive field vehicles. 

Salary: $16.30/hour. Housing may be provided but is not guaranteed at the time of this posting. Students will be working as independent contractors and do not receive a premium rate for work beyond 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week. Additionally, students are paid only for hours worked (with no holiday or personal leave benefits). Students do earn 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked.  Pay Rates for students include cost of self-employment taxes for social security and Medicare.

To Apply

All applicants must be a current student or a recent graduate from a university (within 12 months at time of contract awarding). Please send a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcripts, and contact information for two references to Mike Simanonok (msimanonok@usgs.gov) and Jen Larson (jllarson@usgs.gov) before January 25th. Interviews may be requested before the application deadline. Please state your current academic status and available start and end dates in your cover letter. 

Mike Simanonok, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th St SE, Jamestown, ND 58401, msimanonok@usgs.gov

Jen Larson, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 1561 Lindig St, Saint Paul, MN 55104, jllarson@usgs.gov