Wildlife Crew Lead (Tahoe National Forest)

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the US Forest Service, is recruiting a wildlife crew lead to support planning and implementation of vegetation management projects on the Tahoe National Forest in the Sierra Nevada, California. The crew lead will be responsible for coordinating and supervising 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 lead will oversee daily field operations, mentor and train crew members, and serve as the primary point of contact between the field crew and US Forest Service/GBI staff. The crew lead will provide technical advice and leadership for wildlife management programs including: planning and leading of 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; and inventorying and monitoring habitat populations. 

The majority of surveys will focus on California spotted owl and American goshawk. Surveys may also occur for Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, Lahontan cutthroat trout, bald eagle, sandhill crane, and various forest carnivores, among other species. 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 lead 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 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 Sierraville Ranger District of the Tahoe National Forest (TNF). Field work will be conducted in various locations across the Sierraville and Truckee Ranger Districts 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. The Sierraville Ranger District office is located in Sierraville, California, a small town on scenic Highway 89 located at approximately 5,000 feet in elevation. Communities within 30 minutes of Sierraville include Truckee, Loyalton, Calpine, and Portola.

WORK SCHEDULE

Wildlife Crew Lead positions begin early June 2025 and end in late October 2025. 

Wildlife Crew Lead positions follow 10 hour days, 4 days a week schedule. Crews will work a varied schedule including nighttime surveys during the majority of the season. Some crews may work 8 days on 4 days off schedules. 

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: $26/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. This exciting role contributes to GBI’s significant positive impacts within the fields of environmental research, education, and conservation.

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 accommodations may be made 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 and American goshawk
• Previous crew lead 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 a variable schedule in response to project needs, including nighttime surveys and possibly some weekends and holidays
• 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 accommodations may be made 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